Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 25 February, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting focused on economic development, job creation, and investment attraction in Syrdarya region for 2025.

In recent years, the region has seen progress in energy, construction, and entrepreneurship. Following the President’s visit to Saykhunabad district last year, a new model for supporting household farming and small businesses was introduced.

However, a lack of initiative among local leaders has hindered the dynamic development of industry, trade, and services. As a result, Syrdarya region has the lowest service sector share in the country, with poverty exceeding 11% and unemployment reaching 22,000 people.

Given the rapidly changing global economic landscape, the most competitive regions are those that actively study trends, seek new opportunities, and efficiently utilize internal resources. To address these challenges, proposals have been prepared to increase investment, improve the business environment, reduce poverty, and enhance the region’s transit potential.

One key initiative is the establishment of industrial zones covering approximately 900 hectares, aimed at attracting US$5 billion in investments and creating over 20,000 jobs. New production facilities will be located in the cities of Syrdarya, Shirin, and Gulistan, as well as in the Bayavut, Khavast, Mirzaabad, Akaltyn, and Sardoba districts.

Geographically, Syrdarya region is centrally located at the intersection of major international highways M-39, M-34, A-373, and A-376, with 311,000 vehicles passing through daily. Entrepreneurs along these routes plan to open hundreds of trade and service facilities. In total, 500,000 square meters of commercial space will be built, generating 50,000 new jobs.

The region’s favorable soil and climate conditions make it well-suited for growing cotton, rice, vegetables, melons, and fruits. To support agricultural expansion, land for potatoes, onions, raspberries, black currants, and cherries will be increased. Additionally, 38,000 hectares—including household plots, field edges, and land along canals—will be allocated to processing enterprises and exporters.

Furthermore, in eight districts, 25,000 hectares of low-yield land will be repurposed for rice cultivation, with rice farmers given the right to export up to 50% of their harvest.

The region’s housing stock includes over 1,000 buildings constructed more than 50 years ago. As part of a renovation program, modern residential complexes with 15,000 apartments will be built, following successful models from Margilan and Dustlik district. Developers will receive tax and customs benefits to ensure affordable housing. Additionally, US$100 million will be allocated for upgrading roads, power grids, irrigation systems, housing, and social facilities such as kindergartens and schools.

President Mirziyoyev instructed that Gulistan’s water supply issues be resolved by July 1 of this year. Plans were also approved to expand the cities of Gulistan and Shirin to accelerate urbanization.

Overall, in 2025, the region aims to attract US$2 billion in investments and increase exports to US$500 million. The implementation of these initiatives is expected to create over 16,000 jobs and reduce the poverty rate to 7.4%.