Tehran, February 28, 2024 (MRUD NEWS)—Following plans for development of the Makran Coast, and development of a sustainable sea-based economy, Iran is to develop 27 new coastal settlements, Rouhollah Akbari, the aide to Iran Minister of Roads and Urban Development in the housing sector informed.

The location of these coastal areas is under study, and their comprehensive and detailed plans are also being compiled based on the approvals of the Supreme Council of Urban Planning and Architecture.

Iran' New Towns Development Company has started the construction of two new coastal towns in two of these 27 sites on the southern coast of Hormozgan Province named the new town of the Persian Gulf and the 'New Makran'.

In building these coastal towns in the south of Iran, the participation and investments of other provinces in the four southern provinces of Sistan and Baluchistan, Hormozgan, Khuzestan and Bushehr are considered for a synergic implementation, Akbari stressed.

Emphasizing that the main advantage of the southern coasts of Iran is the access to the high seas, the aide to the Minister of Roads and Urban Development explained that implementation of this initiative would be with the participation of the private sector including Tehran Chamber of Commerce.

On Tuesday, the Ministry held a meeting with Tehran Chamber of Commerce with the presence of industrial, commercial, tourism, agricultural and construction actors for the creation of new coastal towns and development of the Makran region that represented the dialogue between the Government and the private sector. 

According to the Acting CEO of Iran' New Towns Development Company, as per the provisions of the 7th development plan of the country, 8% of the population should settle in the southern coasts, and currently 2% of the population lives in these areas. Thus, in the first phase, the population of this region will increase to 2 million people and 650 households. The settlement policy aligns with employment policy and growth of industries in the southern coasts of Iran.

Iran is drawing on the resources of the National Development Fund for development of the Makran Coast. As per the 138th Article of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Council of Ministers approved the law in the meeting held on January 3, 2024 for €1 billion support of the National Development Fund for the development of the Makran Coast.