Damghan Special Economic Zone
Iran's hub for industrial innovation and international trade — 1,100 hectares of free trade on the Silk Road, 340 km from Tehran, hinterland of Amirabad Port.
Why Damghan
The Damghan SEZ spans 1,100 hectares (phased: 858 + 251.7 ha) on the eastern Alborz foothills, northwest of Damghan, alongside the Qom–Tehran–Semnan–Khorasan transit freeway and 340 km northeast of Tehran. It is the hinterland of Amirabad port on the Caspian Sea and linked to the Tehran–Mashhad double-track national railway. A temperate climate (avg. 15.9°C) at 1,170 m elevation makes it ideal for storing moisture-sensitive goods and for high-value-added industrial production.
Zone at a glance
| Area | 1,100 ha (phased: 858 + 251.7 ha) |
| Location | NW of Damghan · eastern Alborz foothills |
| Distance to Tehran | 340 km (northeast) · national road 44 |
| Rail access | Tehran–Mashhad double-track national railway |
| Road access | Qom–Tehran–Semnan–Khorasan transit freeway (to Afghanistan & Central Asia) |
| Port | Hinterland of Amirabad port on the Caspian Sea |
| Elevation / Climate | 1,170 m · avg. annual temperature 15.9°C |
| Foreign ownership | Up to 100% permitted, with guaranteed repatriation of principal and profit |
| Tax exemption | 12–15 years for production and commercial activity |
| Key export product | Premium pistachios and food processing |
| Banking partners | Tose'e Ta'avon, Agricultural & Export banks + knowledge-based-firm funds |
Legal advantages for investors
Full customs exemption
Production-line machinery, tools, raw materials and even office furniture enter free of customs duty and commercial profit tax.
Frictionless trade
Entry without order registration, without permits and without government tariffs (except legal and Sharia limits).
Domestic-market access
Zone-manufactured goods enter the mainland up to the value-added ceiling; customs duty applies only to foreign components in the final product.
12–15 year tax exemption
Exemption from tax on production and commercial activities within the zone.
100% foreign ownership
Free investor share with guaranteed repatriation of principal, profit and acquired capital abroad.
Labour flexibility
Employers exempt from labour law, social security and mandatory staff insurance.
Fast permitting
Build and completion permits issued by zone management — no municipal or Ministry of Housing involvement.
Executive autonomy
No ministerial or executive-body interference in the zone's operational affairs.
Unlimited storage
Import, export and transit goods may be held without time limits and without risk of abandonment.
Flexible trade
Split/merge of permitted foreign goods; item-by-item customs clearance with split warehouse receipts; free movement of foreign staff.
Location & connectivity
Damghan is a 2,000-year-old city known as the 'Hundred Gates' on the historic Silk Road. The SEZ sits 5 km from the city entrance on the dual-carriageway transit axis — connecting east–west and north–south across the country and serving Tehran, Semnan, Golestan, Khorasan Razavi, North Khorasan and Mazandaran provinces, with direct access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Infrastructure & development vision
- Water, power, gas, telecoms, mobile coverage and customs in place; partly delivered, partly under completion.
- National railway extended into the zone and a dedicated zone airport under development.
- Planned export-oriented solar energy generation.
- Land allocated to knowledge-based firms at no cost or long-term instalments.
- International technical university with participation of two foreign countries.
- Regional bourse and international monetary-exchange bank/fund with foreign participation.
- Transit truck terminal and a large artificial recreational lake.
- State-of-the-art conference and exhibition hall for international auctions.
Priority investment sectors
Knowledge-based industries & new technology
Free or instalment land; international technical university and R&D network.
Export-oriented industrial production
High-value-added goods benefiting from duty-free raw-material imports and direct port and rail access.
Logistics, storage & transit
Temperate climate (15.9°C) ideal for sensitive goods; truck terminal, unlimited storage, item-by-item clearance.
Agriculture, pistachios & food processing
Premium export pistachios and high capacity for food processing and packaging.
Free trade, exhibitions & commerce
Exhibition hall, regional bourse and direct access to Central Asian and Caspian markets.
Source: Damghan SEZ official brochure and dsez.ir — Official broker: IIIH