Page 14 - U4SSC Factsheet, Mashhad, Iran (Islamic Republic of), September 2021

City Profile: Mashhad, Iran (Islamic Republic of)

City Profile
Inhabitants 3 062 242 City GDP USD 38 999 992 440
Area 343 km 2 Household Income USD 10 344

Households 931 341 Inflation Rate 28.00 %

Mashhad is located in the Kashafrud River catchment basin, at the end of the Mashhad sedimentary
plain between the Hezar Masjid and Binalood mountains ranges. It lies at an elevation of 1 050 m
above sea level and has a moderate and variable climate.

This city consists of three districts – Markazi, Ahmad Abad and Razavi – three cities and 11 rural
districts. Mashhad is the Islamic Republic of Iran’s second largest city and (after Tehran) its second
most populous; because of its religious, industrial and economic situation, it is also the Islamic
Republic of Iran’s second most important city. Mashhad is known as the most important religious
attraction in the Islamic Republic of Iran for visitors and pilgrims who visit the Imam Reza holy shrine
(8th Shia Imam), the biggest holy shrine in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

As one of the most magnificent religious places in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Astan Qods Razavi
is the symbol of Mashhad, a place where Islamic art and religion are linked to one another. Located
along the Silk Road, it is the economic capital, and the intercontinental commercial centre in the
Central Asia area.

Mashhad’s economic activities revolve around services, industry and agriculture; however, it is
heavily focused on a service-based economy, due to the presence of visitors and pilgrims who travel
to the city. Each year, Mashhad hosts around 20 million tourists and pilgrims, and approximately 55
per cent of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s hotels are in Mashhad. About 40 per cent of Mashhad’s
industry is based on food, metal and handicrafts. Most of Mashhad’s people are of Iranian Aryan
race, although many Kurds, Turks and Arabs also live there. Mashhad residents speak Persian with
a Mashhadi accent and are the followers of Ja'afari Shia. 2

Infrastructure-development initiatives have significantly expanded the road and railroad systems
in Mashhad. The ring road circling the city – featuring modern highway roadbeds, dividers and
shoulders – was one such project. The city is connected by rail with Tehran and other Iranian cities,
such as Bāfq and Sarakhs. Mashhad also has a metro system, the first line of which opened in 2011.
The city’s airport is one of the country’s largest, with domestic flights to many Iranian cities and
international routes to Europe Asia, and the Middle East. 3

Mashhad profiles itself as ‘Mashhad; smart city, city of hope and life’. Mashhad’s smart sustainable
4
development concept (The Mashhad Initiative) is based on the holistic approach, which includes
technological, human and institutional factors, and is reflected in Mashhad’s Smart City Action Plan.
The Mashhad Smart City Action Plan defines the city’s mission, vision and strategic goals, as well
as projects in six smart city dimensions.

8 U4SCC Factsheet | Mashhad, Iran (Islamic Republic of) | September 2021