Abu Dhabi's Masdar City opens first overseas office in China in bid to attract more investment

Move aimed at boosting profile on global economic stage

Masdar City hosts more than 2,000 companies from over 90 countries. Victor Besa / The National

Abu Dhabi's Masdar City has opened an office in China, its first outside the UAE, as it seeks to attract more foreign direct investment.

Masdar City Free Zone China, located at Suzhou Industrial Park in Jiangsu province, will support further collaboration in key areas between companies and investors in the UAE and China, Masdar said on Wednesday.

The office came after a week-long UAE roadshow in China, which brought together government officials, investors and leaders in critical industries such as artificial intelligence, biotech, robotics and sustainable mobility.

During the event, Masdar City also signed preliminary agreements with SIP, Suzhou Yingdi Consultants and Beijing Zhongguancun Science City Innovation Deveopment to promote investment and innovation, help companies set up at SIP and develop business packages for Chinese start-ups.

“By partnering with leading Chinese institutions, we are creating pathways for technology exchange, investment and sustainable growth that deliver measurable benefits to both nations,” said Mohamed Al Breiki, executive director for free zone and sustainable development at Masdar City.

The UAE and China have been boosting bilateral economic ties.

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China, the world's second biggest economy, was the UAE's largest trading partner last year, with more than $100 billion in total bilateral trade spanning sectors including crude oil, petrochemicals and AI, official data shows.

UAE investments into China leapt 95 per cent annually to $4.5 billion in 2023. The Asian country is the UAE's third biggest source of FDI with $9 billion at the end of 2023, according to latest data from the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism.

Last month, Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs, led an Emirati delegation at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, with the aim of strengthening investment ties with China, focused on advanced technology, clean energy, food security and logistics.

Tourism is also a key growth segment, with the UAE welcoming more than one million Chinese tourists in 2024.

With entities such as Masdar City, which “offer companies a platform to pilot, scale and commercialise solutions that address global challenges, the China partnerships extend this platform internationally”, Mr Al Breiki said.

The collaboration will “accelerate technology transfer and create new opportunities”, he said.

Masdar City hosts more than 2,000 companies from over 90 countries, with tenants including the International Renewable Energy Agency, the UAE Space Agency, Siemens Energy, the Advanced Technology Research Council and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.