Uzbekistan Steps Up Industrial Zone Development to Draw Foreign Investment

Uzbekistan is accelerating the development of specialised industrial zones as part of its strategy to attract international capital and strengthen its role as a regional logistics hub, officials said on Monday.

One of the flagship projects is Yangi Avlod, an industrial zone established a year ago, which has already drawn investors from China and the UAE. Global logistics operator DP World is also developing a multimodal transport hub in the country, aimed at improving supply chains across Central Asia.

The Yangi Avlod zone offers investors tax exemptions, customs benefits and long-term land leases, alongside fully developed infrastructure including utilities, access roads and waste management systems. An international airport, freight terminal and the Tashkent–Samarkand highway are being built nearby.

Companies operating in the zone include East Can Solutions, JAC Motors Toshkent and firms in the food, construction, packaging and electrical sectors. Uzbek authorities say industrial zones are becoming key drivers of economic growth and positioning the country as a new industrial centre in the region.A recent report reveals that U.S. military equipment left behind after the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan is now fuelling armed movements in neighbouring Pakistan.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner and media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been convicted of colluding with foreign forces under the city’s national security law (NSL).