From January to November 2025, Uzbekistan exported 14,800 tons of rice to 11 foreign countries, generating a total revenue of $6.4 million, Dunyo information agency reported citing data from the National Statistical Committee. The largest volumes of Uzbek rice were exported to Central Asian countries and neighboring states. Kazakhstan was the largest importer with 8,000
The National Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan has published data of the country’s economic development in 2025. In 2025, gross domestic product (GDP) growth was 11.1%. Industrial production grew by 10.6%, driven by a 1.7-fold growth in pharmaceutical production, increase in the production of rubber, plastic, and construction materials by 35.7%, wood, paper, and printing products
Kazakhstan registered 4,400 new companies or branches with foreign participation in 2025, driven primarily by businesses from China and Uzbekistan, Kursiv reported citing data from Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics. As of January 1, 2026, Kazakhstan had about 63,900 legal entities and branches with foreign participation. Among countries that opened more businesses or joint ventures
On January 20, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was briefed on the achieved results and priority tasks for 2026 in the sphere of digital technologies development. In recent years, the country has been implementing consistent measures to develop the digital economy, digitalize public services, and form an innovative ecosystem. According to foreign experts, in 2024-2025, the total
The Innovative Center for the Development of Unmanned Aviation has officially opened at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) in Almaty. The project is a collaboration between KazNU and Aerial Solutions LLP. The new center will focus on domestic development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), establish training and production laboratories and a test site,
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is continuing to support Tajikistan’s transition from traditional carbon-intensive transport models to environmentally friendly and sustainable mobility by providing a €10 million financing package for a large-scale modernisation of public transport in Bokhtar, the administrative centre of the Khatlon region. The package consists of a
The demand for workforce in Kazakhstan significantly exceeded supply at the end of 2025. According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, in December, employers posted 109,600 job vacancies on the Enbek.kz online job exchange, while job seekers submitted 71,500 resumes. Compared to November, the number of job openings increased by 8.4% (+8,500), while
In line with the key objectives set for the development of the tourism sector through 2030, Uzbekistan plans to increase tourism’s share in the country’s gross domestic product from the current 3.5% to 7%. This will drive economic growth in related sectors and create new jobs, according to the Tourism Committee. In addition, a sharp
The National Research Center for Infectious Diseases (NRCID) was officially opened in Almaty on January 16. It is a key facility established on the instruction of the Head of State to strengthen the country’s biological security system. The establishment of the Center became a systemic response to the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and
Tajikistan is set to implement its first large-scale solar energy project with a total installed capacity of 500 MW. On January 13, an investment agreement was signed between the Government of Tajikistan and Ayon Energy LLC for the construction and commissioning of two photovoltaic power plants: a 250 MW solar power plant in Asht district
Kazakhstan’s state-owned railway operator, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), has secured up to $300 million equivalent in Swiss-franc-denominated financing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and Standard Chartered (SC) for a project aimed at strengthening Kazakhstan’s rail efficiency and increasing its role as a regional transit hub, according to IFC.
On January 14, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed plans on increasing energy efficiency. According to international experts, Uzbekistan is among the most energy-intensive countries. In particular, almost 50 percent of the final energy consumption in the country accounts for the buildings, and the energy consumption per square meter is several times higher than in European countries.
This year Kazakhstan will continue diversifying its agricultural crop areas to reduce its reliance on wheat monoculture and expand the area under highly profitable crops for processing into products with higher added value. At a government meeting on January 13, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Azat Sultanov announced that in 2026, the total area under crops
Kyrgyzstan has taken another step in the provision of its citizens with subsidized mortgage housing. In a ceremony on January 12, attended by President Sadyr Japarov, new owners received the keys to 1,080 mortgaged apartments as part of the second phase of the Muras residential complex construction in Bishkek. It is a project of the
To expand the coverage of geological exploration of the country’s territory using modern geological prospecting methods, the Government of Kazakhstan is launching a new stage of subsoil research this year at a more detailed scale. Twenty projects were developed last year to carry out geological surveying at a scale of 1:50,000 over a total area
On January 12, the President of Uzbekistan issued the Resolution “On measures for the establishment of the Fergana tourist and recreational zone.” The decision aims to effectively utilize the tourism potential of Fergana District, activate the resource capacity of mountainous areas, widely involve the local population in service and entrepreneurial activities, increase the district’s investment
In 2025, Kazakhstan’s automotive industry demonstrated its best performance ever. The country produced 171,144 vehicles of all types (passenger cars, buses, and trucks), a 17.8% increase compared to the previous year (145,290), according to the Kazakhstan Automobile Union. Passenger cars traditionally dominated the production, with 158,944 vehicles manufactured in 2025, up 19%. Production of commercial
Kazakhstan ranks fourth in terms of the number of enterprises with foreign capital in Uzbekistan, following China, Russia, and Turkiye, Dunyo information agency reported citing data from the Uzbek National Statistics Committee. As of December 1, 2025, 1,199 enterprises with Kazakh capital were operating in Uzbekistan. The majority of Kazakh-invested enterprises are concentrated in trade,
On January 12, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed plans of the country’s oil and gas company, Uzbekneftegaz, to increase natural gas reserves and production volumes, as well as to intensify geological exploration. In 2026, Uzbekneftegaz must increase the daily production of natural gas from 66 million cubic meters to 70 million cubic meters and produce not
In 2025, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the national railway company, transported for export 11 million tons of grain, a record high volume over the past 10 years and a 33% increase compared to 2024, according to KTZ. Grain export transportation to Central Asian countries increased by 30%, reaching 6.3 million tons. Exports to Kyrgyzstan
