Seyed Hamed Hosseini said investment permits had been issued for the 21 projects, with total committed foreign capital reaching $49.2 million. A further eight projects, valued at $2.8 million, are currently awaiting approval by Iran’s Foreign Investment Board, he added.

If those projects receive the required approvals, the total value of approved foreign investment projects in Razavi Khorasan will rise to approximately $52 million, Hosseini said.

The official stressed the importance of directing foreign capital toward productive activities, saying such investment can expand production capacity and support the creation of sustainable, productive employment.

Industry and mining accounted for 66% of the foreign investment projects approved in the province during the period, making it by far the largest recipient of new investment. Services represented 24%, while transportation accounted for 5% and water, electricity, gas and related infrastructure made up the remaining 5%.

Hosseini said the dominant share of investment flowing into industry and mining reflected a deliberate effort to strengthen a production-oriented economic model in the province and reduce reliance on intermediary and non-productive economic activities.

He said, however, that sustaining the trend would require further improvements in the business environment, including the removal of administrative bottlenecks and the streamlining of procedures facing investors.

Such measures, Hosseini argued, could help position Razavi Khorasan as a major destination for foreign capital in eastern Iran, while investment in basic infrastructure would provide critical support for the province’s broader industrial and productive base.

The official also highlighted the wider economic significance of foreign direct investment (FDI), describing it as one of the key drivers of economic growth and development in the global economy.

Foreign capital, he said, represents more than a financial injection into the host economy. It can also facilitate the transfer of technology, technical expertise, management skills and advanced marketing practices, potentially raising productivity and strengthening the competitiveness of domestic industries.

In the longer term, Hosseini said, greater FDI inflows could contribute to higher gross domestic product, expanded productive capacity and improved economic welfare.

The latest approvals add to efforts by Iranian provinces to attract foreign capital into sectors capable of generating production, employment and infrastructure development, with industry and mining emerging as the principal focus of Razavi Khorasan’s investment pipeline.