The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The Taliban Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said it has signed a contract worth $5.49 million to extract salt from a mine in western Afghanistan's Herat province.
In a statement, the ministry said the agreement covers the fourth block of the Namak Sar salt mine in the Ghurian district of Herat Province, spanning an area of 9.58 square kilometers.
The contract, signed on Wednesday, June 29, 2026, was concluded between Taliban Mines and Petroleum Minister Hedayatullah Badri and the Abdul Hamid Faizi Mining and Processing Company.
According to the ministry, the deal is for 15 years, under which the company will pay 1,500 Afghanis per ton of extracted salt as royalty to the Taliban authorities.
Badri said all extraction activities will be carried out in accordance with the ministry’s rules and regulations.
The ministry added that the company will also provide $350,000 worth of community services in the area and that the project is expected to create 115 direct and indirect jobs.
