The Maku Free Trade-Industrial Zone geographically covers the counties of Maku, Showt, Poldasht, and the border town of Bazargan, located in the far northwest of the country, accounting for about 75% of the country's free zones. This area is adjacent to Turkey and Azerbaijan (Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic) and is strategically positioned as a communication hub for ECO member countries and the East-West corridor.
In an exclusive interview with Freena, the CEO of the Maku Free Zone Organization highlighted the importance of knowledge-based and technological initiatives and tourism as key components for the sustainable development of this area.
**Can you tell us a bit about the tourism potential of the Maku Free Zone that has been overlooked so far?
Although good work has been done in the tourism sector of this area, the tourism industry in the Maku Free Zone has been neglected. Since this area is one of the young regions of the country, its natural and historical capacities have not been properly introduced to tourism industry professionals and tourists. Unique historical sites, such as the Qaban Castle, which has the largest stone cap in the world, are present but not fully introduced. However, the Free Zone Organization is committed to reviving these historical and natural sites. Recently, after reviewing the tourism potential of the Maku Free Zone, Mahan Tourism Holding signed an investment agreement worth 100 trillion rials in the tourism sector, which, if implemented, could lead to a significant transformation in the tourism industry.
**What other potentials does the Maku Free Zone have?
We have many potentials in transit and transportation, agriculture, industry and mining, and knowledge-based sectors. In transit, combined transportation activities and investments are possible. Significant actions have been taken in agriculture, including planting 220,000 fruit trees and establishing the largest modern and mechanized garden in West Asia in this area, focusing on creating a production chain from farm to table. Good steps have been taken to establish the country's fourth data center hub in Maku, and through an agreement with the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, the first knowledge-based economy town and suitable scientific space for innovative companies are being prepared in this area. Today, more than ever, we need to expand the knowledge-based ecosystem, and Maku's sustainable development depends on focusing on knowledge and innovation.
**What actions have been taken in the past two years for the development and implementation of free zone laws?
The first step was to strengthen competitiveness, allocate opportunities fairly, prepare and approve a comprehensive plan and studies based on the potential and opportunities of the Maku Free Zone, considering upstream documents and utilizing the opinions and suggestions of local elites, educated individuals, and experts, focusing on areas such as agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, logistics and transportation, industry, mining, and tourism within the Environmental Organization. In 1403, with an emphasis on utilizing unfinished construction projects, the mega-project of establishing the largest pistachio and walnut garden in the Middle East was implemented to fulfill the directives of the Supreme Leader, with the project's execution report presented in a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, explaining the agricultural capacities and major investments in food security in this area. The development pace of the Maku Free Zone accelerated with the provision of essential infrastructure and the implementation of dozens of technical and construction projects using internal capabilities, and to benefit the residents from the legal advantages of free zones, the first and second phases of fencing the area and the first phase of building and site customs gate were executed and inaugurated a few days ago with the presence of the Secretary of the Supreme Council of Free and Special Economic Zones.
**Can you tell us about the investment in this area?
There is a high potential for investment in this area, and in fact, we have over 150 small and large units in the area, and we might be the only area where we can claim our exports exceed imports. The region's production amounts to over 140 million dollars, carried out by various companies, including transit services, logistics, clothing production, household appliances, and mining. Exports from this area last year were 1.4 billion dollars. In the first 10 months of this year, exports through the Bazargan customs and Maku Free Zone amounted to 1.15 billion dollars, showing a 45% growth.
**What are your plans for the Nowruz holidays?
During Nowruz, it is expected that, as every year, a large number of travelers will naturally visit the Maku Free Zone. We have about one million transit travelers from this area, and it is expected that this number will increase this year. We have issued temporary permits for two 4 and 5-star hotels to accommodate guests, even though they have not officially opened yet, but temporary permits have been issued for service provision. We have started extensive activities in ecotourism, and our goal is to make Maku a tourist destination rather than just a transit point. Therefore, those who come to the Maku Free Zone can experience a combined tourism experience. Families visiting here can easily spend a day or two in Turkey and see the surroundings, and their accommodation costs will be very cheap. Currently, foreign trips are very expensive, and consider how much foreign currency is spent on them. Therefore, we have prepared the necessary infrastructure, and in our comprehensive plan, one of our goals is tourism. As you know, there are several types of tourism, including shopping tourism, health tourism, sports tourism, historical tourism, etc., and with this plan, we aimed to take a positive step in this regard. We have many plans for the future, and we hope that chain stores will expand more from next year, as one of the goals families have is shopping tourism, and a large part of the trips to Turkey and neighboring countries is for this reason. We can establish brands right here, and this year the infrastructure has been somewhat prepared.
**What actions have you taken in the field of international trade and transit and transportation?
On December 18, we held the conference on the role of diplomacy in the economic development of the Maku Free Zone with 600 domestic and foreign guests. To have an impact in the Eurasian countries and ECO member countries, we need to start joint commercial, economic, and banking activities and continue this in various countries. Next year, we plan to hold the ECO summit in the Maku Free Zone itself. Good actions have been taken to connect with countries like Kazakhstan, China, and Turkey. Essential infrastructures, including logistics roads and the airport, are being developed, and so far, 600 billion rials have been spent on airport lighting equipment and 700 billion tomans on constructing 10 kilometers of ring and logistics roads. One of the most important development projects in this area is the Maku Logistics Village, which spans 1820 hectares and includes warehouses, a dry port, a railway, and the Tabriz to Bazargan highway. This village will make Maku one of the most important logistics hubs in the country and significantly contribute to the region's economic prosperity. With national-level follow-ups, the project for the Iran-Turkey rail connection through the Maku Free Zone and Cheshmeh Soraya was approved as one of the country's top-priority projects by the National Security Council. After numerous meetings with Ali Abdolalizadeh, the Vice President in charge of coordinating general development policies, and the CEO of the national railway, and field visits by environmental and railway committee heads, the countdown for this project's implementation has begun, and based on this, the Cheshmeh Soraya border has been included as the rail connection border between Iran and Turkey in the joint economic commission's plans of the two countries.
**Reporter, Seyed Zabihollah Emamzadeh is the media expert in charge at the Maku Free Zone Organization.