A meeting was held at the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan on January 27 with a delegation from Hyundai Heavy Industries Power Systems, Korea District Heating Corporation, and the Korea Institute for Climate Change. The meeting discussed a project to construct a combined heat and power (CHP) plant utilizing agricultural waste as
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved the Regional Electricity Market Interconnectivity and Trade (REMIT) Program, which will be implemented over a 10-year period across three phases to boost energy connectivity in Central Asia. The multi-phase program will establish Central Asia’s first-ever regional electricity market, increase electricity trade, expand transmission capacity, and lay the groundwork for large-scale renewable energy integration. According to the World
Uzbekistan is introducing a GIS-based innovative system aimed at enhancing the real-time monitoring, forecasting, and emergency response. The new system automates the collection and analysis of data on territorial conditions and emerging hazards and enables scenario modelling through a unified digital mapping and information resource, UNDP Uzbekistan reports. High-performance ICT equipment and system’s software, developed
In 2026, KazMunayGas-Aero LLP, an aviation fuel supply subdivision of national oil and gas company KazMunayGas, has begun “into plane” aircraft refueling at airports in Almaty and Astana. The Ministry of Transport has provided KazMunayGas-Aero with direct access to the infrastructure of Kazakhstan’s airports, including regional ones. The company plans to increase the scope of direct
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is extending a €61.7 million sovereign loan to Kyrgyzstan to help it modernize its electricity grid. The loan, complemented by an investment grant of up to €3 million and technical cooperation funds of €3 million, will help to finance critical upgrades to the national electricity transmission
Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar, a global clean energy leader, has announced the signing of a collaboration agreement with Emirates Utilities Development Company (EUDC) and Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy relating to the development of a gigascale round-the-clock clean energy project in the Central Asian country. The collaboration brings together Masdar’s clean energy
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
