Amir Kabir Dam
A 180-metre double-arch concrete dam on the Karaj River, Amir Kabir Dam combines water supply, hydropower and irrigation-related regulation. It was historically known as Farah Pahlavi Dam before 1979 and is also commonly called Karaj Dam.
Strategic and market-access role
Amir Kabir Dam is a high-relevance water infrastructure asset because it sits upstream of the Karaj–Tehran urban system, where water security, reservoir management, and environmental stress directly affect household demand, public utilities, and industrial resilience. In the Hormuz Graph, it links mountain catchment resources to the capital-region water economy, making it a signal asset for urban-services pressure, climate exposure, and public infrastructure dependency. Its role is mainly strategic and public-sector oriented, not a conventional private investment asset.
Operations, capacity & connectivity
Related use cases
Relevant for water-risk assessment, urban-services analysis, public-project monitoring, utility-demand screening, climate exposure mapping, and evaluating demand for water-efficiency, monitoring, treatment, and infrastructure-maintenance solutions. Investors and analysts can use it to understand how water constraints around Tehran and Karaj shape industrial siting, real estate resilience, municipal procurement, and long-term infrastructure stress, while direct project access would require public-sector verification.
Capacity and service area
Capacity: Reservoir volume: 205 million m³. Installed hydropower capacity: 90 MW. Service area: Tehran and Karaj for drinking-water supply; downstream agricultural users through Karaj River regulation.
Industries served
Water utilities, hydropower and agriculture.
Ownership, operation & expansion
Owner and operator
Owner: Iran Water and Power Resources Development Co., a subsidiary of Iran’s Ministry of Energy. Operator: Iran Water and Power Resources Development Co., a subsidiary of Iran’s Ministry of Energy.
Opening or commissioning
1961.
Connected Intelligence
Relevant geography, industry, market and execution context for this profile.
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers to the questions most likely to arise when reviewing this profile.
Where is Amir Kabir Dam located?
Amir Kabir Dam is on the Karaj River, approximately 25 kilometres north of Karaj in Alborz Province, Iran.
What is Amir Kabir Dam used for?
It provides drinking water for Tehran and Karaj, generates hydropower and regulates the Karaj River for agricultural purposes.
What is the capacity of Amir Kabir Dam?
Reported reservoir volume is 205 million m³, and installed hydropower capacity is 90 MW.
Who operates Amir Kabir Dam?
The dam is operated by Iran Water and Power Resources Development Co., a subsidiary of Iran’s Ministry of Energy.