TEHRAN – Dozens of Iranian brands and foreign embassies set up booths at a huge venue in northeast Tehran on Tuesday to mark the opening of a multi-day charity market.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Association of Women Diplomats hosted the charity event. The association’s current president, Paris Sadat Araghchi, the foreign minister’s sister, told the Tehran Times that the association was founded in 1996 and aims to strengthen ties with female members of Tehran’s diplomatic missions abroad, and that the charity market has become increasingly popular among Iranian brands and local shoppers in recent years.
“The event attracted great attention last year, and the funds raised were used to start the construction of a cancer treatment facility in Tehran and to open schools in Sistan and Baluchestan provinces. Many other smaller projects were also completed,” Araghchi explained.
“Overseas diplomatic missions have responded very positively to the charity market. At the same time, we have succeeded in increasing our interactions with the general public and implementing important charity projects. Many of these projects are launched in the presence of foreign female diplomats and ambassadors’ wives,” he added.
Embassies from many countries participated, including China, Nigeria, Palestine, Russia, Tajikistan, Romania, Uzbekistan, Burkina Faso, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Zimbabwe, and Thailand.
At India’s booth, a staff member spoke of her enthusiasm and said that she had participated as a visitor last year and is determined to ensure that India participates this time. “This is a great event. As a consumer, I get to connect with really great brands, and as an exhibitor, I get to connect with Iranian people and showcase our culture,” she explained.
One of the booths that attracted a lot of attention was from Thailand, where Ambassador to Tehran Phichit Boonsud was also present. He welcomed Thailand’s involvement and emphasized that tolerance is a core part of Thai culture. “Of course, bringing in our country’s famous food and handicrafts naturally creates warm interactions with visitors, but what really attracted us here is the culture of generosity. This is a charity event and above all we want to support a worthy cause,” he said.
I also spoke with Tajikistan’s ambassador to Iran, Nezamoddin Zahedi, and we were able to converse without having to switch to English. Ambassador Zahedi, speaking in the Tajik accent familiar to many Iranians, expressed his delight that Tehran’s diplomats had come together for such a humanitarian and worthy cause in the midst of one of the bloodiest global conflicts. Speaking about bilateral relations, he said: “We hope that the relations between our two countries will continue to grow warmer in the future. Our deep linguistic, cultural and historical ties make this friendship meaningful and essential.”
For Iranian participants, the event provided important economic and networking opportunities alongside philanthropy (supported through booth fees paid to the association). A trader, owner of Mahahatun, was selling dried fruits harvested in her village in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province. She noted that her business has grown significantly over the years and believed this event would further expand her presence. “I also participated here last year. The profits were really good,” she admitted.
Outside the venue, located on a hill, the sky was blue, a complete change from the dark clouds of the previous day. Bright sunlight streamed through the building’s high curtains, making the atmosphere inside seem uplifting.