Syrdarya Targets $2 Billion Foreign Investment in 2026

Syrdarya Aims for $2 Billion in Foreign Investment by 2026

Uzbekistan's Syrdarya region is projected to draw US$2 billion in foreign direct investment in 2026, a sum equivalent to the total foreign capital attracted to the region over the preceding ten years combined.

This figure was announced by Regional Governor Erkinjon Turdimov during the "Do Business in Syrdarya" international investment forum, held in Gulistan in anticipation of Uzbekistan's 35th anniversary of national independence.

Over the last decade, the region saw a total investment of US$8 billion, with foreign capital accounting for more than US$2.5 billion of that amount. The US$2 billion target for 2026 represents a 2.2-fold increase compared to the previous year.

Turdimov pointed out that several foreign companies attending the forum, including Lianghe Grade Agro, Tavsid General, Wuzong Energy, FM World, Lesso, and OTR Group, had expanded their local operations to become hosts for the event. The forum brought together over 30 international delegations and more than 300 foreign guests from nearly ten countries, such as China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

In the past year, 30 industrial projects, valued at US$1.5 billion, were allocated across 420 hectares within the region's industrial zones. Key sectors identified for future investment include metallurgy, energy, agriculture, textiles, chemicals, mechanical engineering, building materials, information technology, electrical engineering, and rare metal extraction.

Providing a broader economic overview, Turdimov stated that Uzbekistan attracted US$43.1 billion in foreign investment nationwide in 2025, with the gross domestic product surpassing US$145 billion and exports reaching US$33.4 billion. For 2026, national objectives aim for GDP to exceed US$180 billion and exports to surpass US$40 billion, aligning with a presidential goal to expand the national economy by more than US$240 billion over the next five years.

To foster business growth, regional authorities highlighted national administrative reforms, including the elimination and digitization of 120 document requirements, a three-year moratorium on small business inspections not involving public health or commercial risks, and an increase in the value-added tax registration threshold from 1 billion to 5 billion soums, benefiting nearly 600,000 small enterprises. Additionally, online credit applications of up to 5 billion soums have been made available for start-up entrepreneurs.

Turdimov also mentioned the implementation of preferential trade agreements to boost foreign trade, including agreements covering 150 product categories with Jordan, 88 with Pakistan, and 34 each with Iran and Afghanistan, alongside a mutual duty-free trade regime with Turkmenistan for domestically manufactured goods.