TEHRAN – The second edition of Kish Expo, an international investment conference and exhibition, will be held from December 9 to 14 on Kish Island, bringing together foreign investors, diplomats, and business leaders to explore new opportunities in Iran’s economy, organizers announced.

Mohammadreza Qaderi, the event’s executive secretary, said the exhibition aligns with Iran’s Seventh National Development Plan, which targets at least $200 billion in investment — split evenly between domestic and foreign sources — over the program’s five-year period.

He noted that last year’s inaugural event hosted delegations from 30 countries, including ambassadors and commercial attachés, with participation from 156 foreign companies across 90 exhibition booths and pavilions.

“This year’s expo is being organized with government support and in cooperation with the ministries of economy, industry and foreign affairs, along with international organizations such as ECO,” Qaderi said.

He added that last year’s Kish Expo led to the signing of $500 million in investment memoranda, of which $100 million have already been finalized into contracts.

Despite ongoing sanctions, Iran has seen a 70 percent increase in approved foreign investment licenses during the first five months of this year, reaching $900 million, compared with $1.2 billion for the whole of last year. “We expect the figure to reach $2.0 billion by the end of this year,” he said.

Qaderi also compared Iran’s investment outlook with China’s, noting that Beijing attracts around $110 billion in foreign investment annually while investing roughly $90 billion abroad, bringing its total annual cross-border investment activity to about $200 billion.

He confirmed that Kish Expo 2025 will be held from December 9 to 14 (Azar 18–23) on Kish Island, serving as a regional hub for promoting trade, tourism, and sustainable investment partnerships.

EF/MA