Building a Sustainable City from the Ground Up

Masdar City, launched by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala and backed by the UAE government, is one of the world’s most ambitious urban sustainability projects.

Located in the desert and spanning six square kilometers, the development is designed to serve as both a functional city and a testbed for future-ready technologies. It currently supports more than 15,000 residents and workers, with ongoing expansion aligned with the UAE’s net-zero carbon goals by 2050.

What Masdar Offers

Masdar City combines environmental design, advanced energy systems, and digital infrastructure. Buildings employ passive cooling techniques, low-carbon construction materials, and water-saving technologies. Traditional Arabic elements like shaded alleys and wind towers help lower energy demands by up to 50%.

The city also integrates artificial intelligence and IoT systems to manage utilities and environmental conditions. It is home to Masdar’s headquarters, the MBZUAI AI university, and various clean technology labs, creating a hub for applied research and smart service delivery.

Business clusters focus on sectors such as renewable energy, space, life sciences, and sustainable mobility. Companies benefit from free-zone regulations, startup support, and access to commercial infrastructure tailored for clean-tech innovation.

Masdar City’s transportation model supports electric and autonomous mobility. Pedestrian pathways, autonomous shuttles, and electric vehicles operate within a car-free core, reducing emissions and creating a safer, walkable urban experience.

Delivering Sustainable Infrastructure at Scale

The city has developed a number of pioneering facilities, including LEED-certified buildings, positive-energy offices, and solar-powered research hubs. The RMJM-designed Innovation Hub, along with other smart mobility trials and AI-driven grid systems, represents how new technologies can be scaled in real-world conditions.

Masdar City also supports early-stage cleantech through incubation and accelerator programs, offering both workspace and research collaboration opportunities. This ecosystem approach helps translate research into deployment, making the city not only a model but a multiplier for sustainability innovation.