Kazakhstan plans to establish direct export to the Persian Gulf countries through Iran

The Government of Kazakhstan has announced its intention to establish a joint venture with Abu Dhabi Ports (ADP) from the United Arab Emirates. It will create the shortest direct route for the delivery of Kazakh export cargo to the markets of the Persian Gulf, the Middle East, Pakistan, India and the East African coast. The prospects for its creation were discussed during the meeting by the Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin and the head of Simatech Shipping & Forwarding (part of the ADP group) Dawood Tafti.

As reported press office Kazakh government, during the meeting, the parties discussed options for cargo delivery routes across the Caspian Sea to Iran with the possibility of further transit to the Persian Gulf countries. According to Davud Tafti, the company has already purchased four vessels with a carrying capacity of 7.5 thousand tons each. They are capable of transporting bulk, container and general cargo. According to Mr. Tufti, the company plans to supply ten such vessels over the next two years.

According to the press service, Kazakhstan’s Kuryk and Arab Khalifa will become the base ports. These two ports will be connected with all the necessary infrastructure and equipped with equipment. Simatech Shipping & Forwarding also owns two dry ports for cargo consolidation and repackaging, which will allow Kazakh cargo to cross Iran in two to three days.

The main task of the route will be the supply of agricultural goods from the Kazakh port of Kuryk to the Persian Gulf countries through the Iranian ports of Amirabad and Bandar Abbas. The possibility of delivering goods via this route further to European countries is not excluded.

AD Ports Group is a port, industrial and logistics operator in the UAE. One of the largest holding companies in the region with a wide portfolio of large enterprises. AD Ports Group manages ten ports and terminals in the UAE.

Milena Kostereva