In a surprising twist for Afghanistan’s future, the Taliban and a Chinese construction firm have inked a $216 million deal to build an industrial town in Kabul, creating 43,000 jobs and boosting the economy. This ambitious project aims to transform the war-torn country’s landscape, with plans to build 150 factories and upgrade agriculture. Alongside this, the long-delayed Kabul New City project is finally gaining momentum, promising affordable homes and modern infrastructure. Meanwhile, international contenders vie to solve Kabul’s severe water crisis, and new industrial laws signal a hopeful shift towards economic stability.
According to a video (see below) “the Taliban, the Ministry of Urban Development, and a Chinese construction firm have come to a groundbreaking deal to begin the large industrial town in Kabul’s Deh Sab’s district.”
The project, as stated, “will develop 150 factories at an estimated cost of $216 million. By signing this agreement, 13,000 people will get jobs directly and 30,000 people will get jobs indirectly. This Chinese business venture is set to shake up Afghanistan’s economy like never before, turning the tide and opening doors to new opportunities. After more than 60 years of constant instability, chaos, and devastating wars, Afghanistan is finally making progress. With international assistance, most Afghans have lived in extreme poverty for most of the past years lacking necessities like clean drinking water, paved roads, and irrigation systems for agriculture.”
The essential agricultural upgrading, which includes the abolition of opium cultivation, will free up a portion of the workforce for the industrial jobs that will be created.
Deh Sab is the urban region designated by the Afghan government for a massive urban rehabilitation project known as Kabul New City (KNC), which covers 722 square kilometers in the northeast of Kabul and aims to house 4 million people. KNC was designed in 2006 with funding from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and authorized by the cabinet in 2009. The city is intended to take 30 years to complete, but its construction is falling behind schedule. Despite enormous challenges, in August 2023, the building of parcel B, the first phase of KNC, was begun by the signing of a contract between the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MoUDH) and Khawar Building Company (KCC) as the developer.
In December 2023, Isaar Media produced a video on YouTube that stated, “With over 1,500 directly employed and 2,500 contributing indirectly. The initial phase of the project moves along quickly. Originally envisioned as a modern Japanese design for high-end and pricey dwellings, the idea shifted toward affordability. It’s not just about building structures; it’s about making homes that people can afford over the next five years. The many phases of this initiative promise a total makeover in 15 years.” The rethink reduced KNC’s investment from $80 to 7 billion dollars.
In this context, Kabul’s catastrophic and acute water-related problem requires immediate remedies. Iran, China, Russia, and Turkey are vying to build a 120-kilometer water conveyance system that will deliver water from the Panjshir River in Bazarak to Tarakhel in Northern Kabul, providing water for approximately 2 million people, or roughly half or one-third of the capital’s total population.
Notably, on June 24, Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi declared that new legislation governing industrial parks had been adopted by the Islamic Emirate’s supreme religious authority and that the process of transferring land to the private sector would begin shortly. The leader believes that cooperating with other countries does not violate Sharia (Islamic law). “Allah willing, land distribution will begin in the future. About 600 applicants want to set up factories in various zones,” claimed the Minister. He noted that the Ministry of Industry and Trade recently issued operating licenses to 1,000 industrial businesses, adding that the establishment of these companies will reduce unemployment in society. “The UN,” Azizi commented, ought to “consider fundamental works and investment in large and incomplete projects in Afghanistan and to solve Afghanistan’s banking problems with the international community.” He stated that humanitarian help is not a solution to Afghanistan’s problems.
You can watch the video below:
Recently, GreatGameIndia reported that Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Industry and Trade, Nooruddin Azizi, informed Reuters that Russia and Afghanistan are planning to construct a logistics center for oil transit to South Asia. This initiative will involve Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan and is set to be located in Afghanistan’s northwestern Herat province.
