Masdar City Free Zone (MCFZ), Abu Dhabi’s premier free zone and a global hub for clean technology, advanced industry and innovation, 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.
Industry sources added that this 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 the new Shanghai and Shenzhen offices are now built to meet.
Industry sources further affirmed that the latest 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 Masdar City was built for.
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.
Furthermore, during this 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.
โOur presence in China continues to grow, and with it, our understanding of what Chinese companies need to set up and grow in Abu Dhabi,” saidย Dr. Mohamed Al Breiki, Executive Director, Masdar City.ย “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.”
โSuzhou has already shown us what direct engagement can do,” saidย Chen Rui, Managing Director, TXTK. “By operating locally on 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.”
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.
Industry sources added further that 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 AED 7,000.
