Iran’s oil-dependent economy has resulted in the neglect of handicraft industry, according to Mahmoud Sheikh Zeynoddin, a deputy at the Presidential Office’s Science and Technology Department, said. Speaking at the inauguration of a wind tunnel in Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi Province, the official said Iran’s handicraft has suffered due to inattention and lack of support for domestic craftsmen, IRNA reported. He pointed to Mashhad’s renowned Bazaar Reza and said the famous marketplace has been overrun by Chinese products. Pilgrims leave the city with traditional Mashhadi souvenirs made in China, highlighting the abysmal state of domestic production of traditional goods. Zeynoddin said moving away from an oil-dependent to a knowledge-based economy will not only be profitable in the long run, but will also empower domestic production and help complete tourism projects.
