Gwadar is 0–300 meters above sea level and is mainly dry, arid and hot. The oceanic influence keeps the temperature lower in summer and higher in winter as compared to the inland. The mean temperature in the hottest month (June) remains between 31 °C and 32 °C. The mean temperature in the coolest month (January) varies from 18 °C to 19 °C. The uniformity of temperature is a unique characteristic of the Makran Coastal region. Occasionally, winds moving down the Balochistan plateau bring brief cold spells, otherwise the winter is pleasant. In Gwadar, winters are shorter than summers. Although Gwadar is situated outside the monsoon belt, it receives light monsoon showers in summer (June–August). However, in winter, Western Disturbance can cause heavy rainfall. Annual rainfall is only 100 mm (3 inches). In June 2010, Gwadar was lashed by Cyclone Phet with record-breaking rains of 372 mm and winds up to 75 mph.
Gwadar Port is a warm-water, deep-sea port situated on the Arabian Sea at Gwadar in Balochistan province of Pakistan. The port is a major destination in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Pakistan identified Gwadar as a port site as far back as 1954 when Gwadar was still under Omani rule. Pakistan's interest in Gwadar started when, in 1954, it engaged the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a survey of its coastline. The USGS deputed the surveyor, Worth Condrick, for the survey, who identified Gwadar as a suitable site for a seaport. After four years of negotiations, Pakistan purchased the Gwadar enclave from Oman for $3 million on 8 September 1958 and Gwadar officially became part of Pakistan on 8 December 1958, after 200 years of Omani rule. At the time, Gwadar was a small and underdeveloped fishing village with a population of a few thousand.
Gwadar is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea it is in Pakistan's western province of Balochistan. It is about 533 km from Karachi and 120 km from the Iranian border and 380 km (240 mi) km northeast of the nearest point in Oman across the Arabian Sea. Gwadar Port is located at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, just outside the Strait of Hormuz, near the key shipping routes in and out of the Persian Gulf. It is situated on the eastern bay of a natural hammerhead-shaped Peninsula protruding into the Arabian Sea from the coastline.
The surrounding region is home to around two-thirds of the world's oil reserves. It is also the nearest warm-water seaport to the landlocked, but energy rich, Central Asian Republics and landlocked Afghanistan.
Gwadar being a relatively a small town and in the process of being developed, especially with a modern port, offers lot of opportunities to prospective investors amongst others some of them are in the following fields: Port related infrastructure such as storage, warehousing etc. Hotels, Motels, travel and tourism. Industrial sector, i.e. sea food processing and export, date processing and export construction – office spaces etc. Social sector and other. Infrastructure Projects. Telecommunication, road, network extension of airport, railways, special economic zone.
Gwadar is strategically located on the western end of Baluchistan coast on the opposite end of the Gulf of Oman which is an important route for oil tankers bound for Japan and western countries out of Gulf. Since outflow of goods from western China and Central Asia reaching Gwadar will pass through this overland trade route, Pakistan could earn millions of dollars a year in terms of port and cargo handling charges and also as freight charges for import cargoes and export goods. According to Arthur D. Little (Malaysia), the main consultant firm of the Gwadar development phases, low-cost land and labour are available, there is proximity to oil and gas resources and Gulf countries, there are some agricultural and mineral resources, while there could be tax-free status for investments and trade. The Gwadar Port is expected to generate billions of dollars in revenues and create at least two million jobs.
Gwadar has the potential to acquire the status of a centerpiece as a gate to the Strait of Hormuz; it can compete with the United Arab Emirates ports by improving the exiting links to the Caspian Region, thus providing a better trade route to the landlocked Caspian Region. Gwadar has the potential to be developed into a full-fledged regional hub and a trans-shipment port in the future.
The Government of Balochistan is developing an industrial estate in Gwadar to meet the demand for industrial plots in the port city, which is expected to have substantial potential for industrial investment in view of the opportunities offered by the establishment of deep sea port and construction of major highways linking Gwadar with Karachi, Quetta, Iran and Central Asian countries. There are also plans to extend railway to Gwadar. Gwadar Industrial park will be developed for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) mostly based on value-added industries. No large manufacturing industries would be expected, except those feasible on imported raw materials with final product to be exported. The major areas of business will be: import and export, construction, transportation, shipping, clearing and forwarding, warehousing, building material, value added processing, textile and leather made-up garments, repackaging and trans-shipment. For development and management of Gwadar Industrial Estate, an autonomous body Gwadar Industrial Estate Development Authority (GIEDA) has been established by the Government of Balochistan, which is headed by its Chairman, the Secretary Industries & Commerce, Balochistan, while other Directors of the board include Secretary Finance, Balochistan, Director Industries, Balochistan and Managing Director GIEDA. This will provide substantial executive and financial authority to GIEDA and facilitate accelerated development.
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