Social capital underlying economic development (case study Aras Free Zone)

One of the main factors of economic growth and development is social capital. Capital that underlies the cultural, economic, political development of a city and even a country. This study was conducted with the aim of drawing a social capital model to achieve the goals of economic development of free zones; The research method is qualitative and using data theory; Data collection technique is in-depth interview and sampling method is purposeful sampling which has continued until the stage of theoretical saturation of data collection. The statistical population of the study is the current and former experts of Aras region, from which 15 people were selected as key informants and interviewed. The results indicate that among the effective intervening conditions in the economic development of Aras Free Zone based on social capital, we can mention such things as social and cultural factors, political and governmental factors, and educational and information programs. ; Strategies related to social capital that are important in the economic development of Aras Free Zone from the respondents' point of view are: trust building, education and awareness, networking and expansion of social relations and civic participation, with strategic oversight as an important and effective category. In this context; In examining the consequences of economic development of the free zone, considering the role of social capital, the respondents have mentioned issues such as increasing domestic production, increasing employment and increasing domestic capacity with emphasis on human resources. Finally, in the study of effective strategies, attention to the category of political and governmental factors has been proposed as an effective strategy in the economic development of the Aras Free Zone.