The Dubai Land Department (DLD) and Masdar City have signed a memorandum of cooperation that will allow companies operating in Masdar City’s free zones to own land and property in Dubai under the freehold system.
The agreement, signed by Majid Al Marri, CEO of the Real Estate Registration Sector at DLD, and Ahmed Baghoum, CEO of Masdar City, aims to establish a regulatory framework to facilitate the registration and ownership process. The move aligns with the goals of Dubai’s Real Estate Strategy 2033 and the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which seek to broaden the investment base and stimulate real estate activity.
The framework will define eligibility requirements and outline legal and administrative procedures for free zone companies to acquire property in Dubai. The DLD and Masdar City will collaborate on a digital platform to manage applications, enable real-time data exchange, and verify documents. The system is intended to improve processing times and support compliance.
Under the agreement, companies will also receive guidance on the legal steps involved in property ownership. The deal forms part of broader efforts to expand property market access for free zone entities, support business growth, and drive capital inflows into Dubai’s real estate sector.
Masdar City hosts more than 1,000 organisations, including businesses focused on clean technology, energy, and mobility. The new agreement may serve as a model for extending freehold property ownership to other free zone-based firms in the UAE.
