ISIPO revives 600 idle production units

Scion Industrial Engineering

According to the Deputy Head of ISIPO Ali Asqar Mosaheb, Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry plans to revive 2,000 idle production units by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2020) of which 1400 units are Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME).

“Considering the project’s progress, we are expected to reach the target set in this sector by the end of the year,” Mosaheb told reporters.

Elaborating on ISIPO’s programs for reviving idle SMEs, the official said “Last year, a successful plan for reviving production units was implemented, in which, despite targeting 1,000 units for reactivation, ISIPO was able to bring 1,726 small industrial units back into production.”

Back in August, Deputy Industry Minister Saied Zarandi had announced that the ministry allocated 15 trillion rials (about $357 million) for reviving 2000 idle production units across the country.

“Of the mentioned 2000 units, 1,338 are based in the industrial parks across the country and currently 400 of them are back into operation,” Zarandi had said.
The official also said the ministry plans to support increasing the production capacity of 4,200 production units across the country.

Earlier that month, ISIPO head had also announced that the organization was following major programs in order to revive idle units and to help them to get back into business.

Speaking in a press conference Mohsen Salehinia mentioned some of his organization’s plans for supporting SMEs, noting that the industry ministry was also fully supporting ISIPO’s efforts in this regards.

“Although the SMEs have the potential to provide nearly 900,000 job opportunities across the country, but currently 22 percent of the SMEs are idle and there are only 710,000 people working in active units,” Salehinia said.

ISIPO plans to help revive 1300 idle SMEs by the end of the current Iranian calendar year, Salehinia said.

Source:https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/441232/ISIPO-revives-600-idle-production-units

‘Industrial parks should improve infrastructure capacities for surge in production’

Making the remarks during a visit to the northwestern East Azarbaijan Province, Mohsen Salehinia said 1500 inactive production units are set to be revived in the current Iranian calendar year (started on March 20), of which 90 units will be in East Azarbaijan.

Underlining the importance of domestic production, the official said: “In the current situation of the country, production is very important and by maintaining production we can play a role in the country’s economic growth; therefore, all industrial units are trying to improve production.”

Referring to the support provided by the government for the development of infrastructures in industrial parks, he said: “In order to fulfill the slogan of the surge in production, infrastructure and raw material supply issues must be resolved quickly.”

“Import management and export development are among the most important areas of focus for the Industry Ministry in the year of “surge in production” and we must focus our efforts on this issue to turn the threats posed by U.S. sanctions into new production and export opportunities,” Salehinia said.

According to Mohsen Salehinia, currently, 43,650 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are based in over 800 industrial parks across the country, of which nearly 78 percent or 33,800 are active.

Back in 2019, Salehinia had announced his organization’s long-term plans for supporting the SMEs, noting that the industry ministry fully supports ISIPO’s efforts in this regard.

According to the official, SMEs have the potential to provide nearly 900,000 job opportunities across the country, however, currently 22 percent of the SMEs are idle and there are only 710,000 people working in active units.

Source:https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/448669/Industrial-parks-should-improve-infrastructure-capacities-for

Archaeological survey sheds new light on ancient societies in southeast Iran

The survey, which was the second one conducted across Sefidkuh, yielded new archaeological and anthropological evidence from lesser-known Sefidkuh communities, with the invention of circular architecture as the most notable aspect which is still practiced in the region.

Fragments of a particular type of pottery often called “Londo”, were also discovered in Sefidkuh region, and the pottery pieces may be date from the Copper Age, Stone Age, or Bronze Age, which their chronology will be determined and announced following subsequent investigates, IRNA quoted Hossein Vahedi, who led the 2nd season as saying on Tuesday.

“In the mentioned area, a total of 9 archaeological sites were studied, including cemeteries and settlements from prehistoric, historical, and Islamic times. It is hoped that information from this season of archaeological studies will soon lead to the registration of the three unique villages [on the national cultural heritage list],” Vahedi said.

“The outcomes of absolutely the chronology assessments will quickly open a brand new window in our discipline”, Vahedi mentioned according to the Archaeology News.

“Londo pottery is one of Baluchestan’s native potteries and may be discovered within the early layers of the Tepe Yahya of Kerman, the Kaftary site in Fars, and throughout western Pakistan together with the world of Jahawalan, Budi Buti and Las Bella, Domb Kouh website, Hezar Mardi in Bampur and the Give Citadel space in South Khorasan.”

“This [kind of ancient] pottery is the second-largest pottery group [so far been founded] within the Persian Gulf, the Oman Sea and the Makran area, which testifies to the commerce between the folks of the area.”

“Because of the discovery of glass bracelets, pottery fragments and anthropological proof alongside the recognized round grave specimen, examples of that are present in neighboring areas equivalent to Pakistan and Oman (areas equivalent to Haif, Umm al-Anar, and Jalan) within the prehistoric time interval, it’s possible that the Makran area, and particularly Sefidkuh, was dominated by semi-nomadic communities and was one of many essential areas of commerce between the southern marginal communities of the Persian Gulf and the communities of Sistan-Baluchestan, and neighboring areas.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the senior archaeologist pointed to areas yielded proofs of prehistoric settlements, saying:

“We recognized twelve areas with proof of prehistoric (Epipaleolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic) settlement, that are nonetheless inhabited at this time. These twelve settlements are positioned within the mountainous space of Sefidkuh. The names of the villages are Baragdan, Kuchkodam, Koddap, Tangsam, Kopidap, Javanja, Torkeguash, Dangar, Kupchu, Sorkhkalut Patgan, and Siyahdan.”

“On this survey proof of historic and Islamic cemeteries was additionally discovered, in all probability as a result of this area is strategically essential. This space has long been the house of the semi-sedentary nomadic peoples, and these communities nonetheless reside there.”

“We’re nonetheless unable to precisely establish the traditional communities dwelling within the Sefidkuh heights and it’s essential to conduct focused long-term research, in collaboration with the Institute of Archaeology, the Institute of Anthropology and interdisciplinary specialists, alongside the research of up to date fashionable societies dwelling within the area,” he explained.

Source:https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/451273/Archaeological-survey-sheds-new-light-on-ancient-societies-in

Tehran to host online meeting on agritourism

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Agritourism is a relatively new branch of the travel industry in which tourists stay with local people in rural areas. Farm/ranch recreation refers to activities conducted on private agricultural lands, which might include fee-hunting and fishing, overnight stays, educational activities, etc.

The meeting aims at promoting this new branch of tourism as well as discussing its capacities in Tehran province, provincial tourism chief Ali Rafiei said on Saturday.

Geographical diversity in Tehran province has caused agriculture and horticulture to have a high variety, therefore, the development of agricultural tourism can be very successful in this province, the official added.

He also noted that paying attention to agricultural tourism, while preserving gardens and agricultural lands in Tehran province, can provide better situation for the farmers and gardeners and can boost tourism in the region.

Back in June, deputy tourism chief Vali Teymouri announced that permits would be granted to eligible tour operators to launch their agritourism businesses, aiming to set certain standards in a move to ensure the quality of such services in the country.

“In order to develop employment-related areas of tourism, the Tourism Ministry has prepared several guidelines and technical criteria concerning nomadic tourism camps, licenses related to maritime tourism, natural parks, etc., which will create good employment in the future…”, he added.

Some experts believe that in addition to the customer services jobs, agritourism pays special attention to the production sector, saying “For this reason, agricultural tourism is much more important and practical than other branches of tourism because it creates a new chain and diversity in the field of production and services.”

Agritourism and nature-tourism enterprises might include outdoor recreation (fishing, hunting, wildlife study, horseback riding), educational experiences (cannery tours, cooking classes, or tea or coffee tasting), entertainment (harvest festivals or barn dances), hospitality services (farm stays, guided tours, or outfitter services), and on-farm direct sales (u-pick operations or roadside stands).

Agritourism is a subset of a larger industry called rural tourism that includes resorts, off-site farmers’ markets, non-profit agricultural tours, and other leisure and hospitality businesses that attract visitors to the countryside.

Rural tourism, however, differs from agritourism in two ways. First, rural tourism enterprises do not necessarily occur on a farm or ranch, or at an agricultural plant, they do not generate supplemental income for the agricultural enterprise.

To cite an example, we could refer to saffron farms in northeast Iran that are going to fame as a new destination for agritourism. Iranian Saffron is known as the “red gold”, saffron is a magical ingredient in Persian culture, from aromatic foods and colorful desserts to the physical and spiritual medicine.

Source:https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/451258/Tehran-to-host-online-meeting-on-agritourism

Iran delivers second shipment of anti-corona aid to Kyrgyzstan

The shipment includes medical equipment including ventilators, thermometers, pulse oximeters, PCR tests, and kits for EIA testing, IRNA reported.

Iran’s humanitarian aid confirms the warm fraternal relations between the two countries based on mutual support. Iran delivered its first shipment of humanitarian aid to the Kyrgyz authorities in May, according to Kyrgyzstan’s foreign ministry announcement.

The first consignment of Iranian medical aid consisted of 357 cartons weighing more than three tons and included medical items, medicines, and personal protective equipment to fight coronavirus.

Humanitarian aid was provided by Iran at the request of the Kyrgyz side in an official ceremony with both countries officials in attendance.

Iran had previously assisted other countries in the fight against the global pandemic.

In late May, a plane carrying medical aid provided by Iranian people and the private sector landed at Kabul airport, which consisted of masks, disinfectants, medical gloves, and hospital supplies and 2,000 coronavirus test kits.

In July, Iran has delivered a consignment of medical equipment weighing one ton to Iraq to help the neighboring country in the coronavirus battle.

Moreover, Iran has sent three million face masks to China and has expressed readiness for providing more medical aid earlier in February.

The number of people diagnosed with coronavirus in Iran reached 341,070 on Saturday, of whom 19,492 have died and 295,630 recovered so far. Over the past 24 hours, 2,245 new cases of people having the virus have been identified, and 161 died, Sima Sadat Lari ministry of health’s spokesman said.

Currently, 3,911 patients with coronavirus are in critical condition, she added.

Source:https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/451263/Iran-delivers-second-shipment-of-anti-corona-aid-to-Kyrgyzstan

Safavid-era fortress in central Iran undergoes restoration

Due to severe erosion and the collapse of parts of the Safavid- era (1501–1736) fortress, it was in serious danger of destruction and damage, Mahmud Madanian said on Saturday, CHTN reported.

A budget of 2 billion rials (about $50,000) has been allocated to the restoration project, which aims to repair and strengthen the fortress, the official added.

Located seven kilometers east of the city of Na’in, the historical fortress was inscribed on the National Heritage List in 2018.

From ancient to modern times, defensive walls have often been necessary for cities to survive in an ever-changing world of invasion and conquest.

Fortresses were designed primarily to defend territories in warfare and were also used to solidify rule in a region during peacetime.

Many of the fortifications of the ancient world were built with mud brick, often leaving them no more than mounds of dirt for today’s archaeologists.

Well regarded for its hospitable people, handicrafts, and ancient qanats (manmade subterranean aqueducts that bring water from the mountains), Na’in dates back to nearly 2,000 years, which makes it one of the oldest continuously settled towns in the Iranian plateau.

Na’in is home to one of the oldest mosques in the country. Originally constructed in c. 10th century, Jameh Mosque of Na’in is was one of the first mosques built in Iran and is unusual in that it doesn’t conform to the usual four-iwan pattern of its time (for instance Jameh Mosque of Isfahan).

Na’in lies 170 km north of Yazd and 140 km east of Isfahan. Like much of the Iranian plateau, it has a desert climate, with a maximum temperature of 41 °C in summer, and a minimum of -9 °C in winter

During ancient times, the city was at the junction of a desert road that connected Tabas and Mashhad, it used to be an important crossroad on converging trade routes since Sassanid times.

Na’in was known for its ceramics and textiles; today it’s primarily known for fine hand-knotted carpets and for hand-loomed camel-wool cloaks, which are produced in the neighboring villages.

Source:https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/451259/Safavid-era-fortress-in-central-Iran-undergoes-restoration

Restoration of Nezamieh minarets complete by 75 percent

Nezamieh minarets date from 8th century AH (1299 CE – 1397 CE) and they stand tall in the ancient town of Abarkuh, Yazd province, central Iran.

“An urgent restoration plan was commenced on Nezamieh minarets in Tir (the Iranian month started on June 21) and it is now complete by 75 percent,” Abarkuh tourism chief Hamid Moshtaqian announced on Saturday, CHTN reported.

The most important steps have so far been taken in this project to stabilize the brick facade of the minarets, removing worn-out joints, laying and fixing bricks, he explained.

The minarets are located in a historical neighborhood of Abarkuh and they were inscribed on the national cultural heritage list in the year 1312 (1933) under the number 196, the official added.

Minaret, (Arabic: “beacon”) in Islamic religious architecture, is a tower from which the faithful are called to prayer five times each day by a muezzin, or crier. Such a tower is always connected with a mosque and has one or more balconies or open galleries.

Minarets are constructed in a wide variety of forms ranging from thick, squat spiral ramps, to soaring, delicate, pencil-thin spires. Often the minaret is square at the base, where it is attached to the mosque. Above this square base, it may rise in a series of circular, hexagonal, or octagonal stages, each marked by a projecting balcony.

At the top is a bulbous dome, an open pavilion, or a metal-covered cone. The upper parts of the minaret are usually richly decorated with carving. The steps may be internal or external. The number of minarets per mosque also varies, from one to as many as six. These towers were built to be “landmarks of Islam”—to be visible from afar and to stamp a site with Islamic character.

Source:https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/451271/Restoration-of-Nezamieh-minarets-complete-by-75-percent

Industrial parks attract $2.1b of foreign investment

Scion Industrial Engineering

This amount of investment led to the creation of 19,862 jobs in the industrial parks and zones, IRNA reported.

According to the Industry Ministry, over 1,100 exporting industrial units are operating in the country’s industrial parks and zones whose annual export reaches up to $12.64 billion.

Based on the report, 62 export management companies (EMC) with an annual export of $236 million were identified in these areas and 72 export consortia with a total annual export of $352 million were also formed in the mentioned period.

The ministry also reported that 23 memorandums of understanding (MOU) were signed with foreign partners to develop international cooperation between small and medium industries in the previous Iranian calendar year.

Supporting 41,631 industrial units to participate in domestic and international exhibitions, as well as holding eight training courses and sending 176 managers of industrial units to Germany to get acquainted with the German market, as well as finding new markets, establishing long-term relationships with German companies and the development of economic relations between the two countries in cooperation with the German Association for International Cooperation (GIZ) were also among the Industry Ministry’s achievements in the previous year.

In the current year, which has been called the year of “Surge in Production” by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Seyed Ali Khamenei, the Industry Ministry has been putting special importance on the industrial parks and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The ministry plans to bring 1500 idle units, mostly SMEs, back into operation by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 2021).

Based on the ministry’s plans for the current year, reviving 1,020 unproductive small mines is also on the ministry’s agenda.

Source:https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/450481/Industrial-parks-attract-2-1b-of-foreign-investment

$494bn construction projects active in Kuwait

scion Industrial Engineering

Construction projects worth more than $494 billion are currently active in Kuwait, according to new research by ProTenders.

Of these, projects worth $15.5 billion (3.1 percent) are on hold, the consultancy said in a statement.

Projects in the design stage are valued at $243.5 billion (49.3 percent) while another $63 billion (12.8 percent) are in the planning stage while $140.9 billion worth of projects are in the construction phase, making up 28.5 percent of the total.

Of the project under construction, most (44 percent) are in the oil and gas sector while infrastruction projects make up 21.9 percent and the urban buildings sector make up 34.1 percent, ProTenders data showed.

Total upcoming projects in Kuwait are worth $337.7 billion, with the large majority in the urban buildings sector (72.7 percent). Oil and gas makes up 12 percent and infrastructure 15.4 percent.

ProTenders said the top five developers in the Gulf country are currently the Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development with $125 billion worth of projects, followed by the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects ($50.5 billion), Kuwait National Petroleum Company ($45.8 billion), the Ministry of Public Works ($30.2 billion) and Kuwait Oil Company ($23.7 billion).

Source:https://www.arabianbusiness.com/construction/421873-revealed-494bn-construction-projects-active-in-kuwait

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait make breakthrough in neutral zone oil talks

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Neutral zone hasn’t produced anything since fields there were shut down after spats between the two countries in 2014 and 2015

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are the closest in years to restoring oil output from the neutral zone shared by the neighboring nations after making a breakthrough in recent talks, according to people familiar with the matter.

While Kuwait and Riyadh haven’t yet reached a final agreement, in a recent meeting the Middle East nations made significant progress in resolving sovereignty issues that have thwarted negotiations in the past, the same people said, asking not to be named discussing diplomatic talks.

The neutral zone hasn’t produced anything since fields there were shut down after spats between the two countries in 2014 and 2015. The barren strip of desert straddling Saudi Arabia and Kuwait – a relic of the time when European powers drew implausible ruler-straight borders across the Middle East – can pump about 500,000 barrels a day, as much as OPEC-member Ecuador.

After a meeting in June in Riyadh, both sides are drafting new documents ahead of further talks, the people said. The next meeting may be held in Kuwait this month, one of the people said. If both sides finalize some technical details, production will be able to resume from the fields of Khafji and Wafra, one of the people said.

Still, it’s not clear whether the neutral zone will pump much oil immediately even if both nations reach a final deal because the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries extended its production cuts into early 2020. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait split the crude pumped from the neutral zone within their respective OPEC production quotas.

The two Gulf nations have held a number of private meetings since 2015, at one point even coming close to signing an agreement before pulling back at the last minute over wording in the final documents regarding contentious sovereignty issues. This time around, however, the talks appear to have entered a fresh phase, with both sides keen to find a final resolution, the people said, without providing details.

A spokesman for Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry declined to comment. Kuwait’s state oil company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Given the complexity of reaching an agreement, talks could still break down. Still, in a sign that officials are hoping the progress will continue, Kuwaiti lawmaker Adnan Abdul Samad said in mid-June after a parliamentary panel meeting with Oil Minister Khaled Al-Fadhel that officials were discussing the possibility of resuming output in the joint owned fields.

The neutral zone, spread over 5,700 square kilometres – an area a bit smaller than Delaware – was created by a 1922 treaty between Kuwait and the fledgling Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In the 1970s the two nations agreed to divide the area and incorporate each half into their territory, while still sharing and jointly managing the petroleum riches. The region contains two main oil fields: the onshore Wafra and the offshore Khafji.

The importance of the fields is now higher due to the impact of sanctions on Venezuela and Iran, which has tightened the supply of so-called sour-heavy crude – precisely the kind of oil that the neutral zone produces. US diplomats had been pressing both side to reach an agreement, so far without success.

The disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait started on the Wafra field, which is operated by Chevron Corp, the second-largest energy company in the US In 2009, Saudi Arabia extended the original 60-year-old concession of the field, giving the American company rights over Wafra until 2039.

Kuwait was furious over the announcement and claims Riyadh never consulted it about the extension.

Source:https://www.arabianbusiness.com/energy/423392-saudi-arabia-kuwait-make-breakthrough-in-neutral-zone-oil-talks