Business
Contracts signed to improve services at Afghan airports
Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority and Group 42 of the United Arab Emirates signed three contracts in the areas of security services, operation management, ground handling, and aviation systems and technology on Thursday.
The contract was signed by Mohammad Qasim Wafayezada, Head of Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority, and Mansoor Al-Mansoori, Chief Operating Officer of Group 42 of the UAE in the presence of President Ashraf Ghani, the national security advisor Hamdullah Mohib, and Acting Minister of Finance Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal at the Presidential Palace on Thursday afternoon.
The Presidential Palace said in a statement that Ataullah Nasib, Head of Investment Facilitation Unit of Office of the President said UAE’s Group 42 develop and deploy high-impact industry solutions in the sectors of aviation, energy, healthcare, oil and gas, and extractive industry, adding that the company showed willingness and commitment to enter into cooperation with Afghanistan in areas related to civil aviation, mainly for Afghanistan’s four international airports.
Terming the contracts ‘truly strategic, President Ashraf Ghani said, “We celebrated the birth of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) this morning and signed strategic cooperation agreement with the UAE company in the afternoon.”
He added that historical and political relations between Afghanistan and UAE can be named as ‘comprehensive economic partnership’.
President Ghani said, unfortunately, the great potentials at Afghanistan international airports haven’t been utilized. He stressed that the government has entered into cooperation with G42 as the company has great experiences in the fields of security services, ground handling, and aviation systems and technology.
“I am confident that officials, service personnel of airports, clients, and our people will feel the tangible changes upon implementation of these contracts,” Ghani added.
“Our airports are our vital infrastructures so we need to ensure standard service delivery which is essential in terms of operation management and ground handling,” added the president while underlining that export of Afghan products through air corridor should meet those standards.
President Ghani highlighted that Hamid Karzai International Airport has great potentials to turn into a cargo platform.
He added that international airports of Kandahar and Herat can serve as connection points with UAE and Mawlana Jalaluddin Balkhi airport can link Afghanistan to Central Asia, which altogether create a suitable network of airports.
Meanwhile, Mansoor Al-Mansoori stated that the contracts would create more opportunities for cooperation between Afghan and UAE institutions.
He noted that Afghanistan and UAE enjoy historical and friendly ties that have been further consolidated within recent years.
Pakistan’s kinno exports remain far below potential as regional tensions, high freight costs and weak government support continue to choke the citrus trade.
Despite being a leading global citrus producer, Pakistan is expected to export just 400,000–450,000 tonnes of kinno in the 2025–26 season, compared with an estimated capacity of 700,000–800,000 tonnes.
Exports in 2024–25 stood at around 350,000–400,000 tonnes, mainly to Russia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Central Asia. While better fruit quality this season has raised hopes, persistent crossing disruptions—especially with Afghanistan—and transport bottlenecks have offset gains.
Growers say prices have collapsed sharply, forcing panic sales. Rates for large kinno have fallen from over Rs120 per kg early in the season to as low as Rs75, while smaller fruit is selling for Rs35–40 per kg amid weak demand.
Industry leaders warn the crisis is crippling processing units and jobs. More than 100 factories reportedly failed to open this season, with dozens more shutting down as exports stall. Cold storages in Sargodha are nearly full, putting fruit worth millions of dollars at risk of spoilage, while growers fear losses of up to Rs10 billion.
Exporters are urging the government to urgently resolve issues, subsidise logistics, and help access alternative markets, warning that prolonged inaction could devastate farmers, workers and the wider economy.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Tehran will facilitate trade and economic exchanges with Afghanistan, including easing procedures at customs and local marketplaces.
He made the remarks during a televised interview following his visit to South Khorasan province, which shares a border with Afghanistan.
Pezeshkian, in a separate event addressing local business leaders, highlighted the province’s strategic advantages, citing its rich mineral resources, proximity to neighboring countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, and access to the ocean via the Chabahar port. He described the region as “a golden opportunity not found everywhere,” emphasizing its potential for economic growth and cross-border commerce.
A Kazakh delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Finance of Kazakhstan met with Sediqullah Khalid, First Deputy Governor of Da Afghanistan Bank, to discuss ways of strengthening banking and economic cooperation between the two countries.
According to a statement issued by Da Afghanistan Bank, Khalid said the central bank is keen to establish regular and effective banking relations with Kazakhstan as part of broader efforts to expand bilateral trade.
He noted that enhanced banking cooperation would help facilitate trade, investment, and wider economic interaction between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan, while also contributing to financial stability at the regional level.
Members of the Kazakh delegation also emphasized the importance of developing banking and economic ties and expressed their readiness to expand joint cooperation.
The two sides further agreed to establish technical committees from both countries to hold expert-level discussions and advance practical steps for cooperation.
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