Iran Air spokesman had announced that the first Airbus A321 aircraft will arrive at Mehrabad International Airport on Thursday January 12 at 14:30 local time.

Shahrokh Nushabadi made the announcement adding that the airplane had been scheduled to leave Hamburg Airport of Germany for France’s Toulouse Blagnac Airport on Tuesday after going through technical tests.

“According to the timetable, the Airbus A321 aircraft will be guided by Iranian pilots from Toulouse to Tehran on Thursday before landing in Mehrabad International Airport at 14:30,” he continued.

Spokesperson of Iran Air, the Iranian national flag carrier, recalled that a receiving ceremony will be held in Tehran with a number of military and government officials at attendance.

Following implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and removal of cruel sanctions, Airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran managed to sign a contract for purchasing 180 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing and the French company will deliver three aircraft by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (to end March 21).

The Airbus A321 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus.

Iran Air has announced that the 190-seat Airbus will be exploited in domestic flight routes after delivery.

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Iran has managed to attract 7.2 billion dollars in finance from three foreign banks, the vice governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) announced on Saturday.

Gholamali Kamyab said attracting $10 billion of foreign finance has been defined as a project for the CBI in the area of Resistance Economy, Tasnim News Agency reported.

He made the remarks in a meeting with CBI officials, which was attended by First Vice-President Es’haq Jahangiri in Tehran.

The measures taken by the CBI in this regard include extensive talks with some foreign banks, such as the Export–Import (Exim) Bank of China, Italy’s Mediobanca and Denmark’s Danske Bank, he noted.

The CBI vice governor added that up to now, 72 percent of the project has been implemented.

There has been a new wave of interest in ties with Iran since Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries – Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany – reached a deal on Iran’s nuclear program in 2015.

The comprehensive nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), terminated all nuclear-related sanctions against Iran.

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National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has affirmed adequacy of 29 international oil and gas companies willing to put in tenders for Iran’s upstream oil sector.

NIOC intends to invite several rounds of tenders for a number of oil exploration & production (E&P) projects; accordingly, credible and qualified foreign E&P firms were asked to participate in the competence evaluation process.

Conformity assessment documents and related information, including evaluation methods, criteria and procedures were placed on the official website of NIOC on October 17, 2016.

Applicants were required to submit a copy of demanded documents along with electronic files as long as December 04.

According to NIOC official website, secretariat of tenders for upstream oil and gas sector contracts, upon receiving information from interested companies and evaluation of documents, promulgated names of 29 accredited foreign firms.

The final list contains names of prominent oil giants from Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Malaysia, Russia, Austria, Thailand, Japan, Poland, the Netherlands, Britain, Spain and China among the others.

So far, numerous Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) have been inked with foreign companies for development of oil and gas fields though the first international tender in Iran’s oil industry is scheduled to be invited in coming months for expansion of South Azadegan field.

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The World Bank says Iran’s foreign debts rose slightly in 2015 but were still significantly lower than 2011 when the country faced a series of US-led sanctions.

A report by the World Bank titled “International Debt Statistics 2017” showed that Iran’s debts for 2015 stood at $6.32 billion. The figure was slightly higher than 2014 but was nonetheless around 64 percent lower than the debts in 2011 ($17.34 billion).

The biggest jump in Iran’s foreign debts took place between 2000 and 2005 when they hit an all-time high of $21.54 billion from $8.02 billion. The debts descended gradually over the next years but plunged the highest to a third of 2005 record in 2012 at $7.40 billion, according to the World Bank report. Figures show that Iran’s foreign debts in 2013 stood at almost the same level until they slid to the lowest level in over 14 years in 2014 at $5.44 billion.

World Bank reported that Iran’s debts for 2015 stood at $6.32 billion. The figure was slightly higher than 2014 but was nonetheless around 64 percent lower than the debts in 2011 ($17.34 billion).

The World Bank emphasized in its report that the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Iran had declined for the third consecutive year in 2015 to $2 billion. Nevertheless, it added that the lifting of sanctions was expected to provide an impetus for a rebound.

Iran saw a series of US-led economic sanctions lifted in January last year after a nuclear deal it had reached with world powers came into effect.

The deal that had been made with the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany – the so-called P5+1 – allowed the removal of sanctions against Iran in return for certain steps by the country to restrict some aspects of its nuclear energy activities.

The sanctions prevented Iran from exporting oil beyond a ceiling of around 1 million barrels per day, banned investments in its oil industry, and limited its overseas trade among other restrictions internationally described as the toughest ever imposed against a country.

Iran has over the past few years made significant efforts to boost its economy through different measures.

The country’s government spokesman Mohammad-Baqer Nobakht told reporters on Sunday that Iran had attracted around $11 billion in foreign investments since the removal of sanctions.

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The latest official figures show that Iran’s exports of non-oil commodities over a period of nine months starting 21 March 2016 increased by around 10 percent – another indication which shows that the country’s trade is improving after the removal of multiple years of sanctions.

Figures released by the Customs Administration of Iran show that non-oil exports over the period reached as high as $31.59 billion – an increase of 9.5 percent compared to the same period last year.

Imports also stood at $31.53 billion, showing an increase of 4.3 percent year-on-year. Nevertheless, a comparison of the two figures showed that Iran’s trade surplus was positive, a statement by the Customs Administration of Iran showed.

Gas condensate comprised the majority of Iran’s non-oil exports over the period at 16.2 percent with a collective value of $5.12 billion.

The main export destinations of Iran over a period of nine months of 2016 were China ($5.69 billion), the UAE ($5.50 billion), Turkey ($2.71 billion) and South Korea ($2.33 billion).

Next top exported items were liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and light industrial oil each with a share of 6.18 percent and 3.89 percent and the net value of $1.95 billion and $1.23 billion, respectively.

The main export destinations of Iran were China ($5.69 billion), the UAE ($5.50 billion), Turkey ($2.71 billion) and South Korea ($2.33 billion), the statement added.

Also, figures show that a majority of the imports were carried out from China ($7.51 billion), the UAE ($5.10 billion), South Korea ($2.50 billion) and Turkey ($2.18 billion).

Iran’s Customs Administration further emphasized that imports from the above countries had seen moderate declines.

There was only a significant rise in imports from Germany. Imports from Germany over the same period had seen an increase of 38.22 percent with a total value of $1.78 billion, the statement concluded.

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A senior Iranian oil industry official said the country has signed 12 contracts with foreign companies operating in the sector.

Deputy Head of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Gholamreza Manouchehri further said that there are also plans to ink 10 to 12 other oil deals with foreigners in the near future, Tasnim News Agency reported.

He cited low cost and low risk for oil and gas production as the two advantages Iran offers for investors.

Iran, which is currently OPEC‘s third largest producer after Saudi Arabia and Iraq, plans to raise oil production to as high as 4 mbd — the level that existed prior to the US-led sanctions against Iran in 2011.

The sanctions mainly prevented foreign investments in Iran’s oil industry. They also restricted the country’s oil exports to around 1 mbd.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — Russia, China, the United States, France, and Britain plus Germany — signed a nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in July 2015 which terminated nuclear-related sanctions when it was implemented in January.

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Germany‘s Medio Energy Invest and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding worth approximately $104 million for the construction of two power plants — wind and solar — in the south of Iran.

According to Mehr News Agency, Mahmoud Dashtbozorg, director general of Khuzestan Regional Electricity Company elaborated on the agreement with Medio Energy and said, “The cooperation agreement with Medio Energy has been signed in line with development of renewable energy technologies as well as attracting investment.”

He added the deal covers the implementation of a 20-MW solar power plant in Shushtar, Khuzestan Province, through direct investment to the tune of $25 million in addition to building and operation of a wind power plant in Bandar Mahshahr with a capacity of 50-megawatts and value of $83.6 million.

The official underlined that the German firm has agreed to provide technical knowledge, experience, a skilled workforce, capital, and technical and economic capabilities as well as necessary equipment for the construction of the power plants.

Dashtbozorg stated that the Iranian side had spared no effort to attract domestic and foreign investors to electricity industry sector of the region with particular attention to the renewable energy sector.

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Iran will finalize a contract with French aircraft manufacturer Airbus on the purchase of jetliners next week, said Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi.

He added that the details of the contract with Airbus to purchase brand new aircraft will be made public afterwards, Tasnim News Agency reported.

During Iranian President Hassan Rouhani‘s visit to Paris in January, Tehran signed the major contract with Airbus worth about $27 billion to buy 118 planes.

Iran and Airbus intensified business negotiations in October following the US decision to remove a final hurdle for Western aircraft manufacturers to sell planes to Iran under contracts signed after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement between Tehran and the P5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) was implemented in January.

While Western plane makers are impatient to begin trade with Iran, Washington still demands that even non-American manufacturers wishing to sell to Iran obtain an export license if their products include materials made in the United States. Airbus, based in Europe, buys more than 40 percent of all its aircraft parts from the US.

Iran sealed another deal in June worth around $25 billion with the US aerospace heavyweight, Boeing, to purchase 100 passenger planes.

The deal with Boeing was finalized earlier this month allowing Iran to buy 80 planes within 10 years. The first deliveries are expected in 2018.

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Filmmaker Saeid Kart has received three awards including the best director award for his “Avantage” in the national competition section of the 10th Cinema Verite, Iran’s major international festival for documentary cinema.

“Avantage” also brought the best music award for Saba Nedai and the best sound award for Arash Qasemi, the organizers have announced.

Winners were announced during a ceremony held at Tehran’s Art Bureau on Friday during a ceremony attended by large number of cineastes.

Cinema Organization of Iran Director Hojjatollah Ayyubi and Documentary and Experimental Film Center (DEFC) Director Mohammad–Mehdi Tabatabainejad were among the officials participating at the ceremony.

Mehdi Asadi received the best short doc award for his “Friday Carpet” (highlighting the ritual of the carpet washing in Mashhad Ardehal), and the best mid-length doc award went to Mohammadreza Hafezi for “Passageless Path”.

The best research award went to “ Fight Feast” by Vahid Hosseini and Hojjat Taheri won the best cinematography award for “Birds in Shadow”.

Next, Arash Lahuti was presented with the best editor award for “Light Blue”, and the best film ward went to “Zero to Stage” by producer Mahtab Keramati.

The jury special award was presented to “Nena” by Mohammadreza Vatandust.

The winners of the international section were also honored at the ceremony.

“Bread and Tea” by Sarah Kaskas (Lebanon) won the best short doc award and the best mid-length doc award was given to “Hamja” by Mehdi Qanavati(Iran).

The jury did not selected a best long documentary in the international section.

However, the jury special award was given to “Under the Sun”, a production of Russia, Germany, Czech Republic and North Korea by director Vitaly Mansky.

The award-giving ceremony was followed by honoring Austrian specialist Professor Dr. Gerhard Freilinger, who appeared in Mostafa Razzaq-Karimi’s “Memories for All Seasons”.

“Memories for All Seasons” is an acclaimed documentary that narrates the memories of a group of Iranian soldiers wounded by Iraqi chemical weapons during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

The 90-year-old professor, who is a specialist in plastic reconstructive surgery and treated chemically-wounded Iranian soldiers in those years, was surprised at the ceremony and said he did not expect to be honored.

He expressed hope that there not be any more war and wished for more peace and friendship./ Tehran Times

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The Village Councilor of Abyaneh said that over 30,000 foreign tourists visited the village during the 8 months of current Iranian calendar year (started on March 20).

Mohammad Adeli referred to growth in the number of tourists visiting Abyaneh, saying that some 5,518 foreign tourists visited the village in the Iranian month of Aban (October 22- November 20).

Most foreign tourists came from France with 1,368, Germany with 551, Italy with 410, the Netherlands with 363, Thailand with 282, Belgium with 278 and England with 253 tourists in the Iranian month of Aban, he noted.

Abyaneh is a village in Barzrud Rural District, in the Central District of Natanz township, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 305, in 160 families.

Tourist Review
The red clay village Abyaneh and Kashan

By, Andri Wilberg Orrason: There are many old historical mountain villages in Iran, where the clock seem to tick slower then in the bigger cities. We decided to visit one of them, Abyaneh, often referred to as the Red Village for its red mud brick houses and the surrounding mountain terrain (bearing the same colour due to iron oxides). The houses are arranged like steps up the hillside, so the roofs of some houses are the front yards of the next one up. Abyaneh is at least 1500 years old (dating back to the Sassanid era), originating from the time of the Arab invasion, when many of the Zoroastrian followers fled to the mountains and deserts to escape forced conversion to Islam. Because of their isolation, the villagers speak a dialect of their own, which is though to predate modern Persian or Farsi, with less Arabic influence.

To reach the village we decided to hitch a ride from Esfahan. Without effort we managed to reach the nearmost town, Natanz.

We payed a local in Natanz a few buck to drive us there. It wasn’t our safest moment; along the way the driver rolled down his window and started sniffing a white cloth, which presumably was soaked in glue or petrol. He seemed to be getting more and more drowsy, but at same time driving faster and faster up the mountain road. We finally reached the village, alive.

People of Abyaneh Village The local women wear traditional clothing

Walking the red narrow streets, with hardly any tourists visible, we stumbled upon a local couple, Natasha and Saed, who invited us for some tea. To our surprise, their english was superb. They had lived mostly in the capital Tehran but also in Europe for many years. Despite having lived in the world’s biggest cities with the latest technology, they decided to move to Abyaneh some 15 years ago and raise their two beautiful children in a peaceful environment away from political influence. Like most women in the village, Natasha, wore a traditional headscarf with floral motifs and a bright coloured dress which is scarcely aligned with the Islamic regime requiring women to dress modestly. It was lovely to sit on a small stone chair in their “Flinstone” kitchen, drinking Iranian tea and talking about Iran, their culture, before and now.

People of Abyaneh Village

The warm locals, Natasha and Saed in front of their 1.500 year old house
Kashan

After Abyaneh we headed to Kashan, a city famous for hand woven carpets and historical houses.

One of many historical houses in Kashan

Historical house Kashan

Eating dinner at one of the historical houses

It can take one person up to 6-12 month to weave a 1.5 x 1.0 m carpet depending on how dense you weave it (knots per square inch). If you liked that carpet in the movie Big Lebowski, well know you know, it’s a Kashan design! We came close to buying one at the bazaar but our budget didn’t afford a quick loss of 2000 dollars. You can get them for cheaper, with fewer knots, made from cheap wool instead of silk, coloured with chemicals instead of organic dyes, but we couldn’t get our eyes off the irresistible and shiny silk carpest woven to perfection. So we decided to wait until we visit Iran again sometime, when we’re not on a world tour budget, and bring enough currency for a carpet.

Persian carpet from Kashan, A beautiful wool and silk carpet handmade in Tabriz.

We didn’t spend much time in Kashan as our main interest lied outside the city. For a mere 20 dollars each we rented a private driver (for 7 hours) who drove us into the Maranjab desert to visit the Dasht-e Kavir Salt Lake (Namak Lake), with a quick stop at the underground city (handbuilt 18 meter below surface in the pre-islamic era for defense purposes) and the shrine of Hilal Ibn Ali. We really enjoyed seeing the hexagonal to octagonal shapes of salt, reaching endlessly in all directions, disappearing into the horizon. Our day was perfected with the most beautiful sunset we have seen, in complete remoteness, on top of the highest sand dune of Maranjab desert.

The amazing shrine of Hilal Ibn Ali,

The amazing shrine of Hilal Ibn Ali, Wearing the chador in front of the holy shrine

The amazing shrine of Hilal Ibn Alie

View inside the underground city

View inside the underground city

The desert Maranja

Salt lake, Dasht-e Kavir – Iran

Salt lake, Dasht-e Kavir – Iran

Salt lake, Dasht-e Kavir – Iran

Sunset in the Maranjab desert

Sunset in the Maranjab desert

Video About Abyaneh

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