خبرونه - سوداګري

Afghan carpet holds the first rank among 300 types of carpets from around the world at the Dubai International Airport Exhibition, the Afghan Production Development Organisation said.

Afghan carpet took the lead from Iranian, Pakistani, Nepalese, Turkmen, Turkish, Indian and other countries' carpets.

"What is used for production of carpet is purely afghan made. The wool and coloring is also made in Afghanistan. Because they are being retrieved from natural resources, they very strong," Industrial Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industries, Mutasel Komaki, said.

Since 2008, Afghan carpet has held the first position in several international exhibitions.

"The exhibition was launched by the Customs Office of Dubai for one month, the exhibition ended on February 5th," Director of Afghan Production Development Organisation Mirza Mohammad Amiri said. "Afghan carpet got the first position in terms of design."

This comes as production of carpets in Afghanistan has dropped 70 percent in the past two years, an official from Afghanistan's Carpet Association said.

The association is critical of the government for not supporting it during the past decade.

The high price of raw materials and the lack of facilities have caused many carpet manufacturers to quit and look for other jobs, the official added.

Despite these challenges and shortfalls, the price of one square meter of carpet in the international markets costs as much as $8,000.