The Focal Point

Located centrally, Iran’s Chabahar town with its many ports and free zone has become the main area for development in the east of the country

Chabahar remains Iran’s only oceanic port

On the south east coast of Iran lies the town of Chabahar. As the entry point to the mainland via the Gulf of Oman, Chabahar is best known for its access to abundant fisheries, and remains Iran’s only oceanic port. Renowned for its climate, Chabahar is situated in the warmest part of Iran in winter, and the coolest part in the summer.

Established in 1992, the Chabahar Free Zone (CFZ) covers a total area of 145 sq kilometres and focuses on five major activities; transit of merchandised goods, investment attraction and related services, tourism, construction and urban development and education. Situated on international shipping routes in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean, it links the Central Asian Republics with international waters, providing for the mass transit of goods.

“This port is ready to cooperate in facilitating many of the requirements of merchants such as depot, fuel containers for oil related products and logistic commerce,” says Mohammad Taher Bagherizadeh, Managing Director of Chabahar Free Trade–Industrial Zone Organisation. The ports in Chabahar Bay, Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari, harbour large ocean-going cargo vessels, and facilitate loading and unloading of up to six million tons per year. The proximity to Konarak Airport, as well as established road transportation routes linking to Central Asia and Afghanistan, make the CFZ’s location even more ideal.

For this reason, Chabahar is the focal point of Iran for development in the east of the country through expansion and enhancement of transit routes among countries situated in the northern part of the Indian Ocean and Central Asia.

“This zone and its specif ic potentials such as the Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari docks with a total load capacity of six million tons can actualise the
long waited for dream of many northern lateral states of the Caspian Sea of being connected to international waters,” says Bagherizadeh.

Currently, CFZ’s imported goods are mostly distributed throughout the country by trucks. The Iranian government has plans to link CFZ to Iran’s main rail network, connecting it to central Asia and Afghanistan. The move is intended to make CFZ more competitive in the region and will allow for expedited distribution of cargo, domestic and abroad.