According to the Public Relations and International Affairs Department of Kish Free Zone Organization quoting from Al-Alam News Network, Gholam Hossein Mozaffari made the comment in an exclusive interview with this Network:
"The percentage of oxygen in Kish is very high and the island is one of the four regions of the world with a higher net oxygen level due to being a coral island."
He stated that Kish Island, as a free- trade zone, is one of the leading destinations for tourism, adding that about one million eight hundred thousand tourists visit Kish annually.
Kish CEO noted that as a popular tourist destination, one of the main investments on the island is in hotels, accommodation centers, and housing. There are 52 active hotels on the island, and 60 hotels are under construction, which indicates the high demand for the tourism industry.
In the industrial and production sector, Mozaffari pointed out that the island enjoys excellent potentials in industry and production, despite its progress and popularity in recreational and medical tourism, and said. There are 342 active industrial units on the island. Fortunately, many of them are knowledge enterprises that export their products to all parts of the world, especially in the field of medicine, and some are active in the area of engineering technology. In the construction sector, there is a lot of demand for residential units and commercial centers necessary for tourism which will work well on Kish Island.
Mozaffari stated that considering that Kish Island is a free zone, foreign nationals do not need a visa to enter it. They can even apply for long-term residence permit depending on their conditions. During the Coronavirus pandemic, three industrial and production units have been opened with foreign investment, and their products are exported to different countries.
Regarding health tourism, he said: "Kish Hospital has performed well in the discussion of health tourism, most applicants have been from Oman and Iraq, and negotiations are ongoing to attract investment in this area."
Regarding attracting foreign investment in Kish, especially in health tourism, the CEO of Kish Free Zone Organization pointed to one of the countries in the region and said: "Some people from foreign and Arab countries in the region have applied for investment, including about 95 doctors who have requested the establishment of a company to build a hospital in Kish and provide medical services to their compatriots and other countries traveling to Iran, and we have welcomed this proposal.
Referring to the supply of main infrastructures on Kish, Mozaffari said: "The new terminal of Kish airport, which will be launched by the end of this year, will handle 6 million total annual passengers. Also, the port facilities of the region are being updated. After the coronavirus pandemic, we will provide maritime services to many countries".
"We have different options for foreigners who are interested in investing in Kish," he said. "The hotel is one of the cases in which foreign investment has been attracted. In the industrial sector, concessions in terms of taxes, land transfers, and the conditions granted by the free zone have been provided to investors in Kish Island. In the field of cruise ship investment, infrastructures such as the issue of converting waste to energy have been negotiated with foreign investors."
Mozaffari added: "Of course, we have set limitations in the field of industry, and that is we accept non-polluting industries that are environmentally clean. In the area of the sea and the sea economy, we will also accept investments, including fish farming in cages and seaweed farming."
At Kish Innovation Center, one of our main focuses will be on knowledge enterprises that are active in the field of the sea and are going to be engaged in the area of the marine economy so that we can enjoy the vast 500 million people market in Kish, including the countries on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf and the ECO complex.
He noted: "According to the laws of the free zones, superior facilities and exemptions have been allocated to both domestic and foreign investors.
He added: "For foreign investors, the possibility of returning the invested capital and the profit and the possibility of their residence are provided and guaranteed.
"The area of smart transportation and the use of self-driving cars is also underway, which will be per international standards, and UAVs will do transportation control, and we will improve the quality in this sector," Mozaffari said.
He added: "Kish is a city with no red lights and perfect traffic regulations and standards, the actions that are being taken are very beneficial to turn Kish into a small city."
According to Mozaffari, a memorandum of understanding has been signed with one of the largest companies in the country to create the infrastructure to meet the needs of knowledge-based companies for high-speed Internet without restrictions. Fortunately, access to new 5G technology in Kish has provided a suitable background in intelligent infrastructure.
Mozaffari stated that the international airport of the region belongs to the Kish Free Zone Organization. Many of the 1.8 million tourists in Kish annually travel by air, and a small number enters through the port and sea. For this reason, we are building a new airport terminal, the equipment of which has been produced following international standards by domestic knowledge-based companies and will be put into operation by the end of the year, which is a tremendous capacity in the field of tourism.
Regarding the measures taken by the Kish Free Zone Organization to combat the outbreak of coronavirus, he added: "In March of last year, when the outbreak of coronavirus intensified, Kish Island took immediate measures to combat the outbreak of the coronavirus. Hotels were closed, and all flights were banned, and strict measures were taken to combat the coronavirus outbreak. In April, one-way flights from Kish to other provinces were resumed, and passengers were quarantined on their return to Kish. In May, travelers had to register to enter the island and enter the island with priority.
All passengers entering Kish, including residents and economic activists, were quarantined from the beginning of June, travelers and tourists were accepted in Kish with full observance of health regulations. Fortunately, Kish Island was able to maintain excellent conditions, so that currently, only one patient with coronavirus is hospitalized in Kish hospital."
PR & Int'l Affairs Department- KFZO