Khyber Pakhtunkhwa month at Pakistan Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai has been a resounding success with 44 MoUs worth $8 billion signed with various investors from the UAE and globally. The KPK government has undertaken many initiatives to develop a strategic framework to transform the region into a competitive, sustainable and inclusive trade & investment hub. Investors showed great interest to invest in projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tourism, Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs), Water Sports Theme Park in Hund, Swabi, industries, energy and power, infrastructure, food processing livestock and other sectors at the Investment Conference hosted by the KP Board of Investment and Trade and the Government of KP.

Speaking on the occasion, Taimur Jhagra, Provincial Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Finance said, “Keeping in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, KP is promoting business and tourism in the region. KP has unlimited tourism potential with picturesque sights and scenes, national parks and mountains, historical wonders and much more, waiting to be explored.  With the natural resources available in abundance and the infrastructure development undertaken by the government, it is an opportune time for the world to start looking at KP as a lucrative investment opportunity.”

In his address, Mr. Jhagra added that KP is building a holistic investment ecosystem with opportunities in tourism, industries, energy and power, infrastructure, food processing livestock and other sectors. To facilitate trade and businesses, the Swat Expressway was built under public-private partnership and now is being extended to other cities to promote economic growth. The KP government has introduced the first Special Economic Zones in Rashakai and elsewhere in the province, attracting investors to the industries established there.

He said Marble City in Mohmand, Salt City in Karak, Mineral City in Buner have been established while Granite and Mineral City in Mansehra were being set up to create employment opportunities.

Additional Chief Secretary, Mr. Shahab Ali shah presented investment projects and incentives framework to the investors attending the conference. Energy & Power, Tourism, Economic Zones Development and Mines & Minerals are the sectors that have received the maximum amount of interest and investment from international investors.

Overwhelmed with the response received in Dubai, Mr. Hassan Daud Butt, CEO KP-BOIT, said, “KP Government has endeavoured to develop a mutually beneficial business environment for investors, the local community and the government in order to achieve sustainable economic development in the region. The unique projects undertaken by the government in order to increase the region’s readiness and give all industries impetus to thrive is to create more employment opportunities for the local youth and tap into the potential of the province. Having said that, KP is naturally and culturally rich and we want to use the platform of Expo 2020 to invite the world to explore the breath-taking beauty of the region.”

He said that one-window facility had been established under KPBOIT and was fully operational to facilitate the investors in KP.

KP Minister Taimur Salim Jhgara was the chief guest while Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, provincial ministers Shaukat Yousafzai, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Trade and Industries Abdul Karim Khan, Member Provincial Assembly Ziaullah Bangash, Pakistan Ambassador to UAE Afzaal Mahmood, Secretary for Sports, Tourism, Archaeology, Culture, Museums and Youth Affairs Amir Sultan Tareen, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) Director-General Kamran Ahmad Afridi, CEO Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company, Mr. Javed Khattak and others attended the conference.

CEOs of Samara Group, Mazaya Group (EGI), Jannat & A.J Group, Almasa Group and a number of international and Dubai-based investors expressed willingness to invest in various projects of KP.

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