Source: One of the most misunderstood and undervalued countries of the world, my recent trip opened my eyes to a land of hospitable people, beautiful architecture, amazing food…and very few tourists.

This guide is designed to inspire travel to Iran and give practical travel tips that are hard to find for a country so rarely visited, with the second half outlining the best ways to get to Iran using your points. Make sure to read The Essentials section at the end of this piece.

All of the following images were taken by the author and should not be reproduced without permission.

1. Meet the friendliest people in the world

Word is that Iranians are the amongst the most genuine and approachable people in the world. Is it true?

I had high expectations…and they were met. I would put Iranians in the same category as the Japanese and Americans for hospitality.

Never before in my travels had I ever been stopped on the street so many times (in a non-intrusive way) to be asked:

• Where are you from?
• What did you think of Iran before you came?
• What do you think of it now?

2. Visit the most beautiful city in the world

Big call? Probably. There are many beautiful cities in the world – Kyoto, Sydney, Paris – but Iran’s second-biggest city and main tourist drawcard Isfahan definitely deserves a spot up there.

Built on the River Zayandehrood, even with its dry desert climate it is teeming with green parks, plenty of shade on walks along the river, beautiful bridges, and historic mosques, churches and palaces. If you are going to visit one place in Iran, this is the place to go.

3. Watch the sunset over the dunes in the middle of the desert

Yazd is the gateway desert city of Iran, with day and overnight tours into the desert.

The only sound we heard whilst watching the suns rays descend over the flowing desert dunes was a light breeze carving sand into new dune formations. Truly breathtaking.

4. Eat till your heart’s content

Foodies will love Iran, with primary dishes being lamb, mutton, chicken, eggplant, lentils, cheese, yoghurt, rice, dates and pita bread. Vegetarians will be slightly more limited in choices, but it is not prohibitive.

Having said that, all breakfasts tend to be vegetarian, made up of feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, pita bread, yoghurt and watermelon.

Foodies of all persuasions should be sure to visit the moderately-priced vegetarian restaurant in the Iranian Artists’ Forum in Honarmandan Park (also known as Artists’ Park). The second time we went back the waiter brought us an extra course for free and two university professors at a nearby table joined us for lunch.

5. Visit some of the least tourist-filled mosques in the world

Even during the peak travel month of May, it was hard to encounter many other tourists at the majestic mosques that Iran puts a lot of effort into keeping beautiful.

Of course, be respectful of prayer times, take off your shoes and remember that there are separate areas for men and women. Be sure to check the opening times of mosques on the internet or with your accommodation so as to not be caught out by them being closed.

Mosques in Isfahan are the most expensive to get into (around $8 each), but are also the most beautiful.

6. Visit the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire

Persepolis (literally ‘The Persian City’) brought together the 28 nations of the Persian Empire (at its peak) for ceremonies and was known as the United Nations of the empire.

Located 90 minutes east of Shiraz, choose the more reasonably-priced accommodation options in Shiraz rather than stay near the UNESCO-protected site, but avoid the midday and afternoon heat by catching a private taxi out for the 8am opening. A tour guide is highly recommended and can be organized upon arrival at the site.

7. Transport options are cheap and relatively efficient

Most transport is by road, so if looking to save money, go by bus, but we found it funny/frustrating how many times people were moved around the bus by the bus driver to make sure that women and men were not seated together. This strict policy is more the work of the government rather than the considerably liberally-minded population.

If you have a bit more money, then another option is a private driver, which will be faster and more comfortable, but you will miss out on the local bus experience.

The 10-12 hour overnight Chinese-built train between Tehran and Shiraz is highly recommended at about $25 for a seat which converts into a bed in a four-person single-sex air-conditioned compartment. Bring your own food – disappointing food on the train.

The essentials

• Safety: apart from the state execution of a prominent Saudi figure triggering protests in Tehran earlier this year, there is a reason that we rarely hear of violence and terrorist attacks in Iran compared to much more dangerous Middle Eastern countries like Turkey, Israel and Egypt. I can honestly say that I felt safer and less on-edge in Iran than in some European capitals like London, Paris and Brussels, and petty theft is quite uncommon. Of course, please take into account official government warnings and check that your travel insurance will be valid in Iran.
• Best time to go: as you would expect from a country with climatic extremes, spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October) are the best times to visit. We went in mid-May and the weather was gloriously sunny and warm-to-hot, without being oppressive.
• Money: take all the cash you may need for the trip…and then some. International cards do not work at Iranian ATMs, so take clean, relatively new US dollars, euros or pounds (not that they are worth much at the moment) to exchange at moneychangers on the street. Be sure to ask your hotel for the going rate before venturing out to change. In May 2016, it was 1 USD = 34,000 rials and 1 EUR = 38-39,000 rials. You can also pay in USD or EUR at most establishments, with change given in rials. Note that most prices are in ‘tomans’, which is one zero less than the price in rial, e.g. 1 USD = 34,000 rials = 3,400 tomans.
• Visas: Australians and New Zealanders are eligible to receive a visa on arrival at the major airports in Iran, including Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz. You must bring along a copy of your travel insurance which states the dates of coverage as well as clearly indicating it covers travel in Iran. You will be required to pay a visa fee of about €145; most EU nationals pay €75, but as Australia and NZ are allies of the US, that’s where the difference comes from. If you have dual citizenship, try to see which passport gives you a cheaper visa fee. You also need to have a confirmed hotel reservation or letter of invitation printed out, and they will call your hotel to make sure it is legitimate. You do not need hotel bookings for your whole trip, just the first night or two. Expect this process at the airport to take 1-2 hours. Most international flights arrive between midnight and 6am, which is highly inconvenient, but just breathe and be patient. As of this year, any traveller eligible for the ESTA visa waiver program for the US that has travelled to Iran in the past five years will need to apply for a tourist visa at their nearest US embassy or consulate when travelling to the US.
• Money and costs: Budget Your Trip estimates that in Iran you will spend about the same as what you would in Thailand or Mexico, half of what you would in Greece, or double what you would in India. Tehran is surprisingly pricey, especially for accommodation, but the real gems of Iran are outside the capital, so you shouldn’t be spending too much time there anyway. For basic private accommodation for two with breakfast included (always), intercity bus or train transport, mid-range restaurant meals and an attraction or two a day, we spent an average of $60 AUD/NZD per person per day over ten days.
• Drinking water: Water is surprisingly perfectly safe to drink from the tap and Iran has the widest network of public drinking fountains in streets, parks, bus stations, etc that I have seen anywhere in the world.

A rice shipment from India has arrived at Iran’s Chabahar Port and soon will be dispatched to landlocked Afghanistan’s market, a senior Afghan official said.

“Around 500 tons of rice which were bought from India have arrived in Chabahar this week. Exports have also started through Chabahar,” Khan Jan Alokozay, the deputy head of Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries said on Friday.

Noting that this is the first Indian cargo sent to Afghanistan through Chabahar, the official said in line with the plans to boost regional connectivity, Afghanistan is ready to send its second shipment to India via Chabahar.

The country sent its first cargo, containing 570 tons of commodities, via the Iranian strategic port in late February, under the TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) Convention that enables shipments to pass through countries without being opened at borders.

According to Alokozay, despite the US’ sanctions against Iran, Afghan and Indian traders have not become reluctant in trading through the port.

Meanwhile, a number of economic analysts said Chabahar port can play a significant role in the expansion of trade between Afghanistan, Iran and India.

The experts said the involved governments should resolve the technical problems exist in the port.

“It is a big transit route and we also want to expand our trade ties with Iran. It is a big income source that connects Afghanistan with Iran and South Asia,” said Esmatullah Ishaqzai, an economic expert.

Chabahar Port, lying along the Sea of Oman, is considered as a gateway to golden opportunities for trade, especially by India, Iran and Afghanistan with Central Asian countries.

In May 2016, India, Iran, and Afghanistan signed an agreement on the establishment of a Transit and Transport Corridor among the three countries using Chabahar port as the regional hub for sea transportation.

Afghanistan is planning to boost is exports revenue to $2 billion this year and according to Afghan officials, a significant share of the country’s exports will be through Iran’s Chabahar Port.

In 2016, Iran, India and Afghanistan decided to jointly establish a trade route for land-locked Central Asian countries.

India has committed $500 million to Chabahar Port development as a way to bypass rival Pakistan and crack open a trade and transport route to landlocked Afghanistan, as well as the resource-rich countries of central Asia.

The country is expanding its economic diplomacy in Afghanistan, seeing itself as a regional power so it has framed its involvement in Chabahar’s development as primarily about establishing a gateway to Afghanistan, more than Iran itself, Indian officials and a Western diplomatic source said.

Khalid Nabi Cemetery is located in Golestan province near the border with Turkmenistan. It is mainly situated on a mountain ridge about 1 km distance from the mausoleum called “Khaled Nabi” who according to oral tradition of the Yomut Turkomans was a pre-Islamic prophet and whose mausoleum is visited by them for pilgrimage together with the neighboring one of Ata Chofun (Father Shepherd), his son-in-law.

About Golestan

Golestan province is located on the south eastern shore of Caspian Sea. In general, Golestan has a moderate and humid climate known as “the moderate Caspian climate”. The effective factors behind such a climate are: Alborz mountain range, direction of the mountains, height of the area, neighborhood to the sea, vegetation surface, local winds, altitude and weather fronts. As a result of the above factors, three different climates exist in the region: plain moderate, mountainous, and semi-arid. Gorgan valley has a semi-arid climate. The average annual temperature is 18.2 Celsius and the annual rainfall is 556 mm.

Turkmen people in Bandar Torkaman, a city in Golestan province, 400km (249 Miles) north of the Iranian capital of Tehran, celebrate their weddings based on their centuries-old customs and traditions.

Its capital, Gorgan, is approximately 400 km from Tehran and has an airport and several universities. The Golestan National Park is some 150 km to east of this city.

Gorgan has contributed to the rich literature, poetry and science of Iran and even the world by celebrities such as Abdolqaher Gorgani, Sayed Esmail Gorgani, Mirdamad , Mirfenderski, Asad Gorgani and Esmail Hosseini Gorgâni.

Gorgan and in general Golestan province has a world famous carpet and rug industry. Made by Turkmans, is inherited from the ancient Persian city of Bukhara. Jajim carpets are the exclusives of this province.

The annual Fajr Film Festival (FFF) came to an end on Sunday at Tehran’s Milad Tower after presenting awards to the best of cinematic productions in the past year.

The event was attended by Iran’s First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri, Culture Minister Abbas Salehi, Director of the 36th Fajr Film Festival Ebrahim Darougheh-Zadeh and Director of Cinema Organization of Iran Mohammad-Mahdi Heidarian.

President Hassan Rouhani in a message to the 36th Fajr Film Festival, which was read by Culture Minister Salehi, said cinema is one of the most effective cultural and artistic means that man has discovered to convey his messages, and civilizational heritages and achievements.

“Our cinema should once again identify its cultural and civilizational domain and while attaching significance to ‘religious and national culture’ as well as ‘Iranian problems’ as its central issues, should also try to have a greater share of the international economy in the visual industry. In order to achieve this goal, we should continuously promote the art and culture of other lands and our national and international capacities.”

Through expressing and putting forth new problems and viewpoints, cinema can prepare the society to encounter them, the president said in his message, adding cinema can grant psychological peace to the society, preserve social stability and consolidate law and ethic which are regulators of social relations.

The full list of winners are:

Best Film Crystal Simorgh was granted to ‘The Lost Strait’ by Saeed Malekan. The other nominees for the award were ‘Bomb: A Love Story’, ‘In the Levant Time’, ‘The Woodpecker’, ‘Underwater Cypress’, ‘Truck’ and ‘The Little Rusty Brains’.

Simorgh from the National Point of View was given to Hamed Hosseini for ‘Underwater Cypress’ and Saeed Sa’di. Hooman Seyyedi managed to win the audience Crystal Simorgh for ‘The Little Rusty Brains’.

The nominees for Best Director award were Ebrahim Hatamikia for ‘In the Levant Time’, Bahram Tavakkoli for ‘The Lost Strait’ and Behrouz Shoeibi for ‘The Woodpecker’, Hooman Seyyedi for ‘The Little Rusty Brains’, Kambuzia Partovi for ‘Truck’ and Mohammad Ali Bashe Ahangar for ‘Underwater Cypress’. However, two Crystal Simorghs for Best Director went to Hatamikia and Tavakkoli.

The Special Jury Prize of the 36th edition of the festival went to ‘Bomb: A Love Story’ by Peyman Mo’adi.

Best screenplay awards were proudly presented to Kambuzia Partovi for ‘Truck’ (which he gave to Saeed Aqakhani) and Hooman Seyyedi for ‘The Little Rusty Brains’ which was his second award in the prestigious festival.

Appreciating all the six nominees in the best actor category, the jury awarded honorary diploma to Amin Hayaei for his performance in ‘Flaming’ and Amir Jadidi for ‘The Lost Strait’ and ‘Cold Sweat’.

The long list of nominees in the Best Actress category was made up of names such as Baran Kosari for ‘Cold Sweat’ and Sara Bahrami for ‘The Woodpecker’, Shabnam Moqadami for ‘Don’t Be Embarrassed’, Mahnaz Afshar for ‘Woodpecker’, Hanieh Tavassoli for ‘The Misunderstanding’ Mahoor Alvand for ‘Istanbul Juncture’, but the award was given to Sara Bahrami.

Crystal Simorgh for best supporting actress awards went to Sahar Dolatshahi for her role in ‘Istanbul Juncture’ and ‘Cold Sweat’. She competed for the accolade with Leyli Rashidi in ‘Cold Swet’, Negar Abedi in ‘The Woodpecker’, Hoda Zeinolabedin in ‘Cold Sweat’.

This is while the Crystal Simorgh for best supporting actor award was given to Jamshid Hashempour for his role in ‘The Woodpecker’ (his daughter received the prize on behalf of her father).

Crystal Simorgh for Best Short Film was given to ‘AniMal’ by Bahram Ark, Bahman Ark.

Simorgh for Best Visual Effect went to Farid Nasser-Fassihi for the film ‘Istanbul Juncture’ by Mostafa Kiayee.

Special Effect Simorogh was presented to Mohsen Roozbehani for the film ‘The Lost Strait’, but he was not present and his son received the award.

The Simorgh for Best Makeup Artist went to Saeed Malekan for ‘The Lost Strait’.

Abbas Bolvandi for the film ‘Underwater Cypress’ won the Best Set Design Simorgh, while Sara Khaledi-Zadeh won the Best Costume Design Simorgh for the film ‘Bomb: A Love Story’.

Simorgh for the Best Sound Editing was given to Alireza Alavian for both ‘The Little Rusty Brains’ and ‘In the Levant Time’.

Rashid Daneshmand in the ‘the Lost Strait’ managed to win the Best Sound Recording Simorgh.

Karen Homayounfar for ‘In the Levant Time’ received the Best Music Simorgh while the Best Editing award was presented jointly to Bahram Dehqani and Behnam Najjarian for the film ‘Cold Sweat’.

Alireza Zarrindast won the Best Cinematography Crystal Simorgh for ‘Underwater Cypress’ defeating ‘Bomb: A Love Story’ (Mahmoud Kalari), ‘The Lost Strait’, (Hamid Khozouie Abyane), ‘Cold Sweat’ (Farshad Mohammadi) and ‘The Little Rusty Brains’ (Peyman Shadmanfar).

Best film in Art and Experience Cinema went to Hooman Seyyedi in the film ‘The Little Rusty Brains’.

Reza Maqsoodi won the Best Debut Simorgh for the film ‘Don’t Be Embarrassed’.

The panel of jury for the official competition included filmmakers Kamal Tabrizi and Rasoul Sadr-Ameli, cinematographer Bahram Badakhshani and film expert Hassan Khojasteh.

Film critic Khosro Dehqan, producer Fereshteh Taerpur and actor Mohammadreza Foroutan were other members of the jury.

The event began on February 1.

Established in 1982 as Fajr International Film Festival, the event celebrates cultural exchange, displays creative achievements of highly acclaimed cineastes and pays tribute to local and international films.

Since its establishment, the Fajr Film Festival has played a vital role in the development of Iranian Cinema.

Supervised by Iran’s Culture Ministry, the festival hosts veteran directors and new filmmakers from Iran.

 

Chabahar is the only oceanic port of Iran which lies on 645 km to the south of Zahedan, the provincial capital city.

India regards Chabahar inauguration as gold opportunity to expand regional cooperation

India’s Ministry of External Affairs described the inauguration of Iran’s Chabahar Port project as a golden opportunity for New Delhi to enhance its regional role and cooperation.
In a statement on Sunday, it referred to the visit of the Indian Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan to Iran on the occasion, noting that the ceremony was attended by ministers, ambassadors and senior officials primarily from countries of the region.

According to the statement, Radhakrishnan, during his two day visit on 2-3 December 2017, represented India in the 2nd meeting of the India-Iran-Afghanistan Ministerial-level Trilateral Meeting on Chabahar Port Development and involving the respective Ministers of Iran and Afghanistan. The inaugural Trilateral meeting was held in September 2016 in New Delhi.

It said that “in the Trilateral meeting with Iranian Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi and the Afghanistan Trade and Commerce Minister Humayoon Rasaw, the three sides reviewed and positively assessed the progress in the development of Chabahar Port and reiterated their commitment to complete and operationalise the Port at the earliest that would contribute to bilateral and regional trade and economic development and also provide alternate access to landlocked Afghanistan to regional and global markets.

It added that the three sides also commended the recent joint efforts which led to the transit of first tranche of 110,000 tonnes of wheat from India to Afghanistan through the Chabahar Port.

The Ministers agreed to further intensify efforts on issues concerning regional connectivity and focusing on Chabahar Port development under the Trilateral Transit and Trade Agreement at the Trilateral Meeting.

The Indian minister expressed his positive appreciation to the Iranian side on the recent steps taken towards ratification by the Majlis of Iran on the Trilateral Transit and Trade Agreement signed in May 2016 between India, Iran and Afghanistan.

The completion of the internal procedures on the ratification process by Iran is expected to lead to full and early operationalisation of the Transit and Trade arrangement between the three countries though the Chabahar Port.

He said it is expected that a trilateral coordination meeting of senior officials will be convened at the earliest.

According to another statement, Sushma Swaraj, the Indian External Affairs Minister visited Iran on December 2, 2017 on her return journey from SCO Summit at Sochi to meet her Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif.

The two foreign ministers discussed the various aspects of India-Iran relations and ways to strengthen it.

They also positively reviewed the initiatives undertaken since the visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Iran in May 2016 including cooperation in Chabahar Port.

Both Ministers also exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.

The 2nd Ministerial level trilateral meeting between Afghanistan, India and Iran to discuss the implementation of Trilateral Agreement on Establishment of International Transport and Transit Corridor was held at Chabahar on Sunday.

President Hassan Rouhani opened the first phase of Shahid Beheshti Port in the southeastern city of Chabahar on Sunday morning during a ceremony attended by 60 foreign guests from 17 countries at the port located by the Oman Sea.

The port links India to Central Asisa and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

The 5th Middle East Rally Championship wrapped up on Frida with 34 domestic and foreign drivers from Iran, Czech, Oman and Qatar, competing in Shiraz, Fars province.

Qatari rally driver Attiyah crowned champion of Shiraz International Rally

Qatari rally driver Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah al-Attiyah has showed his class and gumption in Iran International Rally, and swept each stage of the tournament in style to claim the international event’s title.

The 46-year-old and French co-driver Matthiew Baumel stormed into the lead in all phases of the cantor, and well managed to cover a distance of 720 kilometers (447.38 miles) from the ruins of Persepolis, situated 60 kilometers (37.2 miles) northeast of the city of the south-central Iranian city of Shiraz, to Kharameh city.

Czech drivers Vojtech Stajf and Marketa Skacelova from Spirit 21 Team took the second position.

Iranian rally drivers Hormoz Kalhor and Kamran Hatamkhani (SAIPA Team) grabbed the last place on the podium.

Iran International Rally kicked off on September 13, and finished on September 15, 2017.

The tournament attracted rally drivers from the Czech Republic, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Oman and Qatar.

The Shiraz Rally

The Shiraz Rally (also known as Shiraz International Rally) is an international rally racing event held at Persepolis, near Shiraz, the capital of the Fars Province in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The rally is a gravel and sand event run by the Motorcycle and Automobile Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (MAFIRI). The event was first held as a candidate event in 2014 before becoming a round of the Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) in 2015.The rally is the first international motorsport event to be held in Iran since the 1979 revolution.

The first event, held in September 2017, attracted approximately 30 entries, mostly locally based Peugeots and Kias. It was won by Lebanese driver Roger Feghali with the only other international team, Qatari driver Khalifa Al-Attiyah second. Both teams ran Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions. Twelve other teams finished, all bar two of them Peugeots. The rally had been cut short after an accident resulted in the death of Iranian co-driver Arash Ramin Yekta.

The first MERC rally, held less than eight months later, was won by defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah ahead of countryman Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and Emirati driver Khalid Al Qassimi.

Award-winning Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani has reportedly passed away due to cancer at a hospital in the United States.

Firouz Naderi, a former Iranian director of Solar Systems Exploration at NASA, had also announced her death in an Instagram post earlier in the day.

Mirzakhani had recently been taken to hospital as her health condition worsened due to breast cancer. Cancerous cells had recently spread to her bone marrow. She had already been battling the disease for several years.

In 2014, Mirzakhani was awarded the coveted Fields Medal, also known as the Nobel Prize of mathematics. The 40-year-old, who used to teach at Stanford University, was also the first Iranian woman to be elected to the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in May 2016 in recognition of her “distinguished and continuing achievement in original research.”

Mirzakhani was born in Tehran in 1977 and brought up in the Islamic Republic.

She scored the International Mathematical Olympiad’s gold medal twice — in 1994 and 1995. In the second competition, she received the contest’s full 42 points.

She then earned her bachelor’s degree from Iran’s prestigious Sharif University of Technology in 1999, and followed up the rest of her education in the United States, where she earned a doctoral degree from Harvard University in 2004 and became full professor of mathematics at Stanford at the age of 31.

She is survived by husband Jan Vondrák, a Czech theoretical computer scientist, and their daughter Anahita.

Condolences pouring in over Mirzakhani’s death

In a message, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Mirzakhani’s “doleful passing” has caused “great sorrow.”

The president praised her scientific achievements, saying the “unprecedented brilliance of this creative scientist and modest human being, who made Iran’s name resonate in the world’s scientific forums, was a turning point in showing the great will of Iranian women and young people on the path towards reaching the peaks of glory and in various international arenas,” read part of the message.

In a post on Instagram, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also offered his condolences over Mirzakhani’s death.

He said that the death of the young Iranian math genius has caused grief for all Iranians who take pride in their country’s prominent scientific figures.

In a tweet, Gary Lewis, UN Resident Coordinator for the Islamic Republic of Iran, also expressed his sorrow over Mirzakhani’s death. “Sad to learn about the passing of #MaryamMirzakhani – the intelligent #Iranian daughter, wife, mother, professor. May her eternal soul RIP.”

The 8th International Tehran Sculpture Symposium is underway at the Iranian capital city’s Milad Tower with the participation of sculptors from Iran and several other countries.
The eighth international sculpture symposium evaluate artworks which have been proposed to the secretariat of the symposium by sculptors from around the world.

Twelve artists selected from 189 applicants from 53 countries along with several Iranian sculptors will compete in the various sections of the event.

Among the competitors are Klaus F. Hunsicker from Germany, Alexey Kanis from Russia, Oscar Aguirre Comendador from Spain, Umit Turgay Durgun form Turkey, Francesca Bernardini from Italy, Valerian Jikia from Georgia, Genti Tavanxhiu from Albania, Ana Maria Negara from Romania, Michael Levchenko from Ukraine, Tatsumi Sakai from Japan, Zdravko Zdravkov from Bulgaria, and Emin Petrosyan from Armenia.

International port and shipping sector is looking to Iran as one of the most interesting growth opportunities in years and volume growth is imminent.

The January 2016 lifting of the nuclear-related sanctions provided a boost to Iran’s economy, but for the recovery to be sustained, longstanding structural reforms are required.

Container and bulk volumes above and beyond pre-sanction levels are probable if global political developments turn out in Iran’s favor. However, port infrastructure in Iran has not seen upgrades for many years and with the cascading of larger vessels on to regional trades, significant investment is clearly essential.

Risk perception of Iran has reduced in the global investment community, although recent developments associated with the Trump administration may have significant influence on the overall investment climate in Iran.

For now, however, it appears that Western investors are holding their horses, ready to move if local and global political developments turn out favorably.

Nevertheless, the government is looking at increasing foreign involvement to facilitate growth and bring state-of-the-art operational knowledge and expertise.

In Iran’s current national five-year development plan, Makran Port is noted as a top regional greenfield development in the port sector. Iranian authorities plan to open up this project to foreign investors in order to attract sponsorship for a project that combines an industrial park, petrochemical facility plant, transit cargo and a bunkering facility.

An advantage of establishing the industrial park within the proposed free trade zone is its proximity to available energy resources. Reportedly, the Iranian authorities are expected to offer an interesting investment climate with attractive incentives such as the possibility to invest jointly with an Iranian partner or independently. Tax exemption, sovereign guarantees and free repatriation of capital and profit will also likely be included.

Iran is also ideally located to play an ever more important role for transit cargos. Through the Caspian Sea, it has access to Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, as well as the adjacent countries. It also neighbors Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Currently, the majority of the transit cargo is routed through Shahid Rajaei Port. This provides access to a North-South Transit Corridor, connecting to the former Soviet Republics and offering a competitive alternative to the Black Sea route via Georgia.

Chabahar investment

The East transit corridor provides access to Afghanistan and Central Asia through the Chabahar-Milak Corridor. Here, Chabahar port is open for significant investment, collectively amounting to $565 million.

The port is located on the southernmost tip of Iran on the Gulf of Oman. It lies near the border of the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman and is currently the only Iranian port with direct access to the ocean.

Located 72km west of Pakistan’s Gwadar Port, Chabahar holds immense strategic and economic significance for India, which has committed to $150 million of finance and a build-operate-transfer scheme worth $85 million through government-backed India Ports Global Private Ltd. Once completed, the port would enable India to send its goods from Chabahar to Central Asia and Afghanistan in particular, without passing through Pakistan.

Chabahar is also crucial for landlocked Afghanistan, as the deal also includes a north-south railroad that could help Afghanistan exploit its untapped mineral wealth and reduce its reliance on foreign aid.

The project will also lessen Iran’s vulnerability to possible disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

If the Strait, which is a shipping bottleneck at the mouth of Persian Gulf, were to be blocked due to regional hostilities, Chabahar would be the single point connecting Iran to high seas.

 

Amirabad promise

Iran’s other investment opportunity is at Amirabad Port — a port on the Caspian coast. It includes a rail-ferry terminal on the North-South Corridor and is a major grain handling facility.

It is currently the largest port facility in north Iran and the third-largest port in the country. Plans include a modern rail ferry terminal, a ro-ro facility and increased grain handling facilities to boost the volumes from 7½ million tons to 18 million tons by 2030.

To achieve this, the grain silo capacity will be enlarged from 170,000 tons to 500,000 tons. Further, its oil storage capacity will be expanded from 16,000 cubic meters to 70,000 cubic meters in order to support fuel transit activities.

Another major cargo flow is anticipated for container and vehicle transit with the member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

During the sanctions, container volumes dropped by 30 percent and are currently 2.5 million TEU.

Looking at overall container volumes, 86 percent are transported through Shahid Rajaei Port in Hormuzgan Province, with smaller volumes through Bushehr, Iman Khomeini and Khorramshahr ports. All four ports have room and desire to grow above and beyond the pre-sanction volumes.

Maersk, MSC, CMA-CGM, UASC, HMM, Messina, PIL, Wan Hai and Evergreen are all now back in Iran, post sanctions.

The majority of services are either feeder services via Jebel Ali/Salalah or short-sea between the Far and Middle East.

In the meantime, vessels have increased in size and are set to increase further in 2017 with new alliance services.

Natural resources

There is significant potential to grow still further, and it is expected that 10,000 TEU ships will become a regular sight in Iran later this year.

Increased traffic compared with previous years is already being observed. As an example, Maersk recently added a call at Bushehr with a 3,300 TEU vessel via Jebel Ali.

While there are undoubtedly a lot of uncertainties that can potentially influence further volume growth, economic expansion is expected to drive onboard container volumes to pre-sanction levels relatively quickly, despite these uncertainties.

Apart from the oil and gas industry, Iran’s mineral reserves were valued at more than $770 billion in 2014.

Although the oil industry provides the majority of economic revenues, roughly 75 percent of all mining sector employees work in mines that produce minerals other than oil and natural gas.

Iran’s mineral reserves include coal, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, barite, salt, gypsum, molybdenum, strontium, silica, uranium and gold.

The mines at Sarcheshmeh in Kerman Province contain the world’s second-largest lode of copper ore at five percent of the world’s total. Further, large iron ore deposits exist in central Iran, near Bafq, Yazd and Kerman.

As such, it is expected that the mining sector could eventually contribute to more than a third of Iran’s non-oil and gas exports.

Policy moves

The dependence of the government’s future on economic growth suggests that the efforts to implement investor related reforms are genuine.

Foreign investment is required to reinvigorate the economy. Iran’s economy is marked by internal market activity and significant agricultural, industrial and service sectors and reliance on oil and gas exports.

Recent reforms have increased the positive outlook, but there are also structural issues that weigh down the economy, undermining the potential for private-sector-led growth.

There is a general positive expectation towards economic improvement and greater international engagement. This could all lead to the reintegration of the Iranian economy on the global platform.

Due to the lifting of the sanctions and a more business-oriented environment, real GDP growth is projected to reach 4.8 percent in 2017.

Strong capital inflows, including FDI and the repatriation of part of the frozen assets, could put upward pressure on the Iranian rial which will help contain imported inflation.

Iran’s current account position is expected to turn into a surplus in 2017, also primarily driven by rising oil exports.

The government’s five-year development plan covering 2017–2021 aims for an annual growth rate of eight percent and a reform agenda built on a gradual but sustained transformation of the economy.

The plan envisages the implementation of reforms of state-owned enterprises, the financial and banking emphasis on the allocation and management of oil revenues to productive investments. None of this can happen without a significant level of investment in a modernized port sector.

Container volumes are on the rise, containerization is increasing and pre-sanction levels are on the horizon.

Whether or not Iranian ports will be able to capitalize on that potential will largely depend on global and local political developments.

All the right ingredients are there and the world is anxiously watching. Iran could very well be the shipping world’s next rough diamond.

*Roy van Eijsden is a senior director at WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff and looks after the global Maritime Advisory and Transaction Services portfolio.

 

By Roy van Eijsde, This article originally appeared in portstrategy.com.

Flick through almost any travel magazine these days and you’re bound to come across an article hailing Iran as the next big destination.

Prompting the spike in interest in the Islamic Republic is recent geopolitical wrangling in the shape of a nuclear deal with world powers that has ended some longstanding sanctions.

But while the country is trying to modernize its tourism industry in the face of increasing visitor numbers – 5.2 million came in 2016 and more are expected in 2017 – its more traditional offerings still have the potential to charm.

None more so than the Abbasi Hotel, an opulent if careworn establishment located in the ancient city of Isfahan, CNN reported.

It’s a place like no other.

Isfahan has its fair share of historical wonders (some which are UNESCO World Heritage sites), but in many ways the Abbasi has become a tourist attraction in its own right, CNN reported.

Built around 300 years ago, under the Safavid dynasty reign of Shah Sultan Husayn, it was originally used as a pit stop for merchants traveling the ancient Silk Road.

The complex provided shelter not only for traders but also for the camels and horses they used to help transport their goods.

The years, decades and centuries that followed took their toll on the old caravanserai (during the early 1900s it was used as a military complex) and it started to fall into disrepair.

In the 1950s, French archeologist André Godard, working in Iran at the time, took it upon himself to fight for its restoration.

Soon after that, the Abbasi became what it is today: a 4-star hotel drenched in an ancient past.

The Abbasi may not have an abundance of modern amenities. There are no state-of-the-art gym or in-room cappuccino machines (although it does have great Wi-Fi), but that adds to its charm.

In a globalized and franchise-dominated world, the Abbasi is unique.

This hotel is all about atmosphere. Moreover, it’s uniquely Persian.

“I’d highly encourage anyone traveling to Iran to stay here as it’s an experience of a lifetime,” says General Manager Jamal Zandi.

He’s not really exaggerating.

Hallways are lined with authentic miniature paintings, the ceiling of the lobby is finely detailed and the dining areas adorned with beautiful mirror work, glittering chandeliers, and exquisite colorful wall motifs often associated with romantic notions of “the Orient.”

An array of emerald greens, jasmine blues and deep golds inevitably make visitors reach for their cameras as soon as they walk in.

The hotel has around 225 rooms, including 23 suites, and is divided between the hotel’s old wing and new wing.

Built in the 1970s, the rooms in the new wing are rather characterless – it seems that the recreation of the hotel’s original look and feel was not a priority at the time of construction and the rooms are bland in color and nondescript.

Guests who get to stay in the old wing, especially the Qajar and Safavid suites, are in for a treat. These rooms have been superbly restored and are decorated in an elegant traditional style without being overloaded.

At about $350 a night, they’re relatively pricey.