How much does a Masdar City Free Zone license cost?

From about AED 10,000 to 14,000 for year one on a coworking or desk package, AED 15,000 to 22,000 on a higher tier carrying two to four visas, and AED 25,000 to 45,000 with a dedicated office. Visas are charged separately at roughly AED 3,800 to 5,500 each in government fees plus AED 1,200 to 1,600 for medical and Emirates ID.

What packages does Masdar City Free Zone offer?

The structure is tiered by workspace. A coworking or hot-desk package is the entry point and includes a registered address with a small visa allocation. Higher desk tiers add visa quota without a physical office. Above that you lease a dedicated office priced per square metre, which moves you onto a space-based quota of roughly one visa per 9 sqm. Laboratory and specialised R&D space is quoted case by case.

Is Masdar City only for clean tech companies?

No. The cluster is built around sustainability and the knowledge economy, but professional services, consultancy, technology, software and R&D companies are all commonly licensed there. General trading is the poor fit — if that is your activity, a trading-focused zone will be cheaper and simpler.

How long does business setup in Masdar City take?

Five to ten working days for the licence once documents are complete, which is slower than the low-cost northern zones because a business plan or activity justification is more often requested. Allow one to two further weeks for the establishment card, entry permit, medical and Emirates ID before a visa is in hand.

How many visas can I get in Masdar City Free Zone?

One to four on an entry coworking package, four to six on a higher desk tier, four to eight with a dedicated office of 15 to 25 sqm, and roughly one per 9 sqm above that. Your own investor visa normally counts as one of the allocation.

Masdar City or a Dubai free zone — which is better?

It depends on your sector and your customers. Masdar City carries more weight in clean energy, sustainability and Abu Dhabi government procurement, and sits closer to the sovereign funds. A Dubai zone such as IFZA or Meydan is cheaper, faster and better placed for general trading, e-commerce and a Dubai-based client list. For consultancy and technology either works, so decide on cost and where your clients are.

Is Masdar City cheaper than ADGM?

Yes, considerably. ADGM is a financial free zone with regulator oversight and capital requirements, where setup commonly runs well into six figures for regulated activity. Masdar City is a conventional commercial free zone, so AED 10,000 to 45,000 covers most cases. They serve different purposes rather than competing.

Masdar City Free Zone

A Masdar City Free Zone licence costs from about AED 10,000 to 14,000 for year one on a coworking package, rising to AED 25,000 and above with a dedicated office. The licence is normally issued in 5 to 10 working days. Masdar City is Abu Dhabi's sustainability and knowledge-economy cluster, which makes it a strong fit for clean energy, technology, R&D and professional services rather than general trading.

Starting from: AED 10,000 for year one

Why choose Masdar City Free Zone?

Abu Dhabi's cleantech and knowledge-economy cluster, with real reputational weight in those sectors
Strong fit for renewable energy, technology, R&D, consultancy and professional services
Coworking and desk packages available, so you can start without a dedicated office
Located beside Abu Dhabi International Airport with scalable office and lab space
100% foreign ownership, full profit repatriation and no personal income tax
Access to Abu Dhabi government and sovereign-fund procurement networks

How much does a Masdar City Free Zone licence cost?

A licence here typically runs AED 10,000 - 45,000 for year one. The licence is normally issued in 5 - 10 working days once documents are ready, and entry package tiers carry 1 - 8 visas. The low end is a single-activity licence with no staff visas; the high end reflects extra activities, a dedicated office or a higher visa quota.

Sustainability and knowledge-economy cluster; poor fit for general trading.

Estimate. Indicative market range for planning, not confirmed with the authority. Check current figures before you apply.

Indicative year-one cost — reviewed October 2026
Item	Indicative cost	Notes
Licence on a coworking / desk package	AED 10,000 - 14,000	Entry point; includes a registered address
Licence with 2-4 visa allocation	AED 15,000 - 22,000	Higher desk tier, no dedicated office needed
Licence with dedicated office	AED 25,000 - 45,000	Priced per sqm; moves you to a space-based quota
Laboratory or specialised R&D space	on application	Quoted case by case with technical approvals
Visa government fees, per person	AED 3,800 - 5,500	Charged per visa, on top of the licence
Medical test and Emirates ID, per person	AED 1,200 - 1,600	Payable for each person you sponsor
Establishment / immigration card	AED 1,200 - 2,000	One-off per company, required before any visa
Investor or partner visa (2 years)	AED 3,500 - 5,500	Includes medical, Emirates ID and status change
Employee visa (2 years)	AED 4,000 - 6,500	Per employee
Annual licence renewal	85 - 100% of year-one fee	Excludes one-off formation items

Indicative ranges for planning, not a quote. Zone packages and government fees change — confirm current figures with the authority before you apply.

How many visas do you get?

Quota follows the facility you take, not the licence itself.

What you lease	Typical visa quota	Notes
Coworking / desk package	1 - 4	Set by the package tier you buy
Higher desk tier	4 - 6	Still without a dedicated office
Dedicated office (15 - 25 sqm)	4 - 8	First step up on a space-based allocation
Larger office or lab space	about 1 per 9 sqm	Subject to the authority approving it

Full detail, including how to increase your allocation: free zone visa quota explained.

Licence types available

Professional / services licence — consultancy, engineering and professional activities
Technology and innovation licence — software, AI, data and digital products
Research and development licence — labs, testing and pilot projects
Industrial licence — clean-tech manufacturing and assembly
Branch of a foreign or UAE company

How to set up, step by step

Confirm your activity is permitted and reserve a trade name (1-2 working days)
Submit the application with KYC documents and the business plan where required (1-2 working days)
Pay the licence and package fee, then receive the licence and incorporation documents (2-4 working days)
Sign the coworking or office agreement and open the immigration file (1-2 working days)
Apply for visas, then complete medical test and Emirates ID (1-2 weeks after entry)
Open the corporate bank account and register for corporate tax with the FTA

Documents you need

Passport copy and recent photograph for every shareholder and manager
UAE entry stamp or visa page, if you are already in the country
NOC from your current sponsor, if you hold a UAE residence visa
Two or three preferred trade names
Short business plan or activity description — more often requested here than in low-cost zones
Degree certificate or CV for regulated professional and engineering activities
Parent company documents, attested, if registering a branch

Popular activities

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Last updated: October 2026

General information, not advice. Fees, packages and visa quotas are set by the free zone authority and change without notice — confirm current terms before applying.