Masdar city: Masdar City, Abu Dhabi's pioneering sustainable urban community and thriving Free Zone, has released its third Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, reaffirming its position as a 'green print' for cities worldwide and a global reference point for sustainable urban development. Aligned with the UAE's ambition to achieve net zero by 2050, Masdar City's integrated ecosystem combines world-class sustainable infrastructure, a thriving Free Zone, and a diverse community of innovators. It continues to attract global businesses and entrepreneurs, driving the transition to a low-carbon and knowledge-based economy.
According to Emirates News Agency, Masdar City serves as a living model for the successful integration of sustainability, innovation, and community. Ahmed Baghoum, CEO of Masdar City, emphasized their commitment to strengthening an ecosystem that delivers innovation, opportunity, and measurable impact, setting new benchmarks for how cities can create lasting economic, social, and environmental value.
At the heart of Masdar City's growth is its people and community. In 2024, the city deepened its commitment to national talent development, diversity, and inclusion, achieving a 54.7 percent Emiratisation rate and 31 percent female representation. Moreover, enhanced training initiatives have significantly boosted employees with the skills to drive sustainable innovation. The Women Entrepreneurship Programme continued to expand opportunities for women-led businesses, while the Free Zone enabled hundreds of local SMEs to scale sustainably.
Across the city, collaboration flourished, with projects such as M42 advancing precision medicine, expanding sustainable data infrastructure with the Khazna AUH6 Data Centre, and GEMS Founders School embedding sustainability into education from its first academic year. Additionally, the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) is advancing world-class AI research and talent development in alignment with the UAE's national AI strategy.
Masdar City's community engagement remained vibrant, with more than 300 stakeholder activations, cultural events, and wellness initiatives fostering a sense of belonging. Hosting international delegations, organizing local festivals, and a series of flagship events and activations showcased sustainable mobility, clean energy, and community-focused innovations in action. These events included The Festival at Masdar City, the BYD Electric Vehicles Launch, Innovation Day, The Hub by social launch, a sustainable food hall, and the Masdar City Community Run.
Masdar City advanced its environmental commitments through projects that reduce emissions, conserve resources, and expand green infrastructure. In 2024, the city achieved a 22.7 percent reduction in energy use intensity (EUI) compared to the ASHRAE baseline, and avoided 5,518 tCO2e emissions through various initiatives. This is equivalent to removing 1,285 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles from the road for one year. The city also recorded 13.1 percent savings in potable water consumption across its building portfolio against the Estidama PBRS baseline.
Masdar City further reduced waste by 56.2 percent through recycling, with 98.3 percent of construction waste diverted from landfill. Additionally, thirty buildings received green building certifications across twelve projects, including two net-zero energy buildings completed and three currently under construction.
Innovation remains central to Masdar City's mission, driving solutions that address today's challenges while shaping the cities of the future. The city piloted Hydroball technology in Masdar Park, using IoT-enabled sensors to optimize irrigation and achieve water savings. Masdar City is also preparing for the Agrivoltaic projects at Connect Park to integrate renewable energy with urban agriculture as part of upcoming development plans.