Ahmed Khan Malik

The Sindh government has chalked out plans to expedite work on the Karachi Marble City Project after Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed his dissatisfaction with the pace of the work, reports WealthPK. The Marble City is being established over 300 acres, with 210 acres of commercial and industrial land, and 90 acres of amenities. It is located near the Northern Bypass, 40km to the Karachi Port, 60km to Port Qasim and 25km to the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway. The project aims to provide a secure, purpose-built industrial zone for not only the dimension stone (marble and granite) sector but also the allied industries in Karachi. It will enhance exports and attract both local and international investment. “The developer has been finalized, and the work would be awarded shortly, as the department has immediately swung into action after the directions from the top office,” an official in the Sindh Industries Department told WealthPK.

“The project has tremendous investment and growth potential for the entrepreneurs based on high-end technology, innovation, and services,” Director Anwar Solangi told WealthPK. He pointed out that the concept is based on the stone technology and customs facilities to create the largest and most technologically advanced industrial park for Dimension Stone (Marble & Granite). The project is expected to attract an investment of approximately $50 million. Talking to WealthPK, Munawar Rasheed, Director of Sindh Economic Zones Management Company (SEZMC), said the Marble City Karachi will be developed on 300 acres as a comprehensive design-build-finance-operate-maintain-transfer project. It will offer state-of-the-art utilities at the doorstep and convenient access to Karachi's ports. The development is expected to attract more than 50 enterprises.

He said a request for proposals (RFP) for the project was launched through the international competitive bidding process on 17th November, in 2022. Munawar emphasized that the project's main objective is to create a secure, purpose-built industrial zone not only for the dimension stone sector (marble and granite) but also for related industries in Karachi. It aims to enhance facilities for value-added stone production. The initial allocation of saleable land will follow a 70:30 ratio between marble and allied industries. Marble sector players will have the first right of refusal for 12 months on the allocated land. The developer shall arrange the entire funding for development.

Credit: INP-WealthPk