Kabul is using industrialisation to pursue economic self-reliance and reduce dependence on imports and external support, but financial isolation, unreliable energy and limited industrial capacity constrain the strategy When the Islamic Emirate returned to power in 2021, it inherited an economy heavily dependent on international aid, imports, and external financial support, but found itself operating in a radically different economic environment. In response, Kabul has increasingly placed industrialisation at the centre of its economic strategy, presenting it not merely as a source of employment but as a pathway towards economic self-reliance, import substitution, and long-term national stability. https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/industrialising-afghanistan-the-taliban-s-emerging-economic-strategy
Industrialising Afghanistan: The Taliban's Emerging Economic Strategy
September 8, 2026 704 3
