Iran is the latest country included in the Maersk Line organization. It is part of the UAE cluster comprising of UAE, Oman, Qatar and Iran.

Iran is the second largest country in the Middle East with a population of 80 million. It has the second largest gas reserve and the fourth largest oil reserve in the world. In 2016, with an estimated GDP of $435 billion, expected growth of 5.8 percent to 6.7 percent in the next two years, and gateway to a massive market of CIS countries of 400 million in population, Iran holds high potential to enable global trade. A high level of technical expertise and a low cost of operation, further makes it an attractive location for multinational companies to invest in.

“Global container trade has matured over the past years and is growing at a slower pace,” said Christian Juul-Nyholm, managing director of Maersk’s UAE Cluster. “Iran has the potential to be the market which stands out with faster growth. With a long and proud history in Iran, we are very pleased to be back, offering our customers access to our global network and vast pool of equipment including the most modern reefer fleet. This will enable our customers to reach markets both near and far creating further opportunities to grow their business.”

Maersk Line recognizes the strong potential of the Iranian market and its crucial in global trade, noted Marcus Connolly, UAE Cluster head of sales. “After a period of relative isolation, access to this new market will present significant growth opportunities for Maersk Line,” he said. “It is a market that today represents 700,000 forty-foot equivalents but is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.”

“With our focus on superior enterprise-to-enterprise customer experience,” added Kapil Mehta, Head of Trade and Marketing, UAE Cluster, “we are confident of propelling our customers’ ambitions to realize the full potential of the thrilling Iran market.”

Maersk has a history with Iran that dates back 60 years.