Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In 2025, Uzbekistan plans to attract US$3.5 billion in investments into the Kashkadarya region. This was announced by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during a meeting held on 20 June in the Kukdala district.

The President noted that investment volumes in the Kasansky, Kitabsky, and Chirakchinsky districts have nearly doubled in the first five months of this year.

However, there are still twelve deposits in the region that remain untapped for industrial development. In the building materials sector alone, 16 investment projects worth a total of US$150 million have already been prepared. The President instructed that these sites be put up for auction.

Special attention was given to deposits of precious and rare metals. In particular, a site in the Kitab district contains gold reserves estimated at 20 metric tons — the equivalent of roughly US$2.15 billion at current market prices. Potential investors have expressed readiness to invest between US$100 and US$150 million in underground mining operations that would not harm the environment. President Mirziyoyev emphasized that this site must also be offered through an open auction process.

In addition, preliminary data indicates a further 39 metric tons of gold across five promising sites in Kitab, as well as an estimated 10,000 metric tons of rare metals in the Chirakchi district. In light of this, the President ordered the initiation of geological exploration work.