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Zoho, Odoo, ERPNext, Dynamics 365 and custom ERP, delivered by one accountable team.
Masdar City companies sell expertise, pilots and technology more often than boxes. We set up ERP software that tracks projects, research spend and milestone revenue, and gives founders and investors numbers they can trust.
Masdar City Free Zone, Abu Dhabi, UAEOn-site and remote ERP support
A clean tech, R&D or startup company in Masdar City Free Zone usually needs ERP software for project and grant accounting, milestone, retainer and subscription billing in AED, USD and EUR, and R&D cost tracking that supports capitalisation and grant claims. A five-person team may need only accounting, projects and expenses at first, which a focused Zoho or ERPNext setup handles, with HR or CRM added later.
ERP software for a Masdar City Free Zone company usually has a different job from ERP in an industrial or trading zone. Masdar City, near Abu Dhabi International Airport, built its profile around sustainability, renewable energy, clean technology, mobility, AI and advanced research. Many licensees are small teams running consulting engagements, pilot projects, software products or regional offices for international technology firms. Their stock is time, intellectual property and project milestones.
That changes what matters in the system. A solar developer's regional office needs to cost bids and feasibility studies. A climate-tech startup needs to separate grant-funded research from commercial work and show runway to its board. An engineering consultancy needs timesheets that turn into milestone invoices. A hardware pilot needs a small bill of materials and asset register for test equipment. Classic inventory-heavy ERP is often more than these firms need, while spreadsheets stop working once the second funding round or the third project arrives.
UAE ERP Experts works from Dubai and supports Abu Dhabi clients on site and remotely. For Masdar City companies we tend to recommend lighter, project-centered setups on Zoho, Odoo or ERPNext, with Dynamics 365 Business Central where a multinational parent already runs Microsoft. The aim is a system that a three-person finance team can run without a dedicated administrator.
Service-heavy free zone companies face a different set of tax questions than goods traders. These are the points we configure the ERP to support. The treatment of your income depends on your facts, so confirm with your tax advisor.
Corporate tax under Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 applies to financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023, at 0% up to AED 375,000 and 9% above. A Qualifying Free Zone Person can get 0% on qualifying income, but many services provided to mainland customers may not qualify, and there is a de minimis limit on non-qualifying revenue. The ERP tags every invoice by customer location and service type so your advisor can test this quickly.
Small Business Relief is available to eligible businesses with revenue up to AED 3 million for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2026, but it excludes Qualifying Free Zone Persons and members of multinational groups. Early-stage Masdar City startups should decide with their advisor which route applies, and the ERP should report revenue in a way that supports either.
Most services supplied by a Masdar City company to UAE customers attract 5% VAT, and services bought from overseas suppliers, such as cloud software and foreign consultants, often fall under the reverse charge. Registration is mandatory once taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 over 12 months. The ERP posts reverse charge entries automatically and maps them to the right VAT return boxes for filing through EmaraTax.
UAE e-invoicing under Ministerial Decisions No. 243 and 244 of 2025 uses the PINT AE specification through Accredited Service Providers. Businesses under AED 50 million revenue currently need an ASP by 31 March 2027 and go live from 1 July 2027. Check the latest Ministry of Finance and FTA guidance, since dates have changed before.
General information, not tax or legal advice. Rules change; confirm current FTA, MOHRE and Ministry of Finance guidance with your advisor.
Most Masdar City clients follow some version of this cycle, whether the project is a feasibility study, a pilot installation or a software deployment. The ERP keeps every step linked to one project code.
One shared database: every step updates stock, finance and reports in real time.
These are the functions that make the biggest difference for knowledge-based free zone companies. Each one can be set up on the platforms we implement, with different levels of effort.
Each project carries a budget split into labor, subcontractors, equipment and travel. Project managers see committed and actual costs before they approve the next purchase.
Engineers and researchers log hours against tasks from a browser or phone, using time tracking tools built into the ERP. Billable time flows into invoices, while internal R&D hours feed cost reports and grant claims.
Research spend is tagged by grant, program or funder so you can produce claim reports in the format each funder expects. Finance can also review which costs might be capitalized, with input from your auditor.
Software licences, monitoring services and advisory retainers bill on schedule, with deferred revenue posted correctly. Renewals and price changes are tracked per contract.
Many Masdar City firms raise funds in USD or EUR and bill in AED. The ERP handles revaluation and gives a consolidated view in reporting currency for board packs.
Small teams still need leave, visa expiry reminders, payroll and gratuity accruals. A light HR module covers this without forcing a full enterprise HR rollout.
The zone attracts a specific mix of companies. These are the profiles we configure workflows and reports around.
See our free zone hub, startup and project accounting pages, and Abu Dhabi support options.
We configure the system for the rules UAE businesses report against, and test it before go-live.
General information, not tax or legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the FTA, MOHRE or your advisor. See all UAE compliance guides.
Nearby areas, free zones and emirates we serve from our Dubai base, alongside Masdar City Free Zone.
Official sources and references
Facts on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current requirements before acting.
Still have a question? Our consultants are happy to help.
Ask an ExpertSometimes it is. A five-person team may only need accounting, projects and expenses for the first year, which a focused Zoho or ERPNext setup handles well. We plan the setup so you can add HR, inventory or CRM later without migrating data again.
Yes. We use project codes, analytic accounts or dimensions to tag every cost and hour. That lets you produce funder reports, commercial project margins and company-wide P&L from the same transactions.
Matching the parent's platform often simplifies consolidation and IT support, so Business Central is a strong option. If the local entity is small, a lighter system with a clean export to the parent's chart of accounts can also work. We lay out both options with their trade-offs.
A project-and-finance rollout for a small team often takes 4-8 weeks. Adding HR, payroll, subscriptions or integrations with product platforms can extend that to around 10-14 weeks, depending on data quality and decision speed.
It helps by tagging revenue by customer, location and activity, and by producing clean financial statements for the audit QFZPs need. The assessment itself is a tax question, so the final decision belongs with your tax advisor.
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Call +971 55 145 3265 or email contact@uaeerpexperts.com and we will map your projects, funders and billing models in a short discovery call.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
