Turkmenistan continues the phased modernization of its border customs posts. As part of the latest stage, the upgrading of the “Sarahs Awtoyollary” road customs checkpoint on the Turkmen-Iranian border has been completed, reports the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan.
It is worth noting that this checkpoint is located in the Ahal province on the border with Iran’s Razavi Khorasan province (toward the major regional hub of Mashhad). It occupies a strategic position at the intersection of several international transport corridors.
A branch of the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) passes through Sarahs, connecting the countries of Central and South Asia, as well as India, with the Persian Gulf states and Europe.
Sarahs also serves as a key point on the Asian Highway route AH75—part of an international road network linking Turkmenistan to Iran and offering direct access to major Iranian cities and deep-water seaports on the Persian Gulf, such as Bandar Abbas and Chabahar.
Furthermore, the post is integrated into the transport corridor established under the Ashgabat Agreement and forms part of the emerging China–Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran multimodal rail and road corridor.
Thus, “Sarahs Awtoyollary” functions as a vital link connecting the transport networks of Central Asia with Iranian and broader Middle Eastern transport infrastructure.
Modernization work at the facility included renovating buildings and infrastructure to expand processing capacity. A new digital management system now tracks vehicle and cargo movements in real time, ensuring robust customs oversight while expediting border clearance.
The upgrade forms part of Turkmenistan’s ongoing program to modernize border crossings and enhance its national transit capacity. Earlier this year, the Garabogaz and Artyk customs posts were also successfully commissioned following similar overhaul projects./// nCa, 29 July 2026