While Kish might be overshadowed by its more prosperous Gulf neighbors, the tiny island will not remain insignificant to regional businessmen for long. Just off the south coast of Iran in the Persian Gulf is a free trade zone which is hosting joint business ventures intended to put Kish on par with the likes of Dubai, Bahrain and Kuwait. The challenges of governing the area pose the biggest threat to the zone’s future growth and development, but officials are troubleshooting to not miss the opportunity to attract some of the region’s riches. With a purportedly more liberal social climate, the Kish Free Trade Zone Promotion Center (KFTZP) aims to mould Kish into a world-class destination for travelers and businessmen alike. The KFTZP’s two-pronged economic attack, tourism and business, will depend on the island’s ability to draw wealth from overseas, a hard task to accomplish given the island’s position across the
