Investors lining up for Chabahar opportunities

Chabahar port, southeastern Iran, is increasingly getting more attractive to investors with 11 investment agreements have been signed to be implemented by the end of this Persian year.

Director General of Ports and Maritime office of Sistan and Baluchestan, Behrouz Aqaei told IRNA that the number of those who are interested in investment in Chabahar Port has been on the rise, and it is expected that business people and traders benefit from the advantages of the port as the capacity of loading and unloading at the port.

The annual capacity of loading and unloading in Chabahar Port has reached to 8.5 million tons in the first phase of Shahid Beheshti Port, a part of Chabahar Port, according to the official.

Chabahar, as the biggest port with access to ocean is of satisfactory capabilities, he said adding that Chabahar due to being located out of the Persian Gulf region can play a major role in promoting the maritime trade.

Saying that the port has been equipped by modern technologies, Aqaei noted, "Chabahar can link the landlocked states such as Afghanistan and those of the Commonwealth of the Independent States to the international waters."

Afghanistan procures 95 percent of its supplies through imports, and therefore, the port will be the least expensive route for transferring goods, he said.

Various projects, including the second phase of development of Shahid Beheshti port, oil and petrochemical terminals, durable goods warehouse, open warehouse, terminal hall, passenger wharf, shipyard to build and offer maintenance services for ships, and petrochemical downstream industries are among the major investment opportunities in Chabahar, according the director general.

Chabahar is a city in the southeastern Iran, on Gulf of Oman. A Free Trade and Economic Zone - FTEZ in Sistan-Baluchestan province on border with Pakistan.