Maritime Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry stated on Friday that the Gwadar Port had the potential to generate over $850 million in annual exports through consistent investment, strategic policymaking, and improved infrastructure, a press release issued by the ministry said.

Gwadar Port is a deep-sea port located in Balochistan, strategically positioned near the Strait of Hormuz. Touted as a game-changer for Pakistan’s economy, the port is meant to boost regional trade, create jobs, and attract foreign investment.

Speaking during a high-level meeting on the operationalisation of Gwadar Port today, Minister Chaudhry stated that “with consistent investment, strategic policymaking, and improved infrastructure, the port had the potential to generate over $850m annually through value-added fisheries and date exports.”

According to the statement, the meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs (MoMA) and representatives from relevant ministries and organisations, including Gwadar Port Authority and the ministries of commerce, industries, and communication.

The minister laid out a comprehensive strategy to boost economic activities in Gwadar, reaffirming the government’s commitment to utilising local resources and empowering local businesses to operationalise the port and stimulate the regional economy.

He emphasised that fisheries and dates were the key economic drivers of the region, saying, “Gwadar has a rich fish catch potential, and we must focus on local value addition to maximise benefits.”

The minister pointed out that 34 fish processing units are currently operating in Balochistan, but most require technological upgrades to meet export standards.

“Transforming these units to add value through packaging and processing before exporting is critical for uplifting the sector,” he said.

He added that Balochistan’s coastline makes up 76.2 per cent of Pakistan’s total coastal length, yet its fish production significantly lags behind its actual potential.

“Balochistan has an estimated annual fish catch potential of around 300,000 tonnes. With proper value addition, this could generate approximately $645m each year. However, current production is nearly half of that due to limited fishing capacity, obsolete technology, and regulatory hurdles,” he said.

The minister also stated that the Panjgur and Turbat (Kech) districts together produce over 225,000 tonnes of dates annually — more than half of Pakistan’s total. He said that with value addition, the sector could generate “up to $200-$205m in revenue each year”.

To support business and connectivity in the region, the minister announced steps to improve air travel, saying that Pakistan International Airlines would increase its weekly flights to Gwadar from one to three.

“Two weekly flights between Gwadar and Karachi and one between Gwadar and Islamabad are under consideration,” he said.

He added that the possibility of introducing a chartered flight mechanism to facilitate travel for businesspersons and investors was also under consideration.

Earlier this month, MoMA announced an ambitious plan to expand Gwadar Port’s operational capacity by introducing additional shipp­ing lines and launching a ferry service connecting Pak­istan with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Speaking on the development of the plan, Chaudhry said that the initiative was part of the government’s strategy to “enhance regional connectivity, boost maritime trade and position Gwadar as a major hub in the Arabian Sea”.

“We aim to transform Gwadar into a strategic transhipment and logistics centre, benefiting Pakistan and the wider region,” he said.