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Atmar wraps up Riyadh trip, claims it was a significant success
Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar has wrapped up his official visit to Saudi Arabia and reported back on a number of new developments, including Saudi’s support of a historic Muslim World League summit to end the war in Afghanistan
In his report, Atmar said: “The Muslim World League shall hold a historic international conference of leading thinkers, scholars, and muftis of the Islamic World to support the cessation of hostilities, the end of bloodshed, and the success of the Afghan peace process.
“The government of Saudi Arabia announced its support for the International Ulema Conference and the global consensus to end the war in Afghanistan.
“Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, rejected the crimes and terrorist acts in Afghanistan from the Islamic point of view,” Atmar stated.
According to his report, the head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) “supported the government’s flexible stance on peace and political participation.”
In another major development, Atmar said both sides “agreed to send a technical team (from Saudi Arabia) to Afghanistan to expertly examine the investment opportunities in the mineral resources (mining sector) and assess the comparative advantages in producing and exporting agricultural and food products, and Afghanistan’s accession to regional supply and value chain.”
Atmar also stated it was agreed Riyadh would send a technical team from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to examine Afghanistan’s capacities and assess possible opportunities in various sectors to allow Afghanistan to join the Member Country Partnership Strategy and enter into partnership with the IsDB.
He stated that he had signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Scientific and Educational Cooperation with the Saudi ministry of education.
As stated in his report, the MoU will increase consultations and collaboration on scholarships, teacher training, as well as specialized and vocational training programs.
“Saudi Arabia pledged to build a specialist hospital along with a medical school in Kabul.
“Both sides agreed to expedite the establishment of the International Islamic University in Nangarhar. In this regard, both decided to establish a technical group in cooperation with OIC, IsDB, and SDF to provide specialized advice and assistance in financing, design, and management of the university,” he stated.
Atmar was in Saudi Arabia from January 20 to 23 and met with various Saudi Arabian officials.
In his meeting with his Saudi counterpart it was agreed to increase contact on ongoing bilateral consultations in order to realize the vision of the two countries’ leaders to further strengthen political relations and economic cooperation, and contribute to peace and stability, Atmar stated.
Afghan and Saudi officials also agreed to finalize a mutual Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Framework involving four sectors: trade; investment; guest workers; and development cooperation.
Both sides agreed to hold semi-annual meetings at the level of the Co-Chairs of the Joint Commission to evaluate agreements and progress and they stressed the need to expand transportation lines and remove barriers around shipment of Afghanistan’s primary export goods to Saudi Arabia.
On his first day in Saudi, Atmar performed the Hajj Umrah and pilgrimage to Medina.Atmar wraps up Riyadh trip, claims it was a significant success
Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar has wrapped up his official visit to Saudi Arabia and reported back on a number of new developments, including Saudi’s support of a historic Muslim World League summit to end the war in Afghanistan
In his report, Atmar said: “The Muslim World League shall hold a historic international conference of leading thinkers, scholars, and muftis of the Islamic World to support the cessation of hostilities, the end of bloodshed, and the success of the Afghan peace process.
“The government of Saudi Arabia announced its support for the International Ulema Conference and the global consensus to end the war in Afghanistan.
“Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, rejected the crimes and terrorist acts in Afghanistan from the Islamic point of view,” Atmar stated.
According to his report, the head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) “supported the government’s flexible stance on peace and political participation.”
In another major development, Atmar said both sides “agreed to send a technical team (from Saudi Arabia) to Afghanistan to expertly examine the investment opportunities in the mineral resources (mining sector) and assess the comparative advantages in producing and exporting agricultural and food products, and Afghanistan’s accession to regional supply and value chain.”
Atmar also stated it was agreed Riyadh would send a technical team from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to examine Afghanistan’s capacities and assess possible opportunities in various sectors to allow Afghanistan to join the Member Country Partnership Strategy and enter into partnership with the IsDB.
He stated that he had signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Scientific and Educational Cooperation with the Saudi ministry of education.
As stated in his report, the MoU will increase consultations and collaboration on scholarships, teacher training, as well as specialized and vocational training programs.
“Saudi Arabia pledged to build a specialist hospital along with a medical school in Kabul.
“Both sides agreed to expedite the establishment of the International Islamic University in Nangarhar. In this regard, both decided to establish a technical group in cooperation with OIC, IsDB, and SDF to provide specialized advice and assistance in financing, design, and management of the university,” he stated.
Atmar was in Saudi Arabia from January 20 to 23 and met with various Saudi Arabian officials.
In his meeting with his Saudi counterpart it was agreed to increase contact on ongoing bilateral consultations in order to realize the vision of the two countries’ leaders to further strengthen political relations and economic cooperation, and contribute to peace and stability, Atmar stated.
Afghan and Saudi officials also agreed to finalize a mutual Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Framework involving four sectors: trade; investment; guest workers; and development cooperation.
Both sides agreed to hold semi-annual meetings at the level of the Co-Chairs of the Joint Commission to evaluate agreements and progress and they stressed the need to expand transportation lines and remove barriers around shipment of Afghanistan’s primary export goods to Saudi Arabia.
On his first day in Saudi, Atmar performed the Hajj Umrah and pilgrimage to Medina.
Security officials in Afghanistan’s Baghlan province say an armed clash between members of two families over a personal dispute and access to water for agriculture in Tala wa Barfak district has left four people dead and one injured.
Ismail Ayubi, police chief of Tala wa Barfak district, said the incident took place in the Dewalk area of Barfak, a remote part of the district.
He said the main cause of the clash was a dispute between the two families over the use of agricultural water.
Baghlan police said that, due to the lack of mobile network coverage in the area, a local resident traveled to an area with network access to report the incident to security forces.
Following the report, security forces took the necessary steps to respond to the incident. Officials said those involved in the clash fled the area after the incident, and no one has so far been arrested.
The district police chief said efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest those responsible. Security forces are also working to maintain public safety and prevent further insecurity in the district.
An investigation into the circumstances of the clash and the identification of those involved is ongoing.
Children recovering from malnutrition in Afghanistan often return to households that lack the resources to provide the nutritious food they need to fully recover and grow, Action Against Hunger has warned.
The organization said recurrent drought, poverty, food insecurity and limited household incomes are making it difficult for families to prevent children from falling back into malnutrition after completing treatment.
However, repeated drought and other climate-related shocks have reduced harvests and household income, leaving families struggling to provide adequate nutrition for their children.
Action Against Hunger said the situation highlights the need to go beyond treating malnutrition and address the underlying causes of hunger and poverty.
The warning comes as malnutrition cases continue to rise across Afghanistan. In June 2026, the Therapeutic Feeding Unit in Kabul recorded 142 new admissions, a 149 percent increase compared with the same period in 2025.
Similar increases have been reported in other provinces where Action Against Hunger operates. In Lashkar Gah, Helmand province, the organization expanded the capacity of its therapeutic feeding unit from 45 beds to 72 and then to 118 within a matter of weeks due to the sharp rise in cases.
Action Against Hunger said climate-related shocks, including severe winter conditions, drought and water shortages, have further weakened food security across the country. Water shortages have damaged agricultural production in rural areas, forcing some families to leave their homes in search of livelihoods and basic necessities.
The organization stressed that sustained investment in both emergency nutrition services and longer-term livelihood programmes is needed to help families break the cycle of poverty and recurrent malnutrition.
Cobi Rietveld, Afghanistan Country Director at Action Against Hunger, said addressing the root causes of hunger is essential for achieving lasting progress against malnutrition.
“When families have the means to earn a living and provide for their children, the benefits extend far beyond nutrition,” Rietveld said, adding that livelihood support can help families meet their needs with dignity, protect children’s futures and build resilience against future crises.
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UNESCO: 2.4 million Afghan girls denied education since 2021
UNESCO estimates that the ban could force around 600,000 Afghan women out of the workforce by 2066 and cause $9.6 billion in lost income. It could also increase the risk of early marriage.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said on Tuesday around 2.4 million Afghan girls have been denied secondary education since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) returned to power in 2021.
In a statement on Tuesday, UNESCO said Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls and women are officially barred from secondary and higher education.
The organization warned that the restrictions could increase poverty, reduce employment opportunities and cause long-term damage to Afghanistan’s future.
UNESCO estimates that the ban could force around 600,000 Afghan women out of the workforce by 2066 and cause $9.6 billion in lost income. It could also increase the risk of early marriage.
Girls’ secondary schools were closed in March 2022, followed by a ban on women attending universities in December of the same year. The IEA initially described the restrictions as temporary, but they remain in place.
UNESCO also warned that the restrictions could worsen Afghanistan’s shortage of female teachers. It estimates the country could face a shortage of more than 11,000 qualified female teachers by 2030.
The organization said more than 90% of 10-year-old children in Afghanistan cannot read a simple text, while the national literacy rate is around 37%.
Nearly half of the country’s schools also lack adequate access to water, sanitation or heating, UNESCO said.
According to the report, around three million people returned to Afghanistan in 2025, putting further pressure on the education system. Since 2021, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters have also forced around 1,000 schools to close.
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