Andijan to Create Unemployment-Free Zones and Attract US$3.5 Billion in Investments

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 12 February, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting focused on the socio-economic development of Andijan Region and key priorities for 2026.

At the outset, it was noted that Andijan remains the most densely populated region of the country, home to over 3.5 million people, with around 80,000 births annually. Given limited land resources, every hectare, project, and investment must generate high added value and create sustainable jobs—this is the main task for regional leadership.

In 2025, the region’s gross regional product reached 107.7 trillion soums, growing by 6.8 percent. Growth was recorded in industry (7.2 percent), services (15.1 percent), and agriculture (4.7 percent). For 2026, the region aims to increase industrial and economic output by 8 percent, services by 16.3 percent, and agriculture by 5.9 percent. Foreign investment is planned to rise from US$2.5 billion to US$3.5 billion, while exports are expected to grow from US$1.3 billion to US$1.5 billion.

Employment is a particular focus. In 2025, 383,000 residents were employed; in 2026, authorities aim to provide jobs for 489,500 people, reduce unemployment to 3.6 percent, and cut poverty to 2.4 percent. The goal is to transform the districts of Asakinsky, Altynkulsky, Khodjaabadsky, Shakhrikhansky, and the city of Andijan into zones free from unemployment and poverty. In districts facing challenging conditions—Buston, Pakhtaabad, and Ulugnor—poverty levels are expected to be halved.

In 2026, projects worth US$798 million are planned. In the Asakinsky, Bulakbashinsky, and Shakhrikhansky districts, three industrial micro-centers will be established for leather and footwear production, building materials, and equipment manufacturing. In 110 rural communities, as well as 26 border and remote neighborhoods, projects will focus on agricultural processing, small cold storage facilities, and micro-production development.

The inefficient use of more than 100 hectares of land in the “Ipak Yuli” Free Economic Zone in Andijan district was highlighted. Regional authorities are tasked with maximizing the use of plots with existing infrastructure to implement high-value projects that create thousands of jobs.

Agriculture remains a central priority. To increase cotton yields, authorities plan to expand areas with foreign varieties, implement the “76x10” sowing scheme, and purchase 472 new units of machinery. Two thousand hectares of low-yield old orchards will be converted to intensive farming, and 6,800 hectares will be brought back into agricultural use. In the Altynkulsky district, home gardening schools for floriculture will be established; in Izbaskansky, seedling cultivation schools; in Asakinsky, greenhouse farming; in Kurgantepinsky, vegetable production; and in Bulakbashinsky, viticulture.

Tourism is also a priority. In 2025, the region received 460,000 foreign and 1.8 million domestic tourists. This year, the goal is to attract 700,000 foreign and 2.5 million domestic visitors. To support this, a directorate for developing tourist centers will be established at “Shirmonbulok” in Bulakbashinsky, “Imam Ota” in Khodjaabadsky, and a tourist zone in Khanabad. In 91 neighborhoods connected by central streets, commercial, recreational, and entertainment facilities will be developed.

Housing construction continues to be a pressing issue. In 2026, 54 apartment buildings will be built in the “Yangi Uzbekistan” residential area, with another 158 across other locations. The introduction of a “ready-to-build land” system is expected to reduce project launch times from 120 to 30 days. A pilot implementation of a modern housing construction model will begin in the Jalakuduk district.

The region hosts 11 higher education institutions with over 94,000 students and 56 technical colleges with 46,000 students. Plans include strengthening the universities’ scientific potential and expanding dual education programs. An initiative to involve leading private educational institutions to teach foreign languages in medical colleges and support the annual employment of over 4,000 young specialists in European countries was endorsed.

To support youth initiatives, subsidies of up to 41 million soums from the “Yoshlar Daftari” fund will be provided to talented children from families not included in the social registry for projects in sports, culture, and arts. The President instructed that this scheme be implemented starting in Andijan.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the head of state emphasized that the execution of these tasks should lead to tangible improvements in the lives of Andijan residents and issued corresponding directives to responsible officials.