Central Asia Needs US$251 Billion in Investment by 2030

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Central Asia will require at least US$251 billion in investment in energy, transport and water resources by 2030, Ruslan Dalenov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), said on Friday at the bank's annual meeting.

According to Dalenov, EDB analysts estimate that the region needs US$170 billion for the development of the energy sector, US$60 billion for transport infrastructure, US$14 billion for irrigation and water management facilities, and a further US$7 billion for logistics.

"These are not only financial needs — they are investment opportunities," Dalenov told participants at the panel session "Investing in Central Asia: Opportunities and Partnerships."

The region, comprising Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, has a combined population of 83 million and a GDP of US$566 billion, making it one of the world's fastest-growing regions, Dalenov said. Investment in manufacturing has doubled over the past decade to reach US$113 billion.

The EDB has already mobilised US$2.9 billion in syndicated financing together with international institutions to support gas pipeline, airport and road projects with a combined value of US$7.5 billion.

Dalenov also outlined the next wave of investment the bank aims to attract to the region, including electricity storage systems, artificial intelligence technologies, robotics, space development and climate change adaptation.

"Central Asia is not merely a region of natural resources. It is a region of innovation, industrialisation and long-term investment," he said.