Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (WAM)
Masdar City Free Zone (MCFZ) has opened two new representative offices in China, in Shanghai and Shenzhen, bringing its total presence in the country to three offices within a year, as the free zone looks to deepen ties with Chinese companies expanding into the Gulf.
The expansion builds on the success of Masdar City's first international office, opened at Suzhou Industrial Park in December 2025, its first outside the UAE.
In the months since, more than 15 Chinese companies have registered with Masdar City Free Zone, a signal of the demand that the new Shanghai and Shenzhen offices are now built to meet.
The new offices follow a delegation trip through Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, hubs of the Yangtze River Delta and the Greater Bay Area, two of China's most dynamic regions for outbound investment in clean energy, smart mobility, AI, agri-tech, life sciences, and aerospace, the sectors for which Masdar City was built.
During the trip, Masdar City held talks with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Shanghai and the China General Chamber of Commerce, and met with the UAE Consulate General in Guangzhou to discuss strengthening trade and investment cooperation between China and the UAE.
Masdar City Free Zone, through its representative office in Suzhou, also signed a memorandum of understanding with China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), a subsidiary of Sinomach, one of China's largest state-owned industrial conglomerates.
Under the pact, CMEC will facilitate delegations of Chinese companies to Abu Dhabi to explore Masdar City firsthand, then support them through the full process of establishing operations there.
Executive Director, Masdar City, Dr. Mohamed Al Breiki, said, “Our presence in China continues to grow, and with it, our understanding of what Chinese companies need to set up and grow in Abu Dhabi. With teams now in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Suzhou, we are removing that barrier and turning relationships with leading Chinese institutions into real investment, technology transfer and shared growth. This is a tangible step towards advancing Abu Dhabi's Falcon Economy vision."
The Suzhou office is managed under a partnership with Suzhou Yingdi Consultants, which handles day-to-day promotion of the free zone to Chinese businesses and supports their setup in Abu Dhabi.
The Shanghai and Shenzhen offices operate with partners, TXTK and CGCC International.
Managing Director of TXTK, Chen Rui, said, “Suzhou has already shown us what direct engagement can do. By operating locally on the ground in Shanghai and Shenzhen, we're able to support Chinese companies in Mandarin, in their own time zone, from their first enquiry through to business setup. This expansion reflects TXTK's commitment to making market entry into the UAE simpler and more accessible."
Companies setting up in Masdar City Free Zone can secure a license in one day and a visa within four days.
The offer includes 100% foreign ownership, zero personal income tax and lower corporate tax on qualifying income, and dual licensing across the free zone and the Abu Dhabi mainland, with registration starting from Dh7,000.
Masdar City Free Zone is home to more than 2500 companies from over 90 countries, with tenants including the International Renewable Energy Agency, the UAE Space Agency, Siemens Energy, G42, the Advanced Technology Research Council, and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.
