--- title: "Masdar City, Abu Dhabi" canonical: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/abu-dhabi/masdar-city markdown: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/md/abu-dhabi/masdar-city.md type: area description: "A 6 sq km low-carbon district and free zone next to Zayed International Airport, with mid-rise apartments at some of Abu Dhabi's lowest freehold prices. Suits yield-focused investors and people who work there." last_verified: 2026-11-12 sources: 7 publisher: "UAE Property Agents (Omnia)" language: en-GB usage: "You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting." --- # Masdar City: property and area guide > A 6 sq km low-carbon district and free zone next to Zayed International Airport, with mid-rise apartments at some of Abu Dhabi's lowest freehold prices. Suits yield-focused investors and people who work there. Facts last verified 12 November 2026 against the sources listed at the end. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Emirate | [Abu Dhabi](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/abu-dhabi) | | Area type | master community | | Tenure | Freehold for all nationalities | | Also known as | Masdar | | Coordinates | 24.43, 54.62 | | Developments covered | 0 | | Wikidata | [Q934481](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q934481) | ## Overview Masdar City is a planned district of about 6 sq km on the mainland beside Zayed International Airport. It was launched in 2006 by Masdar, the Abu Dhabi renewable-energy company owned through Mubadala, as a test bed for low-carbon urban design. Construction began in 2008 and the first buildings were occupied in 2010. The original ambition of a car-free eco-city finished by 2016 was not met, and the district has grown more slowly and conventionally than first promised. It is nonetheless a working place: about 15,000 people lived or worked there in 2023-24, roughly 5,000 of them residents. Its strength is employment and education. Masdar City is a free zone and hosts the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency, Siemens Energy's regional base, the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, G42 and the UAE Space Agency. An Aldar and Mubadala joint venture has been buying commercial buildings there, including Masdar City Square in the third quarter of 2026. Buildings are designed to use about 40% less energy and water than comparable ones. Housing is mid-rise and mostly apartments. Masdar's own stock is rental, such as the Eco-Residences owned by its REIT. Homes for sale come from third-party developers: [Reportage](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/developers/reportage) (Plaza, The Gate and the new Sila), plus Oasis Residences, Leonardo Residence, Al Mahra Residence and others. In November 2026 Property Finder listed 18 new projects in the district, with launch prices from about AED 500,000 for ready units to AED 6.5 million for villas that the portal groups under the district. Masdar City is one of the nine investment zones named on the UAE government portal, so foreign nationals can buy. The location is practical: the airport is about ten minutes away and Yas Island under twenty. It is a plain setting, with no beach, and the promised light-rail connection has not been built. ## Who it suits - Investors seeking lower entry prices and tenant demand from the free zone - People working or studying in Masdar City or at the airport - First-time buyers priced out of the islands - Buyers who value energy-efficient buildings ## Highlights - Designated investment zone: foreign nationals can buy - Free zone with IRENA's headquarters, MBZUAI, Siemens Energy and G42 - About 10 minutes to Zayed International Airport and 18 minutes to Yas Island (Reportage) - Buildings designed to use about 40% less energy and water than comparable ones - Some of the lowest freehold entry prices in Abu Dhabi - Institutional investment: Aldar-Mubadala JV bought Masdar City Square in Q3 2026 ## Considerations - The original masterplan slipped badly. Completion has been pushed from 2016 to 2030 and beyond, so treat future phases as uncertain - No beach, marina or major mall. Leisure means a drive to Yas Island - Public transport is limited. The planned light-rail or metro link has been delayed and the pod transit system was never expanded - Smaller developers of varying quality are active here. Check each one's delivery record and the build specification - Apartment supply is rising, with several schemes due between 2027 and 2030 - Developer marketing leans on the district's sustainability brand. Ask what the individual building is certified for ## Drive times - Zayed International Airport: about 10 minutes - Yas Island: about 18 minutes ## Developments in Masdar City No developments in this area are currently published on the site. ## Nearby areas - [Yas Island](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/abu-dhabi/yas-island) - [Zayed City](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/abu-dhabi/zayed-city) - [Ramhan Island](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/abu-dhabi/ramhan-island) ## Questions and answers ### Can foreigners buy property in Masdar City? Yes. Masdar City is one of the designated investment zones listed on the UAE government portal, where non-UAE nationals can own property. A 2% registration fee applies on purchase. ### Is Masdar City finished? No. It was launched in 2006 with a target of 2016 and has been built far more slowly than planned. A core district with offices, a university, shops and several thousand homes is operating, and new residential and commercial buildings are still being added. ### Who lives and works in Masdar City? About 15,000 people lived or worked there in 2023-24, around 5,000 of them residents. Employers and institutions include the International Renewable Energy Agency, Siemens Energy, G42, the UAE Space Agency and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. ### How far is Masdar City from the airport and Yas Island? Reportage's material for its Sila project quotes about 10 minutes to Zayed International Airport and 18 minutes to Yas Island by car. ### What are property prices in Masdar City per square foot? Published figures for Masdar City: AED 1,696 per sq ft for all homes (average advertised price per sq ft; Bayut, from advertised asking prices, October 2026). Averages move with the mix of homes sold, and asking prices usually sit above prices paid. Compare areas in our [price per sq ft table](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/data/area-prices). ### What is the rental yield in Masdar City? The published average gross rental yield in Masdar City is 6.7% for apartments (Bayut, from registered tenancy contracts, Q3 2026). Gross yield is before service charges, empty months, management and fees, so the net figure is lower: work it out for a specific home with the [rental yield calculator](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/tools/rental-yield-calculator), or compare areas on [rental yields by area](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/data/area-yields). ## Sources Facts on this page were last checked against these sources on 12 November 2026. - [Masdar City official site](https://masdarcity.ae/) - [Masdar City: Live at Masdar City](https://masdarcity.ae/lifestyle/live) - [Wikipedia: Masdar City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masdar_City) - [UAE government portal: expatriates buying property](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/moving-to-the-uae/expatriates-buying-a-property-in-the-uaE) - [Property Finder: new projects in Masdar City](https://www.propertyfinder.ae/en/new-projects/lp/abu-dhabi/masdar-city) - [Reportage: Sila](https://reportagegroup.com/projects/residential-communities/sila/) - [Aldar Q3 2026 results (Masdar City Square acquisition)](https://www.aldar.com/en/news-and-media/aldar-delivers-robust-q3-performance-with-net-profit-rising-19-to-aed-7-1-billion-in-first-nine-months-of-2026) --- Source page: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/abu-dhabi/masdar-city. Published by UAE Property Agents, Omnia Capital Group. You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting.