According to the Public Relations and International Affairs of the Kish Free Zone Organization, this meeting was held on Thursday, 20 August with the presence of Mohammad Nouri, the President’s aide for following up special projects, Mohammad Kabiri, CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization, Hojjatoleslam valmoslemin Alireza Biniyaz, Friday Prayer Leader of Kish, Sheikh Yaqub Shams, Sunni Friday Prayer Leader of Kish, Mohammadhossein Hassani, Acting Deputy of Cultural, Social and Artistic Affairs of the Kish Free Zone Organization, and a number of island locals.
In this meeting, Kish locals presented their views, expectations and suggestions focusing on increasing tourist attraction, strengthening economic and social capacities, and making greater use of the island’s capabilities. Some of the raised issues had already been pursued by the management of the Kish Free Zone Organization, and it was decided that matters requiring coordination at the national level would be followed up through the President’s aide and the relevant bodies.
Locals and social consensus, Kish’s enduring asset
Mohammad Nouri, the President’s aide for following up special projects, at the margin of this meeting, thanking the Kish locals, said: Kish depends on its locals; locals who have been, are and will be on this island, and their courage, resilience and endurance over many years have played an important role in Kish’s vitality and pride.
Referring to the role of locals during the recent imposed war, he added: the presence and staying of locals in those conditions ensured the continuity of activities and preserved Kish’s vitality, and this steadfastness was a manifestation of the islanders’ courage and sense of responsibility that deserves appreciation.
Nouri, emphasizing the existing empathy in Kish, stated: mutual consultation and speaking the same language among locals of different sects, constructive interaction between locals and Kish residents, and the local community’s cooperation with the management team are prominent features of Kish, and this coordination can be a model for other free zones and other parts of the country.
He continued: in the meetings we had, none of the attendees spoke about their personal issues and everyone’s view was focused on Kish and its development; an approach that reflects the intellectual, cultural and social maturity of Kish society.
The President’s aide considered the people’s accompaniment of the management team one of the effective factors in Kish’s stability and pride and thanked the locals, Kish residents, Friday prayer leaders and managers, especially the CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization, for their efforts and follow-ups.
Nouri, referring to Kish’s development plans, added: with the programs that the CEO, the board of directors and the managers of the Kish Free Zone Organization have prepared and are implementing, we hope in the coming years to see a developed, smart, sustainable and technological Kish.
Special government review of Kish’s issues and capacities
Mohammad Kabiri, CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization, also thanking the presence of the President’s aide for following up special projects, said: Dr. Nouri’s presence, in addition to providing reassurance to the officials of the Kish Free Zone, gives locals and Kish residents the assurance that the government is examining the issues of the southern islands of the country, and specifically Kish Island, closely and without intermediaries.
Referring to the people’s accompaniment during the recent imposed war, he added: locals, Kish residents and tradespeople did not leave Kish during the war and despite flight restrictions, presence and activity on the island continued; a valuable cooperation that deserves special attention and support.
Kabiri, referring to government supports, said: recently the government has shown its support for Kish by approving some resolutions, one of which is selecting Kish as the origin for seafarers’ goods, and this can be effective in compensating some of the economic effects caused by the war.
The CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization also said: God willing, next week the government will have a special resolution for Kish Island that will be a continuation of support for the region’s development and economic programs.
Operation of 26 projects worth more than 70 trillion tomans by Kish Day
Kabiri continued: from Government Week until 11 November, Kish Day, a total of 26 projects will be inaugurated whose total value exceeds 70 trillion tomans, and the major part of the investment in these projects has been made by the private sector.
He emphasized: this volume of investment shows that Kish still moves on the axis of private sector investment and investors trust the future of this region.
The CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization, referring to the role of free zones in Kish’s development, added: the free zones system has played an effective role in Kish’s development over the past decades and the laws, advantages and capacities of these zones must be preserved so that the conditions for continued investment and development remain.
Kabiri also said: between Government Week and Kish Day, about 50 trillion tomans of projects will be ground-broken, one of which is the housing project for Kish locals.
Emphasizing the status of locals, he stated: locals are the true owners of Kish Island and truly live consensus. The accompaniment of locals, Kish residents, tradespeople, officials and Shiite and Sunni Friday prayer leaders has strengthened social bonds in Kish and created the ground for collective participation to create added value and the island’s sustainability.
The people’s and officials’ cooperation, the backing of Kish’s prosperity
Sheikh Yaqub Shams, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Kish, also considered the President’s aide’s presence on the island as a sign of the government’s attention to Kish and said: the President’s aide’s presence in Kish shows the government’s special view to this island and gives the people of Kish reassurance.
Shams also asked the President’s aide to convey the greetings and message of the people of Kish to the President and, emphasizing the islanders’ accompaniment of the government and their attachment to Iran, added: the people of Kish are always present to uphold Iran’s honor and the country’s prosperity.
Referring to the conditions of the recent imposed war, he said: despite the created conditions, the people of Kish stayed on the island and strove for the continuity of its prosperity and vitality, and their presence played an effective role in the continuity of the island’s activities.
The Sunni Friday prayer leader of Kish also said: there is good coordination among the island’s officials, the CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization and the people, and this interaction has created motivation to remain and to participate more in the path of Kish’s prosperity and development.
He concluded by emphasizing: the people of Kish expect the President and the government to continue their special attention to this island so that by utilizing existing capacities and continuing the accompaniment of the people and officials, the process of Kish’s development and prosperity will be pursued with greater momentum.