Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan’s Mirziyoyev, Azerbaijan’s Aliyev chart new course for $1bn in trade and regional connectivity
The president of Uzbekistan is currently in Azerbaijan for a state visit that signals a deepening strategic alliance between the two countries, as Tashkent and Baku move to elevate annual trade to $1bn and expand cooperation across the board.
Uzbek venture capital outfit IT Park Ventures enters into strategic partnership with Startup Garage
Companies link up to expand potential in turning bold ideas into smart business.
INTERVIEW: Uzbekistan’s privatisation taking off as Franklin Templeton manages IPOs worth billions of the National Investment Fund in 1H26
Uzbekistan’s government has launched an ambitious privatisation programme aimed at reshaping its economy and capital markets. US fund Franklin Templeton is managing a $1.68bn portfolio of 18 companies in the Uzbekistan National Investment Fund.
COMMENT: Competing Trans-Afghan transport routes could split Central Asia
Central Asia is bottled up by an unstable Afghanistan. It would dearly love to open a southern corridor that leads to the huge and lucrative markets of Southeast Asia that could transform the economy of the region.
MACRO ADVISORY: Silk Roads for Gen Z and the fate of the Middle Corridor
Sanctions against Russia and the voluntary boycott of Russian ports and transit routes by major global transport and logistic companies, created the need for alternative routes to carry the growing volume of trade between China and Europe.
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After decades of neglect, Central Asia awakening to trade possibilities with Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar welcomes two Central Asian leaders in June.
Uzbek President appoints his daughter Saida as head of his administration
In a move widely interpreted as Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev consolidating his hold on power, he has appointed his daughter, Saida Mirziyoyeva, as head of the presidential administration – the second most powerful job in the country.
Uzbekistan’s foreign trade expands 15% y/y to $31.3bn in Jan–May
Growth driven by a 31% rise in exports to $14.8bn. Imports rose a modest 3.7% to $16.5bn.
MACRO ADVISORY: Uzbekistan is in need of another gear
Uzbekistan has recorded remarkable growth over the past six years. GDP doubled, average incomes have risen three-fold. The president wants to double the economy again, but to do that, it needs to go up another gear: privatisation needs to accelerate.
Saudi Arabia-based power company ACWA Power plunges head first into Uzbekistan's green energy sector
Saudi Arabia-based utility developer ACWA Power plunged headfirst into the Uzbekistan green energy market. Since making its first investment in 2020 with a 1,500-MW plant in the Silk Road city of Bukhara, it has built $15bn worth of new capacity.
Uzbek capital market reforms unlock corporate funding boom, fuels investor demand
The Uzbek economy is booming and with incomes rising and a middle class emerging, companies are hungry for investment cash. Reforms to the domestic capital market are paying off with a growing volume of corporate bond issues and the first IPOs.
INTERVIEW: Uzum the Uzbek unicorn scaling up in a fast-growing market
Uzum is Uzbekistan’s first ever tech unicorn and leading the pack as the country is being transformed into Central Asia’s tech hub.
FIC head explains why Uzbekistan today is not the Uzbekistan of five years ago
As Uzbekistan continues its transition toward a more open and market-driven economy, there is progress in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and improving the overall business climate.
Uzbekistan investment story reaches critical mass as the first round of international capital arrives to invest into its burgeoning businesses
Uzbekistan sees surge in foreign investor interest as green energy and private capital drive momentum.
TBC Uzbekistan boss Hughes building a Central Asian digital-only banking giant with retail, SME lending and AI services
Since it arrived in Uzbekistan in 2020 by taking over a fintech payment system, Georgia’s TBC has taken the market by storm. The country’s only pure online bank has grown by leaps and bounds and today has 1mn customers.
Central Asia has become “like a girl whose house is full of suitors”, analyst says
Powers including China, Russia, the US and the EU “all promise something to the bride” in scramble for resources such as critical minerals.
Turkey's Koc in a sweet spot in Uzbekistan's burgeoning real estate sector
The Uzbekistan real estate market has entered a sweet spot. A burgeoning population, rising capital inflows, a growing expat community and strong economic growth have combined to lift everyone’s boat.
The Navoi Mining & Metallurgical Combine is the jewel in Uzbekistan's golden crown
The Navoi Mining & Metallurgical Combine is Uzbekistan’s crown jewel and the fourth largest gold mine in the world. It also epitomises the Central Asian republic’s efforts to modernise its economy.
Xi signs treaty to elevate China's ties with Central Asia at Astana summit
Document refers to "permanent good-neighbourliness and friendly cooperation". Chinese leader takes jab at US, saying trade and tariff wars "produce no winners".
Taliban ban women under 40 from entering Uzbekistan border trade hub
Termez market suffers sharp decline in footfall. Move a blow to efforts at building up economic relations with Afghanistan.