Prince Al-Walid calls Afghanistan land of Investment opportunities
Prominent entrepreneur, international investor and a member of the Saudi Royal family, Prince Al-Walid bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, said yesterday in a meeting with the Afghan President Hamid Karzai here in Kabul, that perception given by media about Afghanistan has been inaccurate. “Afghanistan has plenty of investment opportunities and the conditions security-wise and otherwise are right,” said His Highness.
The President of the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA), Dr. Omar Zakhilwal, presented to His Highness a number of projects for his potential investing including Ariana Afghan Airlines, Kabul Intercontinental Hotel, Ghori Cement Plant, Afghan Telecom Corporation, the Jalalabad Agriculture Farms, the New Kabul City in Deh Sabz, opportunities in mining, energy, transport and logistics and other agribusiness and construction industries. While His Highness expressed strong interest in investing in Oil and Gas, Cargo Transport and the Agricultural sector, he indicated his immediate readiness to turn the Kabul Intercontinental Hotel into a five-start resort and left open the possibility of going into any of the other sectors of his interest.
President Hamid Karzai said that His Highness is an honored guest and the most valuable investor and assured he would be treated as such in Afghanistan. The President welcomed His Highness’s decision to invest in any of the import sectors in Afghanistan but stressed the importance of investing in the energy sector. The president talked about the importance of electricity not only in Afghanistan but also the possibility of generating and exporting it to Pakistan. Afghanistan has the potential for generating tens of thousands MWs of electricity from water coal and gas.
Dr. Zakhilwal, President of AISA, said, “Investment by His Highness for us is more than business. It is about building confidence and, therefore, opening the door for other Saudi and greater Middle Eastern private investments in Afghanistan,”
“The visit by Prince Al-Walid bin Talal is very significant. Prince Walid is a well-known businessman for identifying investment destinations in their early stages. He sees Afghanistan as a strong potential for agricultural/food production and processing. Afghanistan could become a bread basket for Gulf countries where markets could benefit from quality food products grown here,” said Torek Farhadi, Head of Islamic Development Bank’s Investment Promotion Program.
For more information contact us:
Walid Tamim Abid Akmal
Director, Investment Promotion Department
Afghanistan Investment Support agency (AISA)
Mobile: 0700395838
Email: [email protected]
