Mubadala’s UAE Investments Platform and Aldar Properties have jointly acquired The Link, a 32,000 square metre net leasable area (NLA) Grade A asset cluster in Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City, in a transaction that underscores the emirate’s coordinated sovereign and institutional capital allocation toward innovation-linked infrastructure, supported by steady institutional interest in Abu Dhabi’s real estate and innovation sectors. The five-building portfolio is fully leased to two cornerstone tenants: Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC (Masdar) and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), both backed by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign balance sheet. The asset comprises LEED Platinum office space, a net-zero energy headquarters, a multi-use hall and residential units, positioning it as a low-risk, income-generating holding for institutional capital amid volatile global markets.
The deal aligns with Mubadala’s mandate to deploy domestic capital into assets that advance the UAE’s 2030 economic diversification and 2050 net zero targets, moving beyond traditional real estate plays to infrastructure that anchors priority growth sectors. For MENA sovereign wealth funds, assets with captive, investment-grade tenancy in high-growth verticals such as climate technology and artificial intelligence are increasingly core to portfolio construction, as they deliver steady, inflation-resistant returns while crowding in record venture capital inflows to the region. Dr. Bakheet Al Katheeri, CEO of Mubadala’s UAE Investments Platform, noted the acquisition reflects long-term confidence in Abu Dhabi’s innovation-focused economy, with the partnership with Aldar designed to accelerate expansion of Masdar City as a dedicated hub for future industries.
For Aldar, the transaction strengthens its investment portfolio while providing liquidity to recycle into new sustainable development projects across Abu Dhabi’s growth corridors, reinforcing its position as the emirate’s primary enabler of innovation-focused urban infrastructure. Talal Al Dhiyebi, Group CEO of Aldar, said the deal reflects joint confidence in the fundamentals of Abu Dhabi’s real estate market, underpinned by steady demand from global institutions and sovereign-linked tenants. The fully leased nature of The Link, combined with its net-zero credentials, removes a key bottleneck for growth-stage climate and AI startups raising global VC rounds, which increasingly mandate strict ESG compliance for portfolio companies operating in the region.
Ahmed Baghoum, CEO of Masdar City, said the addition of The Link under the joint ownership of Mubadala and Aldar will advance the city’s development as a destination for sustainable growth and future industries, reinforcing its role in advancing innovation and the UAE’s net zero goals. Beyond the UAE, the acquisition reinforces Abu Dhabi’s competitive edge as the MENA region’s premier hub for future industries, as Masdar scales green hydrogen and renewable energy projects across North Africa and the Levant, and MBZUAI expands AI education partnerships with regional governments. The deal serves as a template for regional sovereigns looking to deploy capital into infrastructure that delivers both financial returns and progress toward national policy targets, a model being replicated in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM and Egypt’s New Administrative Capital projects.
