First Stone Laid for Arashan Resort Tourist Complex in Pap

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A groundbreaking ceremony was held in the Pap district of Namangan region to mark the start of construction for the Arashan Resort tourist complex, a major new development for the region’s tourism sector. The event, held ahead of the Navruz holiday, brought together the regional hokim, government officials, community leaders, and respected elders.

Located in the foothills, the Pap district boasts significant tourism potential, with recent years seeing active initiatives to utilize natural resources and attract international visitors. Arashan Resort is being built near the Arashan Lakes and is designed as a modern recreation center with extensive infrastructure.

The US$150 million project spans 600 hectares and, once completed, will accommodate up to 2,500 tourists daily, with an estimated annual visitor flow of 912,000 people. The development is expected to create more than 2,000 new jobs.

The complex will feature eco-tourism areas, facilities for mountain and adventure sports, gastronomy zones, cultural and recreational spaces, thematic parks, ski slopes, a zipline, restaurants and cafes, an open-air cinema, eco-market, children’s and sports playgrounds, and thermal water pools.

The project is implemented in partnership with the Japanese company NGEA — Nippon Global Education and Assessment — ensuring compliance with international standards.

The ceremony included a traditional sacrificial ritual, with elders giving their blessings for the successful completion of the project. The festive atmosphere was enhanced by performances from renowned artists Gulasal Abdullaeva, Nilufar Usmonova, Yahyobek Muminov, and others.