Gwadar

Gwadar (Urdu: گوادر, Urdu pronunciation: [ɡəʋɑːd̪əɾ]) is a port city on the southwestern coast of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. It is on the shores of the Arabian Sea, opposite Oman, and had a population of over 90,000 in 2017 census. It was an overseas possession of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman from 1783 to 1958, when it was purchased by Pakistan. It is about 120 km (75 mi) southwest of Turbat. The sister port city of Chabahar in Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province is about 170 km (110 mi) to the west. In October 2011, Gwadar was declared the winter capital of Balochistan. Founded in the late 17th century as a fishing settlement, Gwadar became a regional trade hub within the Omani Empire in the 20th century before being ceded to Pakistan (1958). Modest investment from China helped accelerate Gwadar's development from 2013 to 2020 when the city started to develop its economy. In 2025, overall investment reached 1 billion USD. The main industrial concern is a fish-processing factory. Gwadar came in the focus of attention after the 1999 Kargil War when Pakistan felt the need of having a military naval port and the Karachi-Gwadar Road (Coastal Highway) was built for defence purposes. For most of its history, Gwadar was a small to medium-sized settlement with an economy largely based on artisanal fishing. The strategic value of its location was first recognized in 1954 when it was identified as a suitable site for a deep-water port by the United States Geological Survey at the request of Pakistan while the territory was still under Omani rule. Until 2001, the area's potential to be a major deep-water port remained untapped under successive Pakistani governments, when construction on the first phase of Gwadar Port was initiated in 2007. The first phase...