After earning both a bachelors and master’s degree in Tehran, Safoora returned to Afghanistan to pursue her career. Despite the cultural gap between Iran and Afghanistan, Safoora quickly overcame this obstacle by proving she is a driven and hard-working woman who should be taken seriously “in a man’s world.” While teaching at the Khaja Abdullah Ansari Private University in Afghanistan, she met her husband Rasool, who is an archeologist and expert on ancient sights in the Bamiyan region. This inspired Safoora to open a hotel and restaurant in the most popular Afghan city for ancient historical sites—Bamiyan. After intense market and financial research, Safoora launched the Highland Hotel and Restaurant in 2013.
Safoora opened the Highland Hotel and Restaurant with hopes of drawing tourists to the area and in turn promoting the economy. “As a business owner, I care about the tourism industry in Bamiyan and Afghanistan. My business is actively working to promote this purpose in Bamiyan Province”, says Safoora. Highland Hotel and Restaurant offers 16 rooms, 1 conference room, an international restaurant, a gym, tour guide, and mini-bazaar. “We at Highland Hotel have created a modern facility with traditional decorations serving all the local and international tourists.”
