The Iland Mega-project, conceived as a first-class tourist and economic zone spanning 1400 hectares along the Tehran-Saveh highway, is still primarily focused on completing the first phase nearly two decades after work began.
Iland Mega-project faces implementation delays
The Iland master plan covers 44 defined land-use zones, integrating commercial, recreational, residential, sports, and educational sectors. The project was planned considering its proximity to the capital and was intended to provide around 30,000 permanent jobs upon full realization. However, the pace of work on site has slowed since its launch in 2007, demonstrating a persistent gap between initial forecasts and actual operational readiness, especially when compared to developed areas such as Kish and Qushm.
Commenting on these execution delays, Mohammad Bigdeli, CEO of the Tourism Bank, emphasized the importance of major tourism developments for domestic tourism and employment. He noted that the banking sector's financing approach aims to accelerate the completion of basic works so that projects can transition into revenue-generating and operational phases, justifying the invested capital.