Masdar City

Masdar City is a mixed-use urban development, located in Abu Dhabi, UAE¹. Launched in 2006, it was envisioned as a hub for clean technologies and renewable energy, intended as a model – a ‘green print’ – for sustainable cities in the region and globally². The project aims to create a low-carbon, low-waste community, with minimal reliance on fossil fuels³.

To implement the project’s vision, a master plan was proposed which extends over a 6.4 square kilometers site situated approximately 17 kilometers southeast of Abu Dhabi⁴. The masterplan features dense, mixed-use and low-rise development, consisting of a clean-tech cluster, business free zone, and residential neighborhoods⁵. Its design aims to merge modern technology with traditional Arabic architectural techniques, with particular emphasis on mitigating the effects of extreme desert temperatures⁶. With convenient access to rapid transport links and amenities within a 200 meter radius, Masdar City is planned to encourage pedestrian-friendly urban living. Its streets and courtyards are designed to offer a comfortable, sheltered environment, protected from extreme climatic conditions⁷. Surrounding the city, vast stretches of land host wind and photovoltaic farms, research fields, and plantations, enabling the community to generate its entire energy supply⁸. The inclusive core of the masterplan is a linear park which accommodates spaces for social gatherings and activities accessible to the community and visitors⁹. Notably, Masdar City’s masterplan was left intentionally flexible, allowing for adaptation to emerging technologies and incorporation of lessons learned¹⁰.

Here, the economic, recreational, and research activities strive to investment and innovation, which in turn seeks to create jobs directly within the city and indirectly across various industries. The city’s approach to sustainability is particularly evident in its extensive research and development (R&D) projects¹¹. Among the facilities it boasts is the headquarters for the International Renewable Energy Agency and the Masdar Institute of Sciences and Technology (MIST). The project also includes the Masdar Solar Hub, the Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS), Electric Energy Storage Solutions Hub, and several other initiatives. These projects not only drive technological innovation but also contribute to the city’s goal of creating a sustainable and self-sufficient urban environment¹².

The project was initiated by Masdar-Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, an Emirati state-owned renewable energy company with three shareholders: Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA) and Mubadala Investment Company¹³. The comprehensive master plan for the project was designed by renowned British architectural firm Foster + Partners¹⁴.

The project is being implemented on phases, including:

• The first phase includes the construction of the MIST, Masdar headquarters, a hotel and conference center, a retail district, residential units, and research and development facilities¹⁵. The first six buildings of the city were completed and occupied in October 2010¹⁶.
• Phase two was approved by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council in April 2016¹⁷. The masterplan, designed by CBT architects¹⁸, focuses on the development of a 0.995 square kilometer neighborhood as a “pedestrian-oriented innovation community”¹⁹ . A new “net-zero energy co-working and living space” named The Link was launched in 2023²⁰.

The project was originally scheduled for completion in 2016, but has been delayed to 2030 ²¹, along with budget reduction ($22bn, reduced to $19.8bn²²)and scaling back of some initial goals.