Turning Iran into a Energy Free Economic Zone: A Feasibility Study Utilizing Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

The increasing global importance of hydrocarbon energies together with the geo-political and geo-economic advantages of Iran has provided the possibility of turning Iran into an Energy Free Economic Zone (EFEZ). Such a EFEZ is characterized by: facilitated investment conditions and comfortable regulations for investing in a wide-range of activities related to energy. These include: (1) Exploration of Oil & Gas, (2) Extraction of Oil & Gas (3) Refinement (4) Production of Petrochemicals, (5) Exchange Market Activities (6) Transportation of Oil & Gas to Consumption Markets, and (7) Production of Secondary Energies. Turning Iran into an EFEZ leads to an enhancement of country’s national power and reinforcement of Iran’s status internationally. Results suggest that Iran has significant relative advantages for turning into EFEZ compared to all its neighboring countries. This transformation shall bring several economic, political and security benefits to Iran.