At a five-star hotel in Dubai, nearly 200 people in suits and military uniforms flipped through color-coded maps outlining the perks available if they bought space in soon-to-be-vacated U.S. air bases in Afghanistan.

Atta Mohammad Noor, the acting governor of Balkh province in northern Afghanistan, showed the crowd a promotional video set to upbeat folk music with polished images of natural resources and infrastructure. Slides promised “good security” and a “smooth environment” if investors put money in the Mazar-e-Sharif air base.