India, Iran and Pakistan claim the lion’s share of the market of hand-knotted carpets, altogether accounting for some 55 percent of business. Although it also enjoys a long-standing reputation for high-quality carpets, Afghanistan lags way behind the "big three" at just one percent - and the current global climate would suggest that this imbalance isn't something that can be corrected overnight. All the same, Afghanistan has picked out DOMOTEX 2019 to kick-start a remarkable initiative aimed at attracting greater market attention. With the aid of a string of national and international institutions, 30 Afghan carpet makers have been invited to travel to Hannover to present and explain their masterpieces in person at the world's leading fair for floor coverings.

These 30 suppliers use their exquisite traditional craftsmanship to create stunning works of art to decorate all kinds of floors and even walls - but also with the aim of expanding their business and, of course, feeding their families. This, in turn, helps to bolster the economic development the nation so urgently needs. In support of this undertaking, in September the Afghanistan Exporters Club - an organization headquartered in Kabul that specializes in promoting and facilitating export trade - launched the Afghan Treasure label, which besides extraordinary Afghan carpets, represents a whole host of other certified, high-quality and luxury products made in the country. Thanks to this initiative, buyers in Europe now have the unprecedented opportunity to get their hands on Afghan Treasure-verified carpets from a country renowned for its timeless craftsmanship.