Taliban’s Top Economic Official Meets with Saudi Oil Firm and Zalmay Khalilzad in Kabul
Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy economic chief of the Taliban administration, recently held a meeting in Kabul with Shahir Al-Taqi, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Delta International petroleum company. What drew the most attention, however, was the presence of Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. special envoy for Afghan peace—an appearance that has sparked both domestic and international questions and reactions.
According to a statement released by the Taliban administration, the meeting focused on discussions about the “exploration, extraction, and expansion of gas pipelines” in Afghanistan. Delta International is considered one of Saudi Arabia’s major oil firms and reportedly expressed interest in investing in Afghanistan’s oil and gas sector.
The Taliban-run Ministry of Mines and Petroleum also announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the company. The agreement includes potential projects such as the long-stalled TAPI gas pipeline, designed to transport Turkmen gas through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. The project had been halted under the previous Afghan government due to security concerns, but the Taliban claim they have resumed work on it.
Khalilzad’s participation in a meeting of such economic and political significance—under the framework of the Taliban’s governance—has raised serious questions about his current engagement with the group. U.S. officials have previously stated that Khalilzad’s recent visits to Kabul have been private and bear no ties to the United States government. However, Khalilzad has not yet commented on his role or the nature of his presence at the meeting.
Experts warn that signing economic agreements with regional companies without financial, legal, and regulatory transparency—especially under a regime widely considered to be illegitimate—not only clouds the future of Afghanistan’s natural resources but could also undermine national interests.
