Iran announced Monday that it had received more than $8 billion in foreign investment over the last six months, with China and the United Arab Emirates investing the most.

According to figures from the Organization for Investment & Economic and Technical Assistance of Iran, the nation invested $5.5 billion in its energy sector between August and January.

Over that same period, Iran’s manufacturing sector brought in just more than $2 billion and investors dumped $587 million into other parts of the Islamic Republic’s economy including agriculture and construction.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported the organization’s findings.

According to the report, the UAE’s contribution accounted for over 65% of Iran’s foreign investment contracts over the past six months, confirming that the nation will provide more than $5 billion in funding to more than 30 projects in Iran.

Investors from China and the Iranian diaspora contributed more than $1.5 billion collectively, funding over 100 projects in the nation.

If the funding figures are accurate, the last six months would be one of the most lucrative funding periods for the Islamic Republic. In early 2024, Iranian Deputy Minister of Economy Ali Fekri announced that the nation was bringing in $4 billion in foreign investment annually.

Since Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took office in 2021, Tehran has sought to expand its foreign funding sources to deal with severe economic sanctions.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.