Domestic Demand Below 1m
MASHHAD, Khorasan-Razavi: Over six million square meters of Persian rugs is produced in Iran each year, said a senior carpet industry official here on Saturday, adding that domestic demand stands at one million square meters per annum.
Seyyed Jalaleddin Basam, managing director of Carpet Joint Stock Company, told IRNA that the Persian carpet industry provides employment for some 1.4 million people, including weavers, designers and dealers, stressing that the sector can only maintain the present number of jobs if domestic demand doubles.
He said carpet weaving festivals will be held in the country's major carpet hubs, including Qom, Kashan, Naein, Isfahan and Arak, next month to promote greater competition in the industry. The official said tourists from Arab, American and European countries as well as Japan have been invited to visit major carpet weaving centers as part of efforts to publicize the precious handworks.
An international rug trade center will also be established on the Persian Gulf island within the next two years.
Head of Kish Free Trade Zone (KFTZ) Majid Shayesteh said last week that the center will only deal in fine Persian rugs, adding that a number of private Iranian investors are involved in the giant project.
He said the contractors have vowed to get the job done by late 2008. The center will try to promote marketing and export of fine carpets and encourage major international customers of Persian rugs to travel to Iran and do business with Iranian companies.
Iran controls a major portion of the world's hand-woven carpet market. However, the country does not have leverage over pricing mechanisms.
Iran exported $370.5 million worth of fine rugs and carpets during March 2005-January 2006.
Use of hand-woven carpets stands at one square meter per 1,000 people in the world, which indicates the existence of a huge consumer market for rugs, whereas for Iran, this figure is 50 square meters per 1,000 persons.
© Iran Daily 2006
