“Rimdan”, a region separated from the Chabahar Free Zone in southeastern Iran, has now become one of the most active centers of trade and transit exchanges on the shores of the “Makran”, having transcended traditional border functions. This crossing, which is located in the neighborhood of Pakistan’s Balochistan province and on the way to the Afghan and Central Asian markets, will play a role as a link connecting Iran to the massive China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with the official start of international transit operations.
Publish dateSaturday 30 May 2026 - 15:34
Story Code : 356330
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Tehran: According to IRNA, while many of the region's trade corridors have been affected by geopolitical tensions and crises, the "Rimdan" separate area in the Chabahar Free Zone, with an area of more than five thousand hectares in the Dashtiari district/city in the south of the Sistan and Baluchestan province/province of Iran, has become one of the most stable and secure centers of trade exchanges between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan. According to published reports, this strategic route, with the registration of tens of thousands of tons of exports and imports and the official start of international transit operations, is now known as a new and vital artery of the economy of eastern Iran.
Geographical location and strategic importance of Rimdan
The international border of Rimdan is located along the strategic coast of Makur and neighboring the Baluchestan province of Pakistan. This area is located 50 kilometers from the main Chabahar-Rask road, 120 kilometers from Chabahar Port, and only 70 kilometers from Pakistan’s Gwadar Port. Based on expert analysis, today, Rimdan has gone beyond the function of a simple border crossing and has been promoted as one of the key points connecting Iran’s economy with emerging regional markets.
International economic analysts, considering the pristine potential of this point, refer to it as the “Eastern Gate of Iran’s Trade”; a gate that provides Iran with access to a huge market with nearly 37 percent of the world’s population, including Pakistan, India, China, Afghanistan, and the Central Asian republics.
Economic interactions with Pakistan surge in tense days
In an interview with IRNA, Mohammad Saeed Arbabi, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of the Chabahar Free Trade and Industrial Zone, announced an unprecedented surge in economic interactions between Iran and Pakistan, saying: "Today, Ramadan is not just a border, but has become a gateway for the development of regional trade and economic ties between neighboring countries, especially Pakistan."
According to him, Pakistani investors have a large presence in this area, and Pakistani nationals are the second largest foreign group in the Chabahar Free Zone in terms of the number of residents, but they rank first in the field of investment and production activities, which indicates economic trust and stable trade relations between the two countries. According to the announced statistics, so far about 120 companies have been registered by Pakistani nationals in Chabahar, either independently or in partnership, and a significant part of them operate in the fields of production, trade, export and logistics.
Official start of international transit; New route for Pakistani goods to Afghanistan and Central Asia
The CEO of the Chabahar Free Zone Organization, referring to the receipt of a special customs code for the Rimdan isolated zone, considered the entry of export and import activities into a new phase as a turning point in the history of this border and emphasized that this event occurred at the same time as the sensitive conditions in the region. However, according to him, not only has trade not stopped, but the volume of economic exchanges has also shown an upward trend.
According to the statistics provided, from March 1404 to the end of May 1405, more than 76,975 tons of goods in the form of 3,079 trucks have been exported to Pakistan through the Rimdan border. Products such as LPG, bitumen, iron ingots, sulfur, coal and apple trees have been among the most important export items.
In contrast, more than 30,415 tons of goods have entered Iran from Pakistan in 1,219 trucks, most of which include rice, sesame seeds, mangoes, live animals, and sunflower seeds.
However, the most important economic development is the official start of international transit from Pakistan through this border. Arbabi said: “For the first time, a transit route from Pakistan has been activated through the Rimdan border, in which 792 tons of goods, including 66 trucks of meat destined for Uzbekistan, and 75 tons of potatoes, in three trucks, were transited to Afghanistan.”
This event shows that Rimdan can serve as an alternative and cost-effective route for the transit of Pakistani goods to Afghanistan and beyond in Central Asia.
Infrastructure and Investment Incentives in Rimdan
Shokri Baloch, Director of the Rimdan Separate Zone of the Chabahar Free Zone, also described the border as becoming an emerging hub for trade, transit, and investment in an interview with IRNA. He said: “Rimdan is Iran’s closest gateway to Pakistan’s economic and port centers, including Gwadar and Karachi, and this geographical location has created a special capacity for the development of cross-border trade.”
The Director of the Rimdan Separate Zone, referring to the access to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through this border, considered it a valuable opportunity to increase Iran’s share in regional trade, adding: “The Chabahar-Zahedan rail connection is in the final stages, and studies are also underway to connect Chabahar to the Rimdan and Gabd borders, which will further strengthen the region’s transit position.”
According to him, the Rimdan Free Zone is subject to all the incentives and investment facilities of the Chabahar Free Zone, and investors can benefit from exemptions. 20-year tax exemption, freedom of foreign exchange transfer, facilitation of entry of foreign nationals and single window investment services. The possibility of participation of foreign investors without restrictions on the participation ratio, the establishment of assembly lines and export value-added, customs exemptions and export-oriented supports are other capacities announced for this zone. In the field of infrastructure, the provision of fiber optic internet, water supply infrastructure, 160-ton weighing scales and other trade support services have been implemented in this zone.
Strategic link with "CPEC"; synergy with the New Silk Road
The most important distinguishing feature of Rimdan is its strategic role in the link with the megaproject "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). According to reports, this huge corridor, which is being implemented by China in Pakistan, can be connected to Iran's transit infrastructure through the Rimdan border, thus facilitating trade between Beijing, Islamabad and Tehran. This synergy between Chabahar Port and the Rimdan border has enabled the combination of port, road and transit (multimodal transport) capacities. From the perspective of observers, Rimdan also serves as a “golden gate” for Pakistan to connect to the shortest route to Turkey, Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia through Iranian territory, and Pakistani goods can also reach the Afghan market more easily.
Prerequisites for prosperity and future prospects
According to economic experts in Iran, with continued government support and accelerated completion of infrastructure, Rimdan is expected to become one of the most important trade, transit and export hubs in southeastern Iran and a connection route to Afghanistan and Central Asia in the near future as a joint free zone between Iran and Pakistan.
Geographical location and strategic importance of Rimdan
The international border of Rimdan is located along the strategic coast of Makur and neighboring the Baluchestan province of Pakistan. This area is located 50 kilometers from the main Chabahar-Rask road, 120 kilometers from Chabahar Port, and only 70 kilometers from Pakistan’s Gwadar Port. Based on expert analysis, today, Rimdan has gone beyond the function of a simple border crossing and has been promoted as one of the key points connecting Iran’s economy with emerging regional markets.
International economic analysts, considering the pristine potential of this point, refer to it as the “Eastern Gate of Iran’s Trade”; a gate that provides Iran with access to a huge market with nearly 37 percent of the world’s population, including Pakistan, India, China, Afghanistan, and the Central Asian republics.
Economic interactions with Pakistan surge in tense days
In an interview with IRNA, Mohammad Saeed Arbabi, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of the Chabahar Free Trade and Industrial Zone, announced an unprecedented surge in economic interactions between Iran and Pakistan, saying: "Today, Ramadan is not just a border, but has become a gateway for the development of regional trade and economic ties between neighboring countries, especially Pakistan."
According to him, Pakistani investors have a large presence in this area, and Pakistani nationals are the second largest foreign group in the Chabahar Free Zone in terms of the number of residents, but they rank first in the field of investment and production activities, which indicates economic trust and stable trade relations between the two countries. According to the announced statistics, so far about 120 companies have been registered by Pakistani nationals in Chabahar, either independently or in partnership, and a significant part of them operate in the fields of production, trade, export and logistics.
Official start of international transit; New route for Pakistani goods to Afghanistan and Central Asia
The CEO of the Chabahar Free Zone Organization, referring to the receipt of a special customs code for the Rimdan isolated zone, considered the entry of export and import activities into a new phase as a turning point in the history of this border and emphasized that this event occurred at the same time as the sensitive conditions in the region. However, according to him, not only has trade not stopped, but the volume of economic exchanges has also shown an upward trend.
According to the statistics provided, from March 1404 to the end of May 1405, more than 76,975 tons of goods in the form of 3,079 trucks have been exported to Pakistan through the Rimdan border. Products such as LPG, bitumen, iron ingots, sulfur, coal and apple trees have been among the most important export items.
In contrast, more than 30,415 tons of goods have entered Iran from Pakistan in 1,219 trucks, most of which include rice, sesame seeds, mangoes, live animals, and sunflower seeds.
However, the most important economic development is the official start of international transit from Pakistan through this border. Arbabi said: “For the first time, a transit route from Pakistan has been activated through the Rimdan border, in which 792 tons of goods, including 66 trucks of meat destined for Uzbekistan, and 75 tons of potatoes, in three trucks, were transited to Afghanistan.”
This event shows that Rimdan can serve as an alternative and cost-effective route for the transit of Pakistani goods to Afghanistan and beyond in Central Asia.
Infrastructure and Investment Incentives in Rimdan
Shokri Baloch, Director of the Rimdan Separate Zone of the Chabahar Free Zone, also described the border as becoming an emerging hub for trade, transit, and investment in an interview with IRNA. He said: “Rimdan is Iran’s closest gateway to Pakistan’s economic and port centers, including Gwadar and Karachi, and this geographical location has created a special capacity for the development of cross-border trade.”
The Director of the Rimdan Separate Zone, referring to the access to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through this border, considered it a valuable opportunity to increase Iran’s share in regional trade, adding: “The Chabahar-Zahedan rail connection is in the final stages, and studies are also underway to connect Chabahar to the Rimdan and Gabd borders, which will further strengthen the region’s transit position.”
According to him, the Rimdan Free Zone is subject to all the incentives and investment facilities of the Chabahar Free Zone, and investors can benefit from exemptions. 20-year tax exemption, freedom of foreign exchange transfer, facilitation of entry of foreign nationals and single window investment services. The possibility of participation of foreign investors without restrictions on the participation ratio, the establishment of assembly lines and export value-added, customs exemptions and export-oriented supports are other capacities announced for this zone. In the field of infrastructure, the provision of fiber optic internet, water supply infrastructure, 160-ton weighing scales and other trade support services have been implemented in this zone.
Strategic link with "CPEC"; synergy with the New Silk Road
The most important distinguishing feature of Rimdan is its strategic role in the link with the megaproject "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). According to reports, this huge corridor, which is being implemented by China in Pakistan, can be connected to Iran's transit infrastructure through the Rimdan border, thus facilitating trade between Beijing, Islamabad and Tehran. This synergy between Chabahar Port and the Rimdan border has enabled the combination of port, road and transit (multimodal transport) capacities. From the perspective of observers, Rimdan also serves as a “golden gate” for Pakistan to connect to the shortest route to Turkey, Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia through Iranian territory, and Pakistani goods can also reach the Afghan market more easily.
Prerequisites for prosperity and future prospects
According to economic experts in Iran, with continued government support and accelerated completion of infrastructure, Rimdan is expected to become one of the most important trade, transit and export hubs in southeastern Iran and a connection route to Afghanistan and Central Asia in the near future as a joint free zone between Iran and Pakistan.
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