Off-hours — we reply first thing at 9:00 local. Vy is always on.
Masdar City is Abu Dhabi's sustainability and technology cluster, and one of the zones that supports dual licensing across free-zone and mainland activity. We file the licence, run KYC and handle the visa, with a written scope up front.
Masdar City is Abu Dhabi's technology and sustainability cluster, and its dual-licensing option makes it unusual among the free zones: one base, two kinds of customer.
The zone supports free-zone and mainland activity from one base, which matters when customers sit on both sides.
Proximity to Abu Dhabi's public-sector and energy customers is the practical reason most tenants are here.
Energy, environment and technology businesses sit together, which helps with partners and with hiring.
Offices, research space and shared facilities sit in the same district.
Full foreign ownership with no local partner requirement, as across the UAE free zones.
Qualifying Free Zone Person status keeps corporate tax at 0% on qualifying income when the structure and activity support it.
Masdar City licenses technology, sustainability and professional activities from premises in the cluster, and supports dual licensing where a business needs both free-zone and mainland scope. The right structure depends on where the customers are.
Masdar City suits technology and sustainability businesses with an Abu Dhabi focus — particularly those that need to serve both free-zone and mainland customers.
Energy, sustainability and environmental technology businesses.
Software, data and digital-service businesses in the cluster.
Research, engineering and innovation functions attached to an operating business.
Consulting and advisory businesses serving the cluster's sectors.
Day 1–5
Diagnostic, KYC, activity scoping, Masdar City name reservation.
Week 2–4
Filing, MOA, initial approval.
Week 5–6
Licence issuance, establishment card, eSignature.
Week 7–9
Investor visa: entry permit, medical, Emirates ID.
Week 8–12
Corporate bank account (varies by bank).
Final cost depends on the zone, activity and visa count.
| Feature | Masdar City Free Zone |   Abu Dhabi Global Market |  Dubai Internet City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal framework | UAE Civil Law | English Common Law | UAE Civil Law |
| 100% foreign ownership | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 0% on qualifying income | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 100% profit repatriation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dual free-zone and mainland licensing | Yes | No | No |
| Emirate | Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi | Dubai |
| Best for | Clean tech, software and research with an Abu Dhabi focus | Fintech, financial services, AI, family offices | Software, platforms, IT services, regional tech HQs |
Bank suitability depends on your activity, ownership, documents and transaction profile.
Tell us the activity and headcount. We shortlist the zones that actually accept it.
No obligation. We tell you if it is not the right route.
Sonsoto quoted us a line-item budget for the licence, visas and the bank pack up front. Nothing crept in later. That alone was worth the fee.
I’d already been rejected by two banks. Sonsoto told me why, changed the pack, and we opened with WIO in three weeks. Straight answers, no theatre.
They caught a corporate-tax filing we were about to miss and re-scoped the renewals so we stopped paying twice for the same work. Now they run everything.
We’d spoken to four firms and got four different price sheets. Sonsoto was the only one that showed us where the extras came from — and we didn’t need them.
Golden Visa done, family visas done, licence renewed. Same team, same WhatsApp thread. I don’t chase PRO agents anymore.
They told me RAK was a better fit than Dubai for our margin. I’d already paid a deposit somewhere else. They still refunded my Sonsoto retainer and helped me exit.
More clients onboarded, higher payout.
Straight to the account.
More referrals unlocks higher payouts.
