Masdar City Free Zone business setup: license packages from AED 7,000
Masdar City Free Zone, the technology and clean-energy zone of Abu Dhabi, licenses a company in packages from AED 7,000. We set it up on one of them, from $7,000 with the license.
Masdar City Abu Dhabi
- AED 7,000 Startup package: license, 2 activities
- 10 Working days at most to the license
- 4 Visas on one dedicated desk
What Masdar City Free Zone is
2,500Companies in the clean-energy district
Masdar City Free Zone is the free zone of Masdar City, the district of Abu Dhabi built around clean energy and technology. It stands five minutes from Zayed International Airport, 20 minutes from the centre of Abu Dhabi and 45 minutes from Dubai. More than 2,500 companies are registered here, alongside the International Renewable Energy Agency and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.
100%Three forms, one desk
A company in the zone is 100% foreign-owned. It takes one of three forms: a free zone limited liability company, a branch of a foreign company or a branch of a UAE company. The share capital of the limited liability company usually stands at AED 50,000 in its documents. The zone handles registration, licensing, leasing and visas at one desk, and we run that file for you.
from AED 7,000For Startup, the first of four packages
The license packages rise from AED 7,000 through 12,000 and 17,500 to 27,000 before 5% VAT: Startup, Innovation, Business One and Enterprise. A company holds the Startup package for 3 years and then moves to a standard one. The zone approves more than 1,000 activities, and with a dual license the company also works on the Abu Dhabi mainland.
Masdar City Free Zone license packages
Startup, AED 7,000
License and registration with up to 2 activities: you add a desk, from AED 2,000 a year, and visas when you need them. After 3 years the company moves to a standard package.
Innovation, AED 12,000
License and registration with up to 3 activities, a flexi-desk lease and room for 2 visas. The package is meant for startups and research-driven companies.
Business One, AED 17,500
Up to 3 activities, a Flexi Desk Lite lease and one visa with everything around it: establishment card, e-channel fees, medical exam and Emirates ID application.
Enterprise, AED 27,000
Up to 6 activities, a Flexi Desk Plus lease and room for 3 visas.
What clients write about Legarithm
4.8 on Google from 26 reviews.
We had long been looking for someone to register a company in the UAE and help with the account. With Legarithm it went as it should: a clear process, help with the documents, no red tape.
Everything is well coordinated and clear. Half an hour of the first meeting was more useful than two weeks of trying to work it out myself.
Who Masdar City Free Zone suits
Renewable energy, energy services and climate technology form the first cluster of the zone, and its license list has a category for each.
ICT companies, AI startups and data centres register under the clean technology and ICT category and work beside the university of artificial intelligence.
The zone keeps clusters for smart and autonomous vehicles, space technology, life sciences, and agri-food and water technology.
Marketing, events, human resources and consulting firms, and groups that place a regional headquarters or a holding company in Abu Dhabi.
A fund manager or a fintech firm needs the financial regulator of ADGM. A shop, a restaurant or a contractor that works across the emirate takes a mainland license: see business setup in Abu Dhabi.
Masdar City desks and offices, and the visas each one carries
The zone asks every licensed company for a workspace, and the workspace sets how many visas the company may hold.
Flexi Desk Lite
- Visa allocation
- 1
- Rent a year
- AED 2,000
Flexi Desk
- Visa allocation
- 2
- Rent a year
- AED 6,000
Flexi Desk Plus
- Visa allocation
- 3
- Rent a year
- AED 10,000
Dedicated Desk
- Visa allocation
- 4
- Rent a year
- AED 20,000
2 monthsOf rent as the deposit on a flexi-desk lease
A larger team leases a serviced office, a retail unit, a building made to order or a plot of land. A flexi-desk lease carries a refundable deposit equal to 2 months of rent.
What Masdar City Free Zone setup costs, line by line
Our price is before VAT and covers the company and its license. The other lines are the zone's published fees, VAT included, and the dual license is ADDED's fee.
Masdar City company and license with us
from $7,000Get a quote- Immigration establishment card, once
- AED 1,600
- E-channel registration, once
- AED 2,600
- E-channel renewal, a year
- AED 1,600
- Employment visa package, 2 years
- AED 3,050
- Medical test and Emirates ID, each person
- AED 800
- Visa deposit, returned on cancellation
- AED 2,500
- Each further activity on the license
- AED 2,500
- Dual license from ADDED
- from AED 1,200
Masdar City activities, license categories and the dual license
The zone sorts its activities, more than 1,000 in all, into 12 license categories.
Energy and technology
- License categories
- Renewable energy; clean technology and ICT; energy; oil and gas services
The other eight
- License categories
- Healthcare services; marketing and events; human resources; service providers; property development services; regional headquarters, trading and holding companies; business and data centres; retail, food and beverage
AED 2,500For each general activity beyond the package
A package covers 2, 3 or 6 activities: 2 in Startup, 3 in Innovation and Business One, 6 in Enterprise. Each further general activity costs AED 2,500 and each special one AED 5,000. The zone approves special activities, among them oil and gas field services, space and retail, case by case.
from AED 1,200Dual license for the Abu Dhabi mainland
A Masdar City company that also sells on the mainland applies through the zone for a dual license from ADDED, the economic department of Abu Dhabi. The license costs from AED 1,200 with six activities and needs no second office. With it the company takes part in government tenders. The activity has to be allowed both in the zone and on the mainland.
Masdar City Free Zone setup, step by step
- 1–2 days1
Activity and package
You tell us what the company does and how many visas it needs. We pick the activities from the zone's list and the package that carries them.
- then2
Legal form and name
We choose between an FZ-LLC and a branch and reserve the company name in the zone's e-services portal.
- 2–5 days3
Application and approvals
You upload passports and sign in your account. We file the application, and the zone and the Abu Dhabi authorities approve it.
- up to 10 working days4
License and registration certificate
You sign the legal documents and the zone issues the license, expected within 10 working days of the filing.
- 1 to 3 weeks later5
Desk, establishment card and visas
We sign the desk lease, open the establishment card and the e-channel, and file each visa with its medical test and Emirates ID.
- 2 to 4 weeks6
Tax registration and bank account
We register the company with the Federal Tax Authority and file the application for a business bank account in the UAE, which usually opens in 2 to 4 weeks.
Masdar City Free Zone, ADGM or the Abu Dhabi mainland
| Compared | Masdar City Free Zone | ADGM | Abu Dhabi mainland |
|---|---|---|---|
| License from | AED 7,000 | $5,500, or $1,900 for an SPV | AED 1,200 |
| Built for | Technology, clean energy, services | Finance, funds, holding | Shops, contractors, local trade |
| Workspace | Desk from AED 2,000 a year | Desk or office on the islands | Leased office |
| Visas | 1 to 4 by desk, more with an office | 2 or 3 a desk, 1 for 8 sq m of office | By office size |
| Selling on the mainland | With a dual license | With a license from ADDED | Directly |
Documents for a Masdar City company
Documents
Each shareholder and director
- Passport copy
- Passport-style photo
- Address proof from the last 3 months
- UAE visa or entry stamp, if you hold one
- Short CV or business profile
A branch or a corporate shareholder
- Certificate of incorporation and good standing
- Memorandum and articles of association
- Board resolution to open in Masdar City
- Register of directors and shareholders
- Passport and address proof of each beneficial owner (UBO)
You send them in your account. We check each document the day it arrives and tell you what is missing.
See the platformQuestions about Masdar City Free Zone business setup
Is Masdar City a free zone?
Yes. Masdar City Free Zone is one of the free zones of Abu Dhabi. Its companies are 100% foreign-owned, import at a 0% tariff and hold their license from the zone itself.
How much does a license cost in the Masdar City Free Zone?
AED 7,000 for the Startup package, AED 12,000 for Innovation, AED 17,500 for Business One and AED 27,000 for Enterprise, and the zone adds 5% VAT. Where these fees stand among the others is in the comparison of 22 UAE free zones.
Which free zones are located in Abu Dhabi?
ADGM, the financial centre, Masdar City, KEZAD at Khalifa Port, the Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone, twofour54 for media and the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi. Our page on a free zone company in the UAE compares zones across the emirates.
How much does a Masdar City Free Zone visa cost?
AED 3,850 in the zone's fees for a 2-year visa: AED 3,050 for the visa package, AED 350 for the medical test and AED 450 for the Emirates ID. The establishment card and the e-channel are paid once.
Is there a minimum share capital in Masdar City Free Zone?
An FZ-LLC usually states a share capital of AED 50,000 in its documents. We confirm the figure for your package and activity before filing.
Does a Masdar City company pay corporate tax?
With Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) status its qualifying income is taxed at 0%, and any other company pays 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above. It registers with the Federal Tax Authority either way, and needs a VAT registration in the UAE once its turnover passes AED 375,000. Our accountants keep its books from $350 a month: see accounting in the UAE.
How long does Masdar City Free Zone setup take?
The zone registers a company within a few working days of an approved file, and we plan for up to 10. Visas and the bank account follow over the next two to four weeks.
Get a quote for your UAE company
Book a 30-minute call about your company
Your consultant Vladyslav Babaiev Opens in a new tab Business Setup Specialist
- We email you the Google Meet link.
- 30 minutes, free, no obligation to order.
- After the call we email you the checklist of documents for your country.
We reply by the end of the next working day with the cost and the dates for your case. The first call is free and confidential.
Other free zones and emirates
Dubai
from $7,000 Company formation in Dubai
Business setup in Abu Dhabi
from AED 1,200 ADDED license with 6 activities
ADGM company formation
$1,900 ADGM's fees to register a holding SPV
Ajman Media City
AED 4,999 Business Club license for a year
Ajman NuVentures
AED 4,888 Zero-visa package for a year
Ajman Free Zone
from AED 5,555 E-commerce license package a year
Dubai CommerCity
In your quote Company with its license
Fujairah Creative City
AED 3,999 Media package for a year, no visa
Dubai Airport Free Zone
from AED 15,000 Trade or service license a year
DIFC company setup
$12,000 Commercial license a year, non-retail
DMCC Free Zone
AED 35,484 Basic Biz package: license and flexi-desk
Dubai South Free Zone
AED 12,500 License with a flexi-desk, a year
DWTC Free Zone
from AED 12,000 DWTC license, valid one year
Fujairah Free Zone
from $7,000 Company with its license, through us
Hamriyah Free Zone
AED 11,000 Basic cost of a license, as the zone states
IFZA Free Zone
about AED 12,500 License a year with a flexi-desk
JAFZA offshore company
AED 10,000 JAFZA fee to register, paid once
JAFZA Free Zone
from AED 5,000 JAFZA license fee a year
KEZAD Free Zone
from AED 9,450 Start-up package a year, VAT included
Meydan Free Zone
AED 12,500 Meydan's license fee a year, desk included
RAK ICC offshore company
AED 3,250 Registry fee to incorporate, first year
RAKEZ Free Zone
AED 6,000 Basic license a year: 1 activity, no visa
SAIF Zone
In your quote Company with its license
Shams Free Zone
AED 5,760 Media license a year, VAT included
Sharjah free zones
from AED 5,750 Free-zone license a year
SPC Free Zone
from AED 5,750 SPC license fee a year
Umm Al Quwain Free Zone
AED 5,500 UAQ LYTE: license a year, no visa
Compare the free zones
Cost, visas and office, side by sideAlso for a company in the UAE
Investor visa in Dubai and the UAE
A 2-year residence visa through your company, from AED 3,000, 1 to 3 weeks after the license
OpenBusiness bank account in the UAE
Six accounts compared by balance and fee, 2 to 4 weeks from a complete application
OpenAccounting services in Dubai and the UAE
IFRS books, VAT and corporate tax returns from $350 a month
OpenCompany formation in the UAE
Free zone from $7,000, mainland from $8,000, offshore from $3,000
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All guides to a company in the UAE
Updated 13 October 2026. Reviewed by Vladyslav Drapii, Founder.
