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In 2025, 41% of employed Uzbeks plan to change their jobs, according to a study by HeadHunter (obtained by Kursiv).

The highest intention to change employers comes from the transportation and logistics sector, with 62% of respondents considering a switch.

Medical and educational organisations are also at risk of high employee turnover, with 60% and 58% of respondents, respectively, expressing the desire to change jobs.

The most common reason for seeking a new position is low wages. Three-quarters of respondents are dissatisfied with their salaries. Additionally, 43% of respondents cited a lack of career growth opportunities, and 37% were dissatisfied...

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that Uzbekistan will extend customs benefits for pharmaceutical companies until January 2028. He made this announcement during his visit to the Tashkent Pharma Park cluster.

Mirziyoyev emphasised plans to streamline the production of foreign medicines within Uzbekistan.

The government also intends to reimburse businesses for the costs involved in obtaining certifications from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The President further revealed plans to establish five-hectare plantations dedicated to producing plant-based substances and components for cosmetics.

Additionally, a $1 bn portfolio of pharmaceutical projects will be developed to...

The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Moscow has responded to reports about the arrest of a suspect from Uzbekistan in the investigation of the December 17, 2024, terrorist attack.

The embassy stated it is in contact with Russian law enforcement agencies to clarify the suspect’s identity and the details of the case. Authorities have not disclosed further information yet.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Russian authorities had arrested Uzbek national Ahmad Kurbanov, who is suspected of killing Major General Igor Kirillov, head of the Russian Armed Forces’ Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defence troops.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will serve as a consultant for the Ministry of Preschool and School Education and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan. The plan is to open up to 500 preschool institutions across five regions of the country, with approximately 100 in each region.

This initiative will accommodate up to 75,000 children. The new kindergartens will form part of Uzbekistan’s education system modernisation plan, aligned with the country’s development strategy through 2030.

The bank will support the development of preschool education through public-private partnerships (PPP) in the Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, and Tashkent regions. The...

The US Department of the Treasury has temporarily eased sanctions on Gazprombank, allowing it to conduct transactions tied to nuclear energy, according to the department’s press service.

The general licence issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) covers nuclear projects that started before November 21, 2024. However, it does not apply to the Paks II Nuclear Power Plant project in Hungary, overseen by Rosatom.

OFAC later clarified that the licence applies to civil nuclear energy. Transactions involving uranium mining and processing, nuclear fuel supplies, waste sales, electricity generation, and nuclear power plant construction can now go...

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that UZS 20 bn will be allocated to support domestic medicines and pharmaceutical startups as grants. The Innovative Fund will manage the financing of this initiative.

The president also revealed that $400 mn will be invested in the production of 200 types of medicines. “Asaka Bank,” the Agency for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry, and major enterprises will develop a programme to implement this by the end of next year.

Additionally, the Reconstruction and Development Fund will offer a $100 mn loan to “Asaka Bank” to support the pharmaceutical sector, specifically for leasing services.

Uzbekistan has claimed the top spot in the prestigious 2024 Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards, being named the “Most Desirable Emerging Destination.” This accolade from the renowned British travel magazine highlights the country’s unique blend of ancient history, vibrant culture and striking natural landscapes.

Between January and October 2024, the number of international visitors to Uzbekistan reached 6.5 mn, marking a 17.2% rise over the same period last year. This increase, equating to an additional 951,300 tourists, reflects the growing appeal of Uzbekistan among global travellers.

The awards, which saw over 3 mn votes cast by 168,000 passionate Wanderlust readers...

Kazakhstan’s GDP grew by 4.4% in the first 11 months of 2024, according to UKIMET. Over 70% of growth came from the non-oil sector, led by manufacturing, trade, agriculture, and construction.

Agriculture grew 13.4%, the highest since 2011. Construction rose 10.3%, trade 8.2%, and transport services 8.1%. Domestic goods output increased by 5%, and services by 4.5%. Investments in fixed assets reached KZT 15.8 trillion ($30.2 bn), up 3.1%.

Kazakhstan’s foreign trade turnover for the first ten months of 2024 totalled $116.9 bn. Exports rose by 5.1% to $68.5 bn, including a 10.2% increase in processed goods exports, which amounted...

Central Asian countries are global leaders in repatriating their citizens from refugee camps in north-eastern Syria, Khalid Koser, head of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), told RIA Novosti.

Koser stated that Central Asian nations have brought back around 2,200 people from Syria. Kazakhstan repatriated 754 individuals, Kyrgyzstan 533, and Uzbekistan 531, while Tajikistan returned 381.

Koser added that, unlike Central Asia, European countries have not been involved in repatriation efforts, choosing to ignore the situation in the camps.

“If you compare Belgium with Tajikistan, Tajikistan would say, ‘These are our citizens, we are responsible for them,'” Koser commented...

The risk of terrorist radicalisation has significantly increased in Central Asia, according to Khalid Koser, head of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Khalid Koser highlighted widespread poverty among young people as a key factor behind the growing threat. Many young individuals struggle to find decent jobs and feel powerless, making them easy targets for recruitment by terrorist organisations.

Terrorists exploit the region’s political and socio-economic challenges to fuel radical sentiments. Additionally, illegal migration from Afghanistan poses serious risks.

GCERF prioritises preventing extremist violence and combating radicalisation by fostering partnerships between communities...

Deputies in Uzbekistan’s Oliy Majlis approved a draft law allowing prisoners to communicate with their families through video calls.

The bill amends the Penal Enforcement Code, giving inmates the option to use video links for remote communication with relatives. The frequency of calls will depend on their detention conditions and sentencing regime.

Lawmakers believe this initiative will support prisoners in reconnecting with society after their release.

Uzbekistan’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved the master plan for Nukus, set to guide the city’s development until 2040. The document has been published on the official portal, Lex.uz.

According to the plan, Nukus will expand to cover an area of 13,400 hectares over the next 16 years. The city’s population is also projected to grow to 400,000.

The number of preschool educational institutions is expected to double, reaching 20,800.

Additionally, the total length of main streets in Nukus will increase from 90 km to 278 km.

Uzbekistan has approved an agreement with Russia on technical assistance in metrology, according to the Ministry of Justice, citing a decree by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Metrology, the science of establishing and developing units for measuring physical quantities, plays a critical role in standardisation and quality assurance.

The document was signed on May 27, 2024 in Tashkent. The Agency for Technical Regulation of Uzbekistan will oversee the implementation of the agreement.

The Cabinet of Ministers and relevant ministries will monitor the execution of the agreement to ensure compliance and effectiveness.

In Parkent District, Tashkent Region, three lions at the Lion Park Zoo broke out of their cage and attacked a security guard.

The regional Department of Internal Affairs reported that the incident happened at around 5:00 a.m. The lions in the same enclosure escaped the fenced area while the zoo remained closed to visitors.

A 44-year-old guard tried to drive the animals back into the cage, but they attacked him. He suffered fatal injuries during the incident.

Zoo workers managed to capture the lions and return them to a secure enclosure. Authorities reassured the public that the situation posed no...

The critics surveyed included representatives from Variety, The New Yorker, the Associated Press and various other foreign media outlets.

This summer, Uzbekistan’s Cinematography Agency criticised the film and the portrayal of its heroine.

Anora, a comedy-drama directed by American filmmaker Sean Baker, explores the relationship between Anora, a stripper of Uzbek origin, and Ivan, a young billionaire from Russia.

The film won the prestigious Palme d’Or award in May. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of critics rated Anora favourably, while viewers rated it at 90%.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Russia plans to...

Central Asia has the potential for significant growth in nuclear power, according to the UK-based think tank New Nuclear Watch Institute (NNWI). The region could emerge as a leader in expanding nuclear capacity.

Tim Yeo, the head of NNWI, believes Central Asia might surpass Europe and the United States in the number of new nuclear reactors. Following the rapid growth of nuclear power in East and South Asia, primarily driven by China, India, and Russia, Central Asia is well-positioned to become the next center for nuclear development. Additionally, the region is exploring the introduction of small modular reactors (SMRs).

Azerbaijani entrepreneur and singer Emin Agalarov presented the Sea Breeze Uzbekistan project to the President of Uzbekistan. The publication gathered information about this planned tourist complex located on the shore of the Charvak reservoir.

“This is a great honor for me and my team. Thank you for your trust; we will not disappoint you,” Emin Agalarov emphasised during the project presentation.

In an interview with Uzbekistan’schannel, Agalarov discussed the details of the project. He mentioned that the complex will span an area of 5-7 mln square meters, with facilities designed to operate trough the year.

As noted by...

Photo: Kazatomprom

Uranium One Group, a subsidiary of Rosatom State Corporation, is planning to sell shares in Kazakh companies engaged in uranium mining, as reported by Kazinform.

The company intends to transfer approximately 50% of its shares in the joint venture JV Zarechnoye to SNURDC Astana Mining Company Limited, affiliated with the Chinese corporation State Nuclear Uranium Resources Development.

Additionally, Uranium One Group plans to exit its joint ventures JV Khorasan-U LLP and Kyzylkum LLP. As part of this agreement, a 30% stake in these companies will be transferred to China Uranium Development Company Limited, which China General Nuclear...

Since December 4, when the Telegram affiliate platform was launched, 15,000 affiliate programs have started operating within it, according to Telegram founder Pavel Durov.

Durov emphasised that the partnership platform provides channel owners and mini-application developers with essential benefits: channel owners can generate income while mini-application developers gain new users.

Developers of applications on Telegram can set the terms of their partnership programs and decide the commission rates they are willing to offer to channels.

Channel administrators can join the partnership program and receive a personalized referral link.

Pavel Durov also highlighted the platform’s reliability and ease of use.

South Korean companies have commenced the development of a feasibility study (FS) for an ambitious railway project in Uzbekistan, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

Key players in this initiative include the Korean National Railway Corporation (KORAIL), Saman, and Dongmyeong Technology Corporation, with plans for the project to be realised by spring 2026.

The proposed high-speed railway will connect the vibrant cities of Tashkent and Samarkand, with KORAIL set to introduce advanced Korean technologies in railway construction to Uzbekistan.

In September, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the plan for this high-speed railway linking Tashkent to both Samarkand and...

Chinese company Xiaomi has introduced the Dictionary Pen C1, a translation pen priced at $48 (or 349 yuan), as reported by Gizmochina.

The pen helps users recognise and translate text, displaying the results on a three-inch screen. It also offers voice input translation capabilities.

The device boasts a text recognition accuracy of 98%. Additionally, it features built-in artificial intelligence that provides users with detailed explanations of translations.

The Dictionary Pen C1 can operate for up to 100 days on a single battery charge and includes 32GB of memory for users to store materials.

Furthermore, Kursiv Uzbekistan reports that...

Representatives for Uzbek boxer Murojon Akhmadaliev have sent a letter to the World Boxing Association (WBA) requesting that he be appointed as the next opponent for Japan’s Naoya Inoue, also known as the “Japanese Monster”, as reported by Boxing Scene.

However, Inoue is already scheduled to fight Sam Goodman in January 2025 and is preparing for a rematch with Alan David Picasso. As a result, a potential match between Akhmadaliev and Inoue might only occur at the end of 2025.

Russian-Kyrgyz boxer Dmitry Bivol has commented on this situation, stating, “Throughout my career, I have always respected my obligations...

In Uzbekistan, the land is frequently redistributed in favour of developers, compromising the public interest. This conclusion is drawn by researchers from the Centre for Public Administration at Ulster University in their report titled “A False Sense of Legacy”.

The report examines property seizures in Uzbekistan over eight years, from 2017 to 2024. It highlights that the primary beneficiaries of these seizures are officials and/or their friends and relatives.

The report’s authors assert that these land expropriations, aimed at facilitating private commercial developments, often involve serious abuses of state power that may violate Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code and Constitution.

Citizens...

Photo: Ubzekistan Travel

Three tourist centers will be established in the mountainous areas of the Surkhandarya region, as outlined in a decree signed by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

A total of 945.5 hectares of land will be allocated for these projects. The Omonkhona tourist center will be built in the Baisun district, the Sangardak complex in the Saryasi district, and the Obikhayot tourist center near the Oktepa reservoir.

Land for the construction of buildings and infrastructure will be offered through online bidding. The proceeds from the sale or lease of this land will be directed to the directorate responsible...