Afghanistan opens new underground shopping centre in Kabul
$9 million project built under public-private partnership aims to boost jobs and commerce as part of Kabul’s wider urban development plans
KABUL, Afghanistan — A new underground shopping centre with 340 stores was inaugurated in Kabul on Tuesday, part of ongoing efforts to modernize the Afghan capital’s commercial infrastructure.
According to the independent outlet Pajhwok Afghan News, the centre was built at a cost of 790 million afghanis ($9 million) under a public-private partnership agreement. Under the deal, 65 percent of revenues will go to the contracting firm, Shaheen Construction Company, while 35 percent will be collected by Kabul municipality over the next 30 years.
The facility covers 7,280 square metres of state-owned land between Pul-i-Khushti and Sepahi Gumnam square, a busy commercial district in central Kabul. It features six entrances, a solar power system in addition to grid electricity, and modern retail facilities.
Municipal official Maulvi Mohammad Khalid Sajistani said the project was one of about 200 urban development initiatives underway in Kabul, designed to ease pressure on city infrastructure and attract private capital.
Maiwand Dosti, an adviser to the construction company, said the project had directly created about 1,000 jobs and was designed to house fabric sellers.
Business leaders welcomed the development. Khan Jan Alokozay of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment called the centre a “major economic boost,” predicting thousands of direct and indirect jobs. He urged Afghan investors to reinvest in the country despite political uncertainty and limited foreign financing.
The Taliban-led Afghan government has promoted private-public partnerships as a way to fund infrastructure and urban projects, given that international aid has shrunk since 2021.
Analysts say while the new shopping complex is unlikely to resolve Kabul’s broader economic crisis, it reflects efforts to sustain investment and employment opportunities in the city.
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