Kazakhstan is also considering exports of agricultural products to Europe via Iran / Photo: Shutterstock
Simatech Shipping & Forwarding LLC from the United Arab Emirates is going to facilitate deliveries of agricultural products from Kazakhstan to the Gulf nations, the Middle East, Pakistan, India and West Africa. According to the Ministry of Trade of Kazakhstan, exporters will be able to deliver their goods from Kazakhstan to the aforementioned regions in just two to three days via ports in Iran.
The government of Kazakhstan and Abu Dhabi Ports, the parenting company for Simatech Shipping and Forwarding, intends to establish a joint venture to facilitate the delivery of Kazakhstan goods through seaports in Iran. The Kazakhstani ministry noted that the new company will be responsible for exports of agricultural products from the port of Kuryk in Kazakhstan to the Gulf nations via the Iranian ports of Amirabad and Bandar Abbas.
«The new exporting route is opening unprecedented opportunities for Kazakhstani exporters. Their goods will be able to reach India, Pakistan, the Far East and West Africa through the Iranian ports of Amirabad, Bandar Abbas, Bandar-e Imam Khomeini and Chah Bahar and the ports of Khalifa and Fujairah in the UAE in just three days. Moreover, we haven’t ruled out the opportunity to deliver our goods to Europe as well,» the ministry said in a statement.
According to Davud Tafti, CEO of Simatech Shipping and Forwarding, his company has already bought four ships each able to carry 7,500 tons of cargo to deliver goods from Kuryk to Iran by the Caspian Sea and then to the Gulf nations. These ships are suitable for the transportation of bulk cargo, containers and general cargo. Currently, all four ships are staying in the port of Amirabad, Iran. Moreover, the company purchased two barges able to carry 350 passenger vehicles each and 45 trucks to carry cargo by land. Tafti revealed these details during his meeting with Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade Serik Zhumangarin.
In the coming two years, Simatech Shipping & Forwarding should buy an additional ten ships with a carrying capacity of 7,500 tons. In addition, the company’s fleet of trucks is expected to reach 200 vehicles by the end of this year and 1,000 vehicles in the future. Simatech Shipping & Forwarding owns dry ports for consolidation and rearranging cargo. Kazakhstan’s Kuryk and the port of Khalifa are going to be the key ports of the route. They will be connected through the necessary infrastructure and equipment.
In March 2023, Abu Dhabi Ports and KazMunayGaz agreed to purchase several tankers with a carrying capacity of 8,000 to 12,000 tons in order to transport more oil via the Caspian Sea. In April, Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov of Kazakhstan and his Iranian counterpart agreed to put more effort into the development of cargo shipping between the ports of Kuryk and Amirabad. Currently, both ports are busy with the construction of necessary infrastructure for grain terminals. Kazakhstan and Iran also agreed to increase their goods turnover to $3 billion. Last year, this rate grew by 20% and reached $528 million.
Simatech Shipping & Forwarding is registered in Dubai. It’s the leading shipping company in the Gulf region with a massive fleet, commercial ports and terminals. The company delivers goods from Iran to Arab nations, India, Africa and China.
