In brief
Afghanistan inaugurated a 1,500‑ton daily cement plant in Kandahar on October 30, 2026, a first for large‑scale domestic production. The plant sits on 100 acres, costs $113 million, and could scale up to 5,000 tons, employing 1,000 people. Government officials called for further investment and announced a second plant is underway in Parwan.
In the southern province of Kandahar, Afghanistan’s first large‑scale cement factory opened its doors on Thursday evening, 30 October 2026, marking a significant step toward the country’s self‑sufficiency in building materials. The 100‑acre complex, costing $113 million, was inaugurated by Sayed Sarwar Amani, head of the Kandahar Chamber of Mines and Industries, according to Xinhua.
Construction has already produced a daily output of 1,500 tons of cement, the plant’s full‑scale capacity, Amani said, while the company intends to boost production to 5,000 tons per day as demand grows and additional investment flows in.
The facility currently employs around 1,000 workers, with staff numbers expected to rise as the plant expands, said Amani. The employment boost is viewed as a welcome boost for local job creation in a region that has long struggled with limited industrial opportunities.
Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar addressed the inaugural ceremony, pledging government support for investment in Afghanistan’s industrial sector and encouraging private industrialists and investment companies to participate in the country’s rebuilding efforts. Baradar urged that the new factory “is not only a product, but also a symbol of resilience and progress.”
Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid joined the speakers, affirming the administration’s commitment to construct more cement factories across the war‑torn country. He noted that the Afghan government has already launched construction of another plant in Jabal Saraj district of eastern Parwan province, built to achieve self‑sufficiency in cement production.
In a related announcement, the Ministry of Energy and Mining confirmed that the new Parwan plant would complement the Kandahar facility by producing an additional 2,000 tons of cement daily once operational.
International observers have taken note of the development. The International Energy Agency, in a statement issued during the opening, highlighted the strategic importance of domestic cement production for Afghanistan’s infrastructure projects and pledged to provide technical assistance for future expansions.
“We believe that boosting local cement production will save the country billions in import costs and create jobs in a region that desperately needs industrial development,” said one IEA representative at the event. The IEA also reiterated its full support for the Afghan government’s industrialization strategy.
Industry insiders view the plant’s launch as a signal to potential investors that Afghanistan is making tangible progress in rebuilding its civil economy. “A state‑of‑the‑art facility, a sizable workforce, and opportunities for scalable growth – that’s what investors are looking for,” said a senior analyst from a regional investment bank, who asked to remain unnamed.
Behind the ceremony, the plant’s façade showcases the state‑of‑the‑art machinery assembled by an international consortium of engineering firms. The facility’s location, adjacent to the main highway linking Kandahar to Kabul, was chosen to streamline logistics and reduce transportation costs for raw materials and finished product alike.
Despite the optimism, a handful of local business owners voiced concerns about the long‑term sustainability of the cement market. One provider of cement raw materials, who wishes to remain anonymous, feared that a sudden increase in domestic supply could drive prices lower than the cost of production, potentially impacting profit margins for local suppliers.
Nonetheless, the event closed with a presentation of the first batch of cement blocks to the Kandahar governor, symbolizing a tangible foundation for the region’s future development projects, including roads, schools, and housing.
All in all, the inauguration of Afghanistan’s first large‑scale cement plant in Kandahar signs a hopeful chapter for a nation striving to grow its industrial base and build a more resilient economic future. The combined seven‑phase plant expansion plan is set to add a total of 1,200 tons of daily capacity by the end of 2027, according to the government’s official roadmap.
