Masdar: 20 years of powering the world's clean energy future

• Founded in 2006 by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Masdar was a bold bet on renewables when the world still doubted them.
• Since its launch, Masdar has helped transform renewables into the world's most cost-competitive, rapidly deployable power source
• Today, Masdar is one of the world's largest clean energy developers, with 65+ gigawatts of portfolio capacity and a clear path to 100GW by 2030
• Now pioneering the next frontier: round-the-clock gigascale renewable power in Abu Dhabi, a blueprint for the intelligence age, ready to scale globally

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – April 23, 2026: Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar is marking 20 years of leadership in renewable energy. Two decades ago, when renewable energy was nascent and unproven at scale, the UAE made a defining choice: to make an investment in the future of power that defied the skeptics. That choice was Masdar.

Founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, on April 23, 2006, through Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), Masdar was built with a clear mandate: diversify the UAE's economy and accelerate the global deployment of renewable energy. Two decades on, Masdar is one of the world's largest renewable energy developers and operators, with a portfolio capacity exceeding 65 gigawatts (GW) and an ambitious target of 100GW by 2030.

"Masdar didn't ride the clean energy wave. We helped create it."

His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Masdar's founding CEO, said: "In 2006, investing in renewable energy wasn't the obvious call. It was the courageous one. Technologies were nascent. Scale was unproven. The economics hadn't yet turned. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan saw not what renewables were, but what they could become. That distinction between what exists and what is possible is the difference between following a trend and setting one.

"Driven by His Highness' long-term vision and unwavering commitment, Masdar didn't ride the clean energy wave. We helped create it."

"Anticipating the rise in clean power demand"

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said: "Masdar's rise over the past 20 years has been driven by the UAE's ambition and foresight, anticipating the rise in clean power demand and looking to diversify its economy early. Through partnership, innovation, and investment we have grown into a global business, driving the development and deployment of clean energy solutions worldwide. Today, with global electricity demand growing at pace, Masdar stands at the center of a thriving international industry, delivering affordable, secure power to our partners around the world."

From a solar plant in Masdar City to the world's largest projects

Masdar's journey began with a single grid-connected solar plant in Masdar City in 2009. It has since delivered some of the most ambitious renewable energy projects ever built, including the 2GW Al Dhafra solar plant, the world's largest single-site solar facility upon its 2023 completion, powering around 200,000 UAE homes.

Global footprint, built on UAE ambition

From a handful of employees in 2006, Masdar now employs over 1,100 people across 12 countries. Its portfolio spans continents and technologies: the world's first floating offshore wind farm (30MW, Hywind Scotland), Southeast Asia's largest floating solar project (145MW Cirata, Indonesia), and Central Asia's largest wind farm (500MW Zarafshan, Uzbekistan).

In 2022, Masdar entered its new ownership structure with Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), Mubadala and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) becoming joint shareholders, committed to accelerating Masdar's growth. 

Recent acquisitions — Saeta Yield in Spain, a 50 percent stake in Terra-Gen in the United States, and TERNA ENERGY in Greece — have further cemented Masdar's position as a truly global clean energy powerhouse.

Redefining renewables for the Intelligence Age

Now, Masdar is redefining the role of renewables. Alongside Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), it is developing the world's first gigascale integrated renewable energy project in Abu Dhabi: a 5.2GW solar plant paired with a 19 gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery system, delivering 1GW of uninterrupted baseload power. This is not just another project. It is a blueprint for the world, one Masdar is already exploring with global partners.

The next chapter: 100 GW by 2030

Masdar is continuing to look to drive global expansion and advance energy transformation worldwide. This month, Masdar signed a binding agreement with France's TotalEnergies to establish a US$2.2 billion 50/50 joint venture (JV) that will merge their onshore renewable activities in nine countries across Asia.

To fuel its next phase of growth, Masdar will deploy US$30–35 billion in equity and project finance to reach 100 GW by 2030, adding an average of 10GW of new capacity every year.