UAE signs deal with Taliban for Afghan airport management

The UAE is all set to take over the management of international airports in Afghanistan after the signing of a deal between the Taliban’s acting deputy prime minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Razack Aslam Mohammed Abdur Razack of GAAC Dubai.
On Tuesday, the Taliban’s acting deputy prime minister announced that a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Taliban administration and GAAC to transfer the handling of the operations of international airports in Afghanistan to the UAE company. The deal includes the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul and other international airports in Herat, Balkh, and Kandahar.
As part of the agreement, the UAE company will control the operations and management and provide advanced technology systems and ground handling services for all international airports in the country.
Reportedly, the deal was reached after a series of negotiations between both sides in the presence of officials from Turkey and Qatar as well.
The Taliban official is expecting the new agreement to open doors for other countries seeking to invest in Afghanistan.
Even months after the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan continues to battle a massive economic crisis, with increasing inflation and unemployment. A majority of Afghani people are living below the poverty line without basic food and other amenities.
After taking over the management of Kabul International Airport in November 2019, UAE’s GAAC has been successfully handling the operations of the premises. The company facilitated necessary repairs and restructuring of the airport infrastructure to resume the crucial flight operations in the country.
These efforts to revamp the airport were facilitated with the provision of needed financial aid by the UAE government.
According to Ibrahim Moarafi, regional director and general manager of GAAC, the UAE government provided an air bridge corridor to ensure that humanitarian assistance remains uninterrupted to the people of Afghanistan.