Ace Hardware in Afghanistan

Ace Hardware, the US dealer-owned cooperative, will soon have a presence in Afghanistan. Reports to this effect are coming from various media sources, including the trade journal Home Channel News and The Guardian, a British newspaper. Apparently the family-run Afghan Safi Group plans to open at least 15 Ace stores in the home country within the next ten years, investing between US $ 40 mio and 50 mio in the process. The first location is under construction in Mazar-e Sharif, while a second store is expected to open for business in Kabul during this current year. The business operations of the Safi Group, which is headquartered in Dubai, include a hotel in Kabul as well as an airline, and it is also actively involved in oil trading and real estate.