what is masdar city

Who we are

As a pioneering sustainable urban community, Masdar City is at the forefront of changing the way people live, work, learn, and play. As a world-class business and technology hub, Masdar City has developed a thriving ecosystem of leading global organizations that are working together to create a greener tomorrow. The Masdar City Free Zone provides a seamless environment for diverse business activities, while its high-impact industry clusters promote collaboration and innovation across various sectors.

Where we’re going and how we’re getting there

With a commitment to evolving research and innovation, we are setting the standard for sustainable urban communities. At the heart of the UAE’s journey to net-zero, Masdar City is demonstrating how economic, social, and environmental sustainability converge whilst realizing the nation’s ambitions. By creating spaces that are both technologically advanced and environmentally responsible, we are paving the way for global cities of the future and championing the UAE’s vision for sustainability. Every initiative and partnership reinforces our belief that sustainability isn’t just a choice, but a way of life.

To learn more about our sustainable journey, visit our new Visitor Center.

MASDAR CITY: ROOTED IN THE LEGACY OF THE UAE

Where heritage and progress meet

Masdar City is located in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. Once a remote fishing village, the Abu Dhabi of today is a global destination known for its technological advancements, thriving business ecosystem, and a mix of modern and traditional architecture set against an expansive desert on one side and the Arabian Gulf on the other.

Masdar City’s vision for cities of the future is rooted in the legacy of the United Arab Emirates’ esteemed leaders, who have always valued sustainability. The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, known as the founding father of the UAE, played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s destiny—and our vision.

We’re immensely proud of our Emirati heritage and the role that history is playing in our story.

Future generations will be living in a world that is very different from that to which we are accustomed. It is essential that we prepare ourselves and our children for that new world.

THE LATE SHEIKH ZAYED BIN SULTAN AL NAHYAN

The Founding Father of the United Arab Emirates

Sustainable economic development and climate action are closely linked and essential to ensuring a better quality of life for all

HIS HIGHNESS SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN

President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi

We have to strike a balance of responsibility between our duty to update other sources of energy, protecting our environment and ensuring a proper legacy for the next generations.

HIS HIGHNESS SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN

President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi

MEET OUR TEAM

Masdar City is a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company. We report to a board of directors and are led by an internal leadership team that is committed to sustainability, innovation, and building the city of the future.

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H.E. Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa

Chairman

His Excellency Abdulla Ahmed Balala is the chairman of Masdar City and Abu Dhabi's assistant minister for energy transition and sustainability affairs.

A seasoned commercial executive, urban planner, and civil engineer, H.E. has extensive expertise in developing strategies to accelerate profitable commercialization and partnership development for large-scale projects. This includes sustainable urban developments, some of which have required creative bespoke solutions, as well as asset monetization and optimization of financial operations.

H.E. oversees development and operations at Masdar City, driving the growth of its strategy, partnerships, and industry clusters. He also led the successful establishment of the Masdar Green REIT, first green REIT in the MENA region, which is now worth over AED 2.8 billion. H.E. also serves on several boards of directors including Ennovate LLC, Masdar EDF ESCO JV, and Emerge Limited.

Previously, Balalaa served as the executive director of sustainable real estate and the director of real estate development and asset management in Masdar's Sustainable Real Estate Division, where he was responsible for formulating and executing strategies to establish Masdar City as a global R&D hub.

He holds an executive education degree in business administration from Harvard Business School, a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Paris Sorbonne University, a leadership diploma co-validated by the University of Cambridge Abu Dhabi, and a bachelor’s degree in applied science and civil engineering from the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi.

H.E. Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa

Chairman

Ahmed Baghoum

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Ahmed Baghoum oversees operations and development at Masdar City. He is responsible for driving its strategy, innovation-focused initiatives, partnerships, and R&D cluster towards sustainable growth.

A Masdar veteran, Baghoum joined the company in 2009 as director of the Free Zone at Masdar City, where he oversaw all special economic zone functions. He then took the role of executive director of human capital and services at Masdar. In this position, he led the department on talent acquisition, development, and optimizing the company’s UAE national workforce. He also led the company’s corporate services activities. Prior to joining Masdar, Baghoum was the executive director of customer operations at the Dubai Technology & Media Free Zone Authority. This included Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, and Dubai Knowledge Village. There he led the client interface and supported departments in the Customer Operations Division.

He also led the re-engineering of the Government Service Operations Department, where he helped develop and implement innovative servicing concepts by creating new partnerships with key government entities.

Baghoum holds an MBA from Texas Tech University. Additionally, he holds a master’s certificate in project management and management concepts from Regis University in the United States.

Ahmed Baghoum

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Mohamed Al Breiki

Executive Director, Sustainable Development

Mohamed Al Breiki is responsible for leading the advancement of sustainable development at Masdar City, from investment and planning to delivery and sustainable community management. Al Breiki provides strategic planning, value creation, and financial oversights in the development of real estate assets while maintaining highest standard of excellence.

He has over 20 years of development management experience, including planning and design, new construction, commercial tenant fit-out, operations optimization, and business plan execution. Previously, he has held roles at Mubadala, ADEK, and the Urban Planning Council. During his 10 years at Mubadala, he managed major projects in various sectors such as real estate, health care, education, aerospace, and information and communications technology. Some of his notable Abu Dhabi projects include the design and delivery of New York University, the Four Seasons Hotel, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and Khazna Data Center.

While at the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, Al Breiki contributed to the master planning of various mixed-use developments across Abu Dhabi and worked collaboratively with real estate developers to ensure their plans were professionally designed, sustainable, and well-managed. At ADEK, he managed the development and implementation of a schools master plan in Abu Dhabi.

Al Breiki holds a BTEC national diploma in business studies from Southampton City College in England. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, a post-graduate diploma in business administration, and a master’s degree in engineering management from the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi.