The prospects of sanctions against Iran ending and the opening up of that market are enticing to entrepreneurs and business people the world over.  Familiar faces are returning to the country.  Peugeot, which once had 20% of the car market, is coming back.

Sanctions have depressed the GDP by 25% in the last three years. Iran has $1.8 billion in purchasing power and is by that measure 18 on the world list.  The population is well-educated.  Its oil and gas reserves are huge.

The Teheran stock exchange is seond biggest in the Middle East.  Turkey’s stock exchange is 50% owned by foreigners; Iran’s 0.1%.

Among attractive investments for foreigners are manufacturing and retail.  The country has a need also for bankers.

Iran’s oil reserves are the world’s largest and yet it has only 1% of the world market.

At first, entreprise in Iran will be cramped by their limited capacity to handle foreign capital.  Privitization and economic reforms have to happen.  Many important areas of the economy are controlled by the Revoutionary Guard, part army and part intelligency agency.  Its presence has been expanded in business over the past several years.