The Ministry of Industry and Commerce states that in the past five months, fifteen exhibitions have been held in Kabul and several provinces, where traders have showcased their products.

According to Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, the ministry's spokesperson, joint exhibitions have also been held in countries such as Uzbekistan, China, Turkey, Qatar, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.

Jawad added that by the end of the current solar year, 22 more exhibitions are planned to be held in Kabul and other provinces.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said: “Over the span of more than five months in the year 1403 (2024), a large number of our traders and industrialists participated with over 400 stalls in exhibitions held in various countries, coordinated by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. These countries include Uzbekistan, China, Turkey, Qatar, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.”

Meanwhile, some traders say that organizing exhibitions plays an important role in marketing and increasing exports. They add that due to challenges in obtaining visas, they are unable to participate in most international exhibitions.

Mahboobullah Mohammadi, a trader, said: “The Gulfood Exhibition in Dubai, which is one of the food exhibitions, will be held in three or four months. In other European countries, the United States, and China, the lack of visas is a major challenge for Afghan traders wishing to participate in international exhibitions.”

Another trader, Mumtaz Yousafzai, said: “For many women who want to participate in exhibitions held abroad, sponsorship conditions are very exceptional and arbitrary. Those who are genuinely active in business do not benefit from these exhibitions.”

Meanwhile, the Imam Abu Hanifa Exhibition is scheduled to be held in the capital within a month, where Afghan traders and traders from other countries can participate.