Projects have been launched and construction of new facilities worth $7.6 billion has begun in Karakalpakstan

During his visit to the Republic of Karakalpakstan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in a ceremony launching new projects and initiating their construction, the press service of the head of our state reports.

The favorable conditions for entrepreneurship and investment established in the region in recent years are fostering economic development, the creation of new production capacities, and employment opportunities for the population.

Notably, while Karakalpakstan’s gross regional product stood at 8.5 trillion soums in 2016, it exceeded 54 trillion soums by the beginning of this year. The private sector’s share in production has reached 66 percent, and the number of active business entities has increased 2.5-fold, reaching 26,500.

Over the past nine years, more than $5 billion in investments has been attracted to Karakalpakstan to create high-paying jobs. Foreign investment volume is expected to reach $2.5 billion by the end of this year. The number of foreign and joint ventures operating in the region has grown 2.2 times since 2018, reaching 271.

During the ceremony, 11 projects worth $592 million were launched, and construction began on 47 new projects valued at $7 billion, to be implemented with the participation of foreign partners. These projects will create 8,000 high-paying jobs.

Specifically, two wind power plants with a combined capacity of 300 megawatts and a 100-megawatt electricity storage system were commissioned in the Karauzak district.

Among the newly launched facilities is the Sheikh Khalifa Hospital in Nukus, built in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates. This 100-bed facility, costing $27 million, is equipped with modern medical technology and has created 80 jobs. The Karakalpakstan Scientific and Practical Medical Academy will also contribute to improving the quality of medical services in the region and developing the professional skills of specialists.

As part of the development of digital infrastructure in the Takhiatash district, the first phase of a modular smart computing center—a $150 million project by the company “Linkwise”—has been launched.

Implementation has also begun on a $20 million project by “SAPSAN TRANS NO‘KIS” aimed at improving public transport in the city of Nukus. Twenty-five buses and electric buses have already been delivered, with an additional 75 electric buses scheduled to arrive by the end of the year. The project entails the creation of 200 jobs.

The projects now entering the construction phase span the energy, digital economy, industrial, transport, medical, and service sectors.

In the Kungrad district, work is entering an active phase on the construction of a major 1.5-gigawatt wind power plant and its connection to the unified power grid. This $2.6 billion project is being implemented jointly with the Saudi company ACWA. The project involves laying 1,500 kilometers of high-voltage transmission lines, constructing three 500-kilovolt substations, and upgrading two others.

In the Chimbay district, a project is being launched jointly with Korean investors—the first of its kind in the republic—to produce 3 million cubic meters of biogas annually through the processing of licorice root.

To develop transport infrastructure, construction work has begun on a 92-kilometer section of the A-380 “Guzar–Bukhara–Nukus–Beineu” highway in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank. The project is valued at $233 million. Additionally, a project to purchase 112 electric buses and build a depot for public transport in Nukus will be implemented in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Projects involving digital currency production and the establishment of data centers for artificial intelligence—with a total value of $2.281 billion—are being implemented in the Kungrad and Takhiatash districts in collaboration with Chinese partners. A data center will also be built in the Takhtakupir district. In the city of Nukus, a project to generate electricity through the thermal processing of waste has been launched.

A gold mining facility worth $20 million will be constructed at the Zengibobo deposit in the Karauzyak district. A large, modern shopping center costing $15 million will be established in the Amudarya district.

In the social sector, a university of medical sciences and a hospital providing high-tech medical care are being established in partnership with Indian entities through a public-private partnership model.

With the participation of Turkish partners, a $103 million entertainment and shopping complex featuring recreation areas—modeled after Tashkent’s “Seoul Moon”—will be built along the banks of the Dustlik Canal in Nukus.

At the ceremony, foreign partners presented information regarding project implementation and launch timelines. Regional governors presented projects aimed at creating new jobs and increasing the incomes of low-income families in their respective districts.

The Head of State called upon representatives of the older generation, the scientific community, and the general public to exercise public oversight over the implementation of each project. It was noted that this approach would foster family well-being, secure the future of the youth, and establish a solid economic foundation for the Aral Sea region.

The Head of State expressed gratitude to the foreign partners and entrepreneurs participating in the implementation of these projects.

Following the symbolic pressing of a button, new facilities were launched and construction work commenced. A candid dialogue took place with investors and regional officials.

A presentation was also held for the “New Uzbekistan” residential complex, planned for construction in the city of Nukus for young families. A 270-hectare site has been designated for the complex, and the development of design documentation is underway. The project will feature multi-story residential buildings accommodating 30,000 residents, as well as major business centers and facilities for retail, services, and entertainment.