President Rouhani inspects development project on Qeshm Island

The president is visting Persian Gulf's largest island, within constituency of the southern Iranian province of Hormuzgan, to inaugurate a number of construction, service and healthcare projects.

He is to participate in the annual meeting of the managing directors of free trade zones to be held in Qeshm today as well.

The meeting will focus on the programs of the Iranian FTZs during the new year (started March 21) on such areas as resistance economy, materialization of prosperity and growing employment, absorbing foreign investments, increasing volume of exports and transfer of technology in free trade zones.

President Rouhani is also to visit the island's power plant and Kaveh jetty and open a new hospital.

Qeshm is located close to the Strait of Hormuz, only few kilometers off the mainland Iran. It hosts a 300 square kilometer free zone jurisdiction.

The strategic island lies 60 kilometers from the Omani port of Khasab, and about 180 kilometers from the UAE Port Rashid.

Qeshm city, located at the easternmost point of the island, is 22 kilometers from the provincial capital of Bandar Abbas while the closest point of the island is but two kilometers from the mainland.

The average temperature on the island is approximately 27 °C. The warmest months are June through August, and the coldest from October to January. The average rainfall is 183.2 mm.

The island comprises 59 towns and villages and its population is approximately 100,000. The local population is involved in fishing, dhow construction, trade and services.
/SR