Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), Musaffah

As the name suggests, the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD) is a free zone dedicated to industrial processes. Spanning across 40 sq. km. ICAD is part of Musaffah, a popular industrial district located in the southwest of Abu Dhabi. The master development is one of the most important economic zones in the UAE housing several factories and a port.

ICAD provides an ideal infrastructure related to a diverse range of industries including metal and steel, oil and gas, food, logistics and construction material and of course, all the benefits of setting up businesses in the area. It has dedicated zones and clusters for this purpose namely ICAD I, ICAD II and ICAD III that are served by the deepwater ports of Musaffah.

• A free zone district in Abu Dhabi
• Facilitates a wide range of industries
• Boasts ideal infrastructure, utility connections and communication networks
• Provides convenient transport links to Europe, Asia and the MENA region
• Has dedicated zones and clusters for specific industries

Located near the Musaffah Port, ICAD is ideal for investors and industrialists. Also, it has a convenient network of transport to facilitate trade and logistics. The area is mainly commercial with offices, shops and a good range of warehouses. A part of it is being developed to provide accommodation to workers.

The Industrial City of Abu Dhabi has dedicated clusters and zones that support specific business activities.

Featured industrial clusters include:

• Advanced factory units
• Chemical and plastic
• Construction material
• Engineering
• General industries
• High tech industries
• Metal and steel
• Oil and gas services

Industrial City of Abu Dhabi Zone 1 (ICAD I)

• Spans across 14 sq. km.
• Supports medium to heavy manufacturing and engineering industries
• Includes metal, construction material, plastics assembly and fibreglass

Industrial City of Abu Dhabi Zone 2 (ICAD II)

• Supports light-to-medium engineering and processing industries
• Includes wood processing, engineering, construction materials, chemicals and oil and gas

Industrial City of Abu Dhabi Zone 3 (ICAD III)

• Facilitates light to medium businesses and industries with an international focus
• Supports engineering and processing industries including wood processing, chemicals, plastics, high-tech industries, food and textile

Industrial City of Abu Dhabi Zone 4 (ICAD IV)

• Benefits high-tech and light manufacturing industries

Industrial City of Abu Dhabi Zone 5 (ICAD V)

• Supports automotive and automobile manufacturing industries

Within the industrial zone, a residential block has been built to cater to the accommodation needs of workers. Currently, the complex consists of 4 apartment buildings and more are under construction. These living spaces are provided by the companies, so workers need not worry about paying for the accommodation.

Providing an ideal residential address, ICAD Residential City hosts all of the basic amenities including hypermarkets, grocery stores and cafeterias. Key highlights include:

• 24-hour security
• Playgrounds
• Healthcare centre

There is a health care service provider within the complex. Also, workers who live here can spend weekends playing basketball, cricket and volleyball in the dedicated playgrounds.

One will largely find warehouses for rent in ICAD. Some of these units are offered for sale but the area is dominated by commercial properties for rent.

Covered areas for warehouses start from 3,000 sq. ft. Those looking for a bigger space can find warehouses spread across 155,000 sq. ft. to 475,000 sq. ft. Other commercial properties for rent in ICAD include offices and shops but these are very few compared to warehouses in the district.

Renting a standard 3,000 sq. ft. warehouse may cost around AED 135k per annum. Similarly, annual rents for units spread across 6,000 sq. ft. to 8,000 sq. ft. range from AED 200k to AED 300k. A 114,000 sq. ft. office is offered for rent starting from AED 600k. Those looking for a small commercial space, like a 600 sq. ft. shop for rent, must fork out AED 44k.

Mussaffah port and channels are used for trade and logistics. The community also features a wide network of roads. There is Abu Dhabi – Al Ain Truck Road E30 on the eastern ends of ICAD that is used for inbound transportation. Parking spaces are available for heavy-duty vehicles as well as cars and bikes. Most shopkeepers park their vehicles on the street.

Those who live in the residential complex get their groceries from the hypermarket within the premises. Small shops and baqalas including Happy Miracle Baqala, Oasis Supermarket and Easy Pick Hypermarket are also present in the area.

There are many places to offer prayers. Workers can access community mosques built at short intervals such as Abu Al Dardaa Mosque and Masjid Abu Tameem. Those who live near Dalma Mall can use the prayer hall inside the mall.

The churches near the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi are located in Musaffah. Some notable options include The American Church of Abu Dhabi, St. Paul’s Church and All Saints Anglican Church.

Schools near ICAD are found in the neighbouring community – Mohammed Bin Zayed City. Sunrise English Private School, Maple Wood International School and Emirates Future International Academy deserve a mention.

There is a branch of Mediclinic within ICAD Residential City that takes care of most medical emergencies. With the passage of time, more projects will be developed in the community.

ICAD is bound by the main truck road right across which, there is Mohammed Bin Zayed City, a relatively new residential address. Being a part of Musaffah, the community is also in proximity to Bawabat Abu Dhabi. Moreover, a little farther down the road on E11 Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Road, there is Al Dhafra Air Base.

ICAD is home to Dalma Mall located on Al Wazn Street. The mall features fashion outlets, home decor shops, restaurants and other fun activities. It also houses a 14-screen Cine Royal Cinema.

There are many local eateries and cafeterias within the industrial district. At Dalma Mall, you can find the following options:

• Molten Chocolate Cafe
• Gazebo Restaurant
• Yamasaki Sushi Bar
• Chili’s

Besides these, one can find many Pakistani restaurants, Indian eateries and cafes like Madura Tamil Restaurant, BBQ Night, Arab Cook Restaurant and Green Darbar.

Hameem Beach is an 18-minute drive from ICAD II. It is one of the most popular spots for fishing in Abu Dhabi. Some camping activities also take place at this site.

ICAD is away from the city, therefore, it is not close to many leisure attractions. If you’d like to visit Al Forsan International Sports Resort, it would take around 18 to 20 minutes by car. Similarly, reaching the iconic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is worth a 15-minute long drive.

Residents usually spend evenings at the playground and park within the residential complex. There are also many lush green parks in the neighbouring, MBZ City. Mohammed Bin Zayed City Public Park is also easily accessible. Besides, the complex is developing and soon, it will feature a complete fitness club for the workers who live here.

Investors can find a range of commercial properties for sale in ICAD. These properties mainly include warehouses and offices. Those looking to buy a warehouse in ICAD can expect to shell out around AED 18M.

There are no public bus stops within ICAD as of now. Mostly, taxis are used to travel within the community as the main roads are easily accessible.

As the name suggests, the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD) is a purpose-built free-zone in Mussafah established by ZonesCorp, one of the leading industrial development organisations in Abu Dhabi.

Yes, Musaffah is a free zone and it aims to target specific industries in different zones including ICAD 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

These are some of the cheapest free zones in the UAE offering similar infrastructure and benefits of setting up a business like free zones in Dubai:

• Ras Al Khaimah Economic Freezone (RAKEF)
• The Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD)
• Ajman Media City Freezone

There are 8 free zones in Abu Dhabi, namely:

• Abu Dhabi Airport Freezone (ADAFZ)
• Industrial City of Abu Dhabi, Mussaffah
• Abu Dhabi Ports Company Free zone (ADPC)
• Abu Dhabi Global Markets Free zone (ADGMFZ)
• Masdar City Freezone
• Twofour54
• KIZAD

Freezones are trade zones or areas dedicated to businesses and industries. These areas have taxes, customs charges governed by a special framework of regulations.

• Bound by Abu Dhabi – Al Ain Truck Road E30
• Direct access to E311
• A 16-minute drive from Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center
• 22 minutes away from the Abu Dhabi International Airport