Gawadar vs chabahar

Athar Hussain

Comparative Analysis of Gawadar and Chabahar

Seaports

Comparative Analysis of Gawadar and Chabahar Seaports

Having 72 KMs of difference, Chabahar and Gawadar advanced the new era of

globalization, economic development and regional harmony. This is the reason that

erupted interests of superpowers to make it ineffective strategically.

Gawadar Port:

It is a port on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, Pakistan. The port is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea near the border with Iran, and is located to the east of the Persian Gulf and opposite to Oman.

Gwadar features heavily in CPEC, and is also envisaged to be the link between the One Belt, One Road and Maritime Silk Road project.

Gwadar and its Multiple Destinations

4

Gwadar and its Destinations

Regional Connectivit

y Vision2025

One Belt one

Road

Rising Asia

Maritime Silk

Route

Chabahar Port

Chabahar Port is situated on the Makran Coast at Sistan of Iran and is officially declared as a free trade and industrial zone by the Iranian government. Its location is closest to Central Asia and Afghanistan market. It has proximity to the most of the largest energy resources of the world.

They foresee that Chabahar Port as an instrument in their policy to escape international isolation.

Why there is need to compare both ports??

Why Needed?

One is managed and operated by China in Pakistan while other by India in Iran. It is naturally a defending stimulus for both

countries. Specially when it is concerned with survival and growth(Economic).

Iran’s interest:

Port of Bandar Abbas in Iran is situated on the Strait of Hurmuz leading to the Persian Gulf. This is problematic for Iran because of the high traffic and probably the penetrations of US Navy.

Chabahar is strategically between the oil-rich Middle East, which is economically the shortest route to the oil-rich Central Asian States through land-locked Afghanistan, and heavily populated South Asia. It is at the mouth of the Gulf through which 40 per cent of world's daily oil passes.

Iran gets funding from India for the management of chabahar (which is supported by America in order to cutdown china’s activity) to reach markets of Europe, Asia and African continents.

India’s Interest:

India has been trying her the best to make pakistan isolated and ineffective .

They wants to have survillance on CPEC through chabahar.

Through chabahar, they can ensure her presence at Afganistan in order to destablize Balochistan.

Technically, it is providing an alternative route to china by connecting 21st Century Maritime Silk Route.

China’s Interest:

It is going to help china by reducing it production cost. China can recover its over all cost of production in one years with full functionality of Gawadar. (46bln to 56 bln $).

It will help china to materialize one belt one road (40 Countries via road) and 21st century maritime goals.

Xinjiang (less developed eastern province of china) having lots of problems covering around 70% of total area with 6% of its population will be developed with this activity.

China’s Interest:Short Distance and Low Cost Europe to Western China Route

Distance will be reduced by 50% Cost of transportation will be lowered by 50-65% Time cut by 50%

Middle East to Western China Route Distance will be reduced by over 80% Cost of transportation will be lowered over 75% Time cut by over 85%

Safer Route 60 percent of China’s imported oil comes from the Middle East, 80 percent of that

is transported to China through the Strait of Malaaca CPEC will allow China an alternative route, to move energy and goods to inland

China without going through the Strait of Malacca (bypassing an entire region influenced by the US and India)

China’s Interest:

Distance will be reduced by 50%Distance will be reduced by over 80%

Strategic Comparison Factors

Both have evolved master plan to create economic, trade and transport ties with region.

As long as peace and tranquility prevails in the region and there is no cutthroat competition between two ports

On one hand Gawadar has serious security threats and on other hand Chabahar is at daunting position due to unstable Afganistan.

Any transport or defense problems in the Strait of Malacca, the Strait of Hurmuz and the Suez will promote the significance of Central Asia as a strategic trade corridor.

On Positive side:

Capacity of Chabahar port is 10-12 million ton/year

Capacity of Gawadar port is 400 million ton/year which is almost equal to the 212 ports of india in aggregate. Even long beach port of American ports has capacity of 80 million tons.

It is believed that full operational Gawadar would be regional hub for international trade.

BANDAR ABBAS

Seaports can be Classified:

Depth of Seaports

Number of Berths

Labour Cost

Depth of Seaports

Gawdar Port (Pakistan) 17.1 M to 18.2 MKarachi Port (Pakistan) 9.4 M to 10 MJebel Ali Port (UAE) 15.5 M to 16 MKhor Fakkan (UAE) 16 MChabahar (Iran) 11 MSalalah (Oman) 10 MDammam (KSA) 9 M

Number of Berths

Gawadar Port 120Karachi Port 33Jebel Ali Port 67Bandar Abbas Port 24Chabahar Port 10Salalah Port 19Dammam 39

Labor Cost:

In labor rate Pakistan is cheapest among the region and providing cheap manpower in comparsion to other seaports.

Thank You