The government is planning to allocate 1,000 acres of land near Port Qasim to Chinese investors for the establishment of an Integrated Maritime Industrial Complex, aimed at modernizing Pakistan’s maritime industry, officials said.
Jawad Akhtar, Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, told Wealth Pakistan that the project will create a large-scale technology-driven hub, bringing together shipbuilding, shipbreaking, repair and maintenance, and recycling under one integrated system.
He explained that the initiative is designed to replace outdated shipbreaking practices that have long dominated Gadani. “At one time, Gadani led the world in shipbreaking, but today it has fallen behind. This project will revive that glory,” Akhtar said.
Chinese investors are expected to introduce robotic and advanced technologies for dismantling and recycling ships, alongside the construction of large docks for efficient and modernized shipbreaking. The project also includes re-rolling mills to process melted ship steel directly on-site, reducing Pakistan’s dependence on imports and saving foreign exchange.
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Highlighting the project’s potential, Akhtar said the new complex will be capable of producing vessels seven to eight times larger than those currently built in Pakistan, with construction timelines shortened by nearly 70 percent.
“This development goes beyond infrastructure—it is the revival of Pakistan’s blue economy,” Akhtar emphasized. “It will position the country as a regional and global hub for shipbuilding, recycling, and repair.”
He also noted that the investment marks the first project of such scale by a single company in Pakistan’s maritime sector. Once completed, it is expected to transform the country’s shipbuilding and recycling capabilities and strengthen its role in the global maritime industry.
