Kabul, October 13, 2026 — Sayed Karim Hashemi, president of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said trade agreements and memoranda of understanding worth nearly $1 billion in total were concluded during the fifth Imam Abu Hanifa National and International Exhibition in Kabul.
Speaking at the exhibition's closing ceremony, Hashemi put the combined value of the agreements at approximately $934.8 million. Reports published on October 13 by Khaama Press and DID Press said the deals followed business meetings between Afghan and foreign representatives.
The seven-day exhibition began in Kabul on October 7 and concluded on October 13. According to organizers, traders and investors from 20 countries, including Afghanistan, took part. More than 700 booths presented products and services from local and international companies.
Afghanistan's state-run Bakhtar news agency reported that 323 domestic and foreign companies participated, while organizers estimated attendance at around one million visitors. The event showcased Afghan products and business opportunities to international buyers and investors.
Earlier during the exhibition, separate memoranda worth approximately $400 million were reported between businesses from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and India, along with $451.8 million in memoranda between the Afghan and Iranian private sectors. The $934.8 million announced at the closing ceremony is a cumulative figure; those earlier amounts should not be added to it again as additional investment.
The agreements may create opportunities for regional trade and private-sector cooperation. However, the total stated value of agreements and memoranda does not represent foreign direct investment already received by Afghanistan or trade transactions already completed. Their actual economic impact can only be assessed after implementation and payments have been verified.