Saudi Arabia to Send Technical Team to Review Energy Investment in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia has pledged to send a technical delegation to Kabul to examine opportunities for cooperation and investment in Afghanistan’s energy sector, although no formal agreement or timeline for launching projects has yet been announced.
Mohammad Younus Akhundzada, acting minister of water and energy in the Taliban administration, met on Wednesday, Oct. 14, in Riyadh with Mohammad Ibrahim, Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister of energy. The meeting discussed the potential for electricity generation from solar and wind resources, the exchange of experience and the possibility of implementing joint projects.
Akhundzada asked Saudi officials to send specialist delegations to assess possible projects in Afghanistan. The Saudi deputy minister of energy also informed the Taliban administration’s Ministry of Water and Energy, according to the ministry, of plans to send a technical delegation to Kabul to review areas for cooperation and investment.
Despite this pledge, the exact date of the Saudi delegation’s visit and details of any potential projects remain unclear. No formal agreement has been announced to begin cooperation in solar and wind power generation.
The acting minister of water and energy of the Taliban administration traveled to Riyadh on Saturday, Oct. 11, to attend the 17th Global Energy Forum, and the meeting with Saudi officials took place on the sidelines of that visit.
Experts say possible Saudi cooperation could help diversify electricity generation sources and reduce Afghanistan’s dependence on imports, but the absence of a formal agreement and security challenges are still seen as obstacles to such projects.
