LANDMARK PROJECTS LAUNCHED AT MASDAR CITY
Masdar City’s reputation as a destination for leading local and international businesses to expand their presence in the region has been further enhanced with the opening of two new landmark projects.
Global technology leader Honeywell recently inaugurated its pioneering Innovation Center at its facility in the city, with UAE mall developer and operator Majid Al Futtaim also opening the doors to Abu Dhabi’s most sustainable mall at My City Center Masdar.
Honeywell, an existing tenant of the city and Majid Al Futtaim, join more than 600 companies already established at Masdar City including global corporations, SMEs and start-ups covering a range of industries including renewable energy, clean tech, engineering and technology, together employing more than 4,000 people.
“These launches are further evidence of the status of Masdar City as a location for leading businesses and international brands and further demonstrates the excellent progress being made in its development,” said Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi. “Masdar City is not only a benchmark for sustainable urban development, it is also a thriving community made up of thousands of residents, students, researchers, entrepreneurs and business people, supported by the Masdar City Free Zone, which provides unique business support services and regulations.”
The new Honeywell Masdar Innovation Center is designed to boost digital transformation efforts across the oil, gas and petrochemicals industries, while serving as home for the latest automation solutions from across the world, including those assembled at Masdar City and across the UAE.
The premises include cutting-edge solutions for smart buildings and cities as well as technology for fire, security, personal safety and intelligent wearables. The solutions showcased at the Innovation Center focus on making industries smarter, safer, more efficient, productive and sustainable.
The last week of April also saw the opening of Majid Al Futtaim’s 25th mall in the region, a flagship mixed-used development with sustainability at its core, featuring more than 70 stores across 18,500 sqm of gross leasable area.
The mall plans to recycle at least 80 per cent of its operational waste, while sustainability-focused features include energy-efficient escalators and lifts, and LED lighting used throughout the building and shop interiors. Additionally, all the materials used during construction were manufactured within 500km travelling distance of the project site.
The sustainability features incorporated into the mall were integral to My City Centre Masdar’s achievement of Abu Dhabi’s Estidama Three Pearl rating, a benchmarking measure equivalent to the LEED Gold rating for exceptional performance in energy and water conservation. It is the first shopping centre in Abu Dhabi to achieve the accolade.
Masdar City is currently growing at its fastest rate at any time in the past decade and earlier this year saw the launch of Tech Park, a new destination for start-ups focused on technology, sustainability and the digital economy.
The city is being developed as a greenprint for sustainable and economically viable urban development, and as a technology cluster, bringing together businesses, research centres, and universities to drive innovative and sustainable technologies.
The total site area is about six square kilometres (km²), while the gross floor area of Masdar City alone is 3.7km². About 3km² of completed buildings are fully leased and occupied; while a number of other projects at Masdar City have firm development agreements in place, including schools, offices, hotels, shops, restaurants, and private homes.
