Uzbek President Outlines Strategic Development Plans for Samarkand Region

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev presided over an extraordinary session of the Samarkand Regional Council of People’s Deputies on November 25, setting long-term development priorities for the region.

Mirziyoyev highlighted Samarkand’s historical and cultural significance and emphasized its growing role as a political, economic, and tourism hub. He underscored ongoing infrastructure and tourism projects, including the creation of the Bokiy Shahar complex, the restoration of over 40 religious sites, the construction of the new Samarkand International Airport, and the opening of dozens of international hotel brands. These initiatives have attracted around US$1 billion in investments since 2016, increasing tourist arrivals sevenfold and boosting tourism service exports to US$600 million.

The session reviewed the expansion of the Imam Bukhari mausoleum complex to 45 hectares, including a mosque for 10,000 worshippers and an innovative museum. Mirziyoyev stressed that partnerships with Indonesian and Malaysian hotel operators would further increase tourism flows.

The President also highlighted the industrial, agricultural, and service-sector growth in the region. Over the past eight years, Samarkand attracted US$12 billion in investments, created 600,000 permanent jobs, and saw the number of entrepreneurs double. Industrial output increased by 70%, the number of enterprises with annual turnovers exceeding 100 billion soms reached 81, and companies with foreign participation grew to nearly 700. The regional service sector has expanded by an average of 15% annually, reaching 75 trillion soms this year.

Residential and commercial construction has also accelerated, with 15 million square meters built over the last two years, including 4.5 million square meters annually nationwide. Water and sewage infrastructure worth 2 trillion soms has been installed, improving living standards for local residents. The population of Samarkand now exceeds 4.3 million, growing by about 100,000–110,000 people annually.

Mirziyoyev emphasized Urgut district as a model of industrial development, noting the creation of a free economic zone and the launch of 74 projects worth US$860 million. The district recently inaugurated a 55-kilometer railway line, with electrification scheduled for next year. These measures are expected to enhance industrial, agricultural, and service-sector efficiency and create new jobs.

To accommodate urban growth, the President approved the transformation of Urgut’s center and the creation of a modern eco-city for 100,000 residents on 90 hectares of land. Infrastructure will include roads, water and sewage networks, schools, hospitals, and US$50 million in private-sector investment projects. A three-hectare administrative hub will consolidate 35 local institutions, with vacated buildings offered to private enterprises.

Mirziyoyev also announced the expansion of Samarkand city boundaries by 17,500 hectares, increasing the population from 604,000 to 882,000. Large-scale residential projects in the “Shirin,” “Temiryol Orti,” and “Korasu-2” districts will provide housing for over 310,000 people and include schools, hospitals, higher education institutions, business centers, hotels, and entertainment facilities.

The President recommended Adiz Boboev, acting governor, for official appointment as Samarkand regional governor. Boboev was subsequently confirmed by council vote. Mirziyoyev tasked the new governor with transforming Samarkand into a model region by creating jobs, reducing poverty, attracting investments, increasing exports, lowering production costs, and improving energy efficiency.

The session concluded with a review of priorities for ministers and local leaders to ensure the region’s sustainable development and enhanced quality of life.

It was emphasized that all resources of Urgut must be mobilized to reduce poverty and unemployment to 2% by next year.

Urgut currently hosts 1,500 industrial enterprises, although some are inactive and those operating are not utilizing their full capacity.

Officials have been tasked with properly organizing operations across the 14 districts within the “Urgut Economic Zone” and reducing production costs by 20–30%.

For example, the opening of a new railway line is expected to lower transportation costs for 1,200 industrial enterprises in Urgut and Toylok, reducing production costs by 6–8%.

If three modern logistics centers are built along the railway, transportation costs for nearly 2,000 enterprises across the Urgut, Taylak, Jombay, Bulungur, and Samarkand districts could be cut by an additional 10–15%.

Cooperation mechanisms will be introduced in the Urgut industrial zone, allowing production costs to decrease by 5–15% through the creation of a “components-to-finished-products” supply chain.

Moreover, digitalization and the implementation of artificial intelligence are projected to increase productivity by 20% and reduce operational expenses by 20–25%.

Authorities have been tasked with training 43 enterprises, which account for 70% of the district’s industrial output, on the proper organization of these initiatives.

Since the “Urgut Free Economic Zone” spans 287 hectares of hilly terrain, infrastructure development is currently two to three times more expensive. It was noted that relocating these lands to more suitable sites could attract investors to implement 80 projects with a total value of US$560 million.

Officials are instructed to analyze available industrial land and propose replacements for inefficient plots by year-end.

Currently, Urgut exports industrial products worth US$40 million annually, while total industrial output reaches US$350 million per year, which is considered very low.

There is external demand in countries such as Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan for electrical equipment, textiles, food products, vehicles, pharmaceuticals, and construction materials totaling US$30 billion. However, neither industry leaders nor regional administrators have demonstrated significant results in accessing these markets.

In response, a branch of the Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange will be opened by year-end in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, where at least 100 local products will be sold.

Starting next year, trade advisors from the Chamber of Commerce will operate in Iraq and Syria—three in Iraq and two in Syria. It was emphasized that 100 of Iraq’s largest entrepreneurs should be invited to Samarkand for a “Uzbekistan–Iraq” business forum.

In total, regional plans for next year include producing goods worth 70 trillion soums and creating 25,000 industrial jobs.

Since the beginning of the year, Urgut has hosted 500,000 foreign and 1 million domestic tourists. Entrepreneurs have proposed creating a 600-hectare tourist zone in the Kortog area of the Zarafshan mountains, or establishing a camping and capsule housing complex around the Koratepa Reservoir, along with an “Eco-town” as a year-round tourist destination.

Officials are tasked with establishing the Urgut Tourism and Recreation Directorate, developing a master plan, and putting land plots up for sale. Infrastructure for this project is allocated 50 billion soums.

Using Urgut as a model, projects worth US$245 million are expected to create 15,000 jobs across eight districts.

Next year, tourism projects worth US$600 million should commence, employing at least 35,000 people.

Infrastructure improvements in Urgut’s mahallas will receive 260 billion soums.

For example, 5 hectares in the Tinchlik mahalla will be allocated for a logistics center, with 5 billion soums spent to build roughly 100 shops, cafes, and service facilities.

Transforming the 1.5-kilometer Navoyshokh Street into a 24-hour commercial area could create 60 retail and service outlets, employing 500 people.

Additionally, US$10 million from the Islamic Development Bank will be directed toward improving infrastructure in eight mahallas. Another 10 billion soums will go toward guesthouses and recreation areas in 15 mahallas bordering Tajikistan.

Overall, 40,000 jobs in regional mahallas are planned for 2026 in trade and services.

Urgut spans 112,000 hectares, of which 12,000 hectares are irrigated land, 40,000 hectares are pastures, and 22,000 hectares are mountainous areas.

Starting this year, 2,000 hectares of grain land and 3,500 hectares of tobacco land are being converted to vegetable and fruit cultivation. On these newly reassigned 5,500 hectares, it is important to grow high-value, export-oriented crops.

For example, on 3,000 hectares freed from grain and tobacco, white kishmish grapes can be planted for raisin production, potentially generating an additional US$80 million in exports.

Additionally, on 500 hectares of foothills and pastures in Urgut, an industrial vineyard will be established, with 10-hectare plots distributed to local residents. In the Ishtikhon district, similar vineyards will be organized next year on 2,000 hectares of slopes.

To supply water to these areas, 50 artesian wells will be drilled, and solar panels with a capacity of 15–20 kilowatts will be installed, with a budget of 30 billion soums allocated.

Livestock accounts for 51% of agricultural production in Urgut.

Although the district has 40,000 hectares of pastures, only 1,500 hectares are currently designated for livestock. With improved seeds and agronomic technologies, an additional 14,000 hectares could support 40,000 sheep and goats. This would allow annual meat production of 100,000 tons, meeting 50% of the regional demand.

Officials have been tasked with securing financing for the 40,000-head sheep and goat project and attracting specialists to develop pasturelands in Urgut.

In total, the region has 688,000 hectares of pasture, representing a major opportunity for livestock feed.

From now on, for farmers who own livestock, available pasture plots will be auctioned at a price equal to 1% of their market value.

Under an Asian Development Bank project valued at US$63 million, 200,000 hectares of pasture will be allocated for forage crop cultivation.

The Zarafshan River remains the main water source for regional agriculture; however, annual water inflow is decreasing. Consequently, the use of groundwater has doubled.

Next year, water-saving technologies must be implemented on at least 30,000 hectares. Farmers in the region will receive loans at 10% interest, reduced from the previous 14%, for drip and sprinkler irrigation, and subsidies of up to 12 million soums per hectare will be provided for cotton fields.

A new system for the efficient use of water resources will be introduced in the region.

Revenues from water taxes will be fully allocated to district water management authorities and used exclusively for concreting canals and irrigation ditches. As a result, approximately 1,000 kilometers of earth canals and ditches will be concreted annually.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the head of state reviewed the reports and plans presented by responsible officials.