In a major development, the Taliban interim government in Afghanistan signed a deal with the UAE to hand over the management of four key airports in the country. Under the agreement signed earlier this week, state-run UAE company GAAC will be handling the management and operations of four international airports in Afghanistan - Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, and Mazar-e-Sharif.
The announcement was made by Afghanistan's acting Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar following the signing of the deal with UAE officials.
With this development, the UAE has opened the prospects for world governments and international companies to invest in Afghanistan, with the Taliban interim government assuring to provide necessary facilities and security to potential investors.
Significantly, the UAE is carrying out prospective measures to provide much-needed assistance to Afghanistan to help the country recover from the long-running economic crisis.
Last month, the UAE sent 30 tonnes of food supplies to Kabul to help vulnerable people Afghani people overcome the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Since 2021, the UAE has sent more than USD 200 million worth of food and medical aid to Afghanistan, as per official figures. Without any political motive, the UAE has been fulfilling its humanitarian responsibility to provide necessary aid and assistance to Afghanistan.
"This is a humanitarian issue. The Afghans should be provided with aid. The UAE provided aid without any motive,” Taliban’s spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid had said, hailing the Emirates for its continuous support.
As part of its commitment to Afghanistan, the UAE last year pledged to carry out direct humanitarian projects in Afghanistan worth US$50 million.
Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Abu Dhabi administration has been at the forefront to help the affected Afghan people by developing humanitarian initiatives and fostering economic growth in the country. After the withdrawal of US troops from Afghan soil, UAE-based GAAC revamped and restarted the Kabul International Airport by providing technical and financial assistance to the authorities.
In December 2021, the UAE Federal Minister of Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports visited Afghanistan and held meetings with key Afghan government officials. During these meetings, the UAE minister expressed the Emirates' willingness to invest in solar energy and railway systems in Afghanistan along with enhancing the cooperation of the education and agriculture sectors.
Increasing its focus on the developments in Afghanistan, the UAE has renewed its ties with the Taliban government to facilitate the growth and development of the Afghan economy as well as accelerate aid to vulnerable people of the land-locked country.
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