The industrial sector in Herat Province, Afghanistan has seen remarkable growth in recent years, with local factories not only meeting domestic demand but also exporting products to multiple countries around the world.
One prominent example is Asia Pharma, a medical equipment factory that began operations in 2003 in the Herat Industrial Park. With an investment of approximately $10 million, the factory now supplies nearly 70% of the domestic market for medical equipment. Currently, Asia Pharma operates four active production lines, manufacturing over 220 different medical products, including medical furniture, hygienic cotton, and medical clothing. Men and women work across various production lines, sewing medical garments and assembling furniture, while most raw materials are sourced locally.
Export activities have also become a key driver of growth. Recent examples include:
Green Energy Plus bottles exported to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, valued at $40,000
Industrial machinery from Dezh Foulad exported to Tajikistan, valued at $350,000
Jams and pickled products from a Herat food company exported to the United States, valued at $60,000
Gas tanks from Mohammadi Company exported to Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, valued at $750,000
The growth of factories and exports has also created thousands of new jobs. According to the Herat Chamber of Industry and Mines, employment has been provided for more than 13,000 returnees from Iran in the Herat Industrial Park. Over the past four years, the number of active factories has risen from roughly 300 to 1,300.
Mohammad Rafiq Shaheer, head of the Herat Council of Specialists, says that the focus of factories on high-quality production has enabled them to expand both domestically and internationally. Meanwhile, Abdul Nasser Amin, head of the Herat Chamber of Industry and Mines, emphasizes that Herat’s products have earned the trust of international markets and are playing a significant role in boosting local employment and the economy.
This visual report provides an up-close look at the production lines in Herat’s factories, from assembling medical furniture and equipment to sewing medical garments by skilled women and men. It highlights the rapid industrial growth, export achievements, and the human impact of the sector in Afghanistan.
