Energy transition, private sector development and regional cooperation are in focus at the Asian Development Bank’s 59th Annual Meeting in Samarkand, highlighting Central Asia’s growing role in regional and global economic dynamics.
A central topic of the forum is the ADB’s plan to mobilise $70 billion by 2035 to strengthen energy and digital connectivity across Asia and the Pacific.
The programme includes $50 billion for cross-border power systems under the Pan-Asia Power Grid Initiative and $20 billion for digital infrastructure. It aims to build around 22,000 kilometres of transmission lines, enabling renewable energy trade, improving energy security and lowering costs across the region.
In 2024 alone, ADB financing for clean energy reached $2.8 billion, supporting solar, wind and grid modernisation projects, while the Bank continues to move away from coal in line with its low-carbon strategy.
In Uzbekistan, ADB-backed projects already include renewable energy development, grid upgrades and battery energy storage systems.
The country is also advancing its first nuclear power project in the Jizzakh region, with ADB expressing readiness to support related infrastructure and broader energy system development in line with its policies.
Private sector investment is emerging as a key driver of economic expansion. In 2025, Uzbekistan attracted $43.1 billion in total investment, marking a 24% increase, with $38.2 billion coming from foreign direct investment.
Investment is concentrated in sectors such as renewable energy, manufacturing, chemicals and digital technologies, supported by ongoing privatisation reforms and efforts to expand market access.
As part of this strategy, Uzbekistan is developing the Tashkent International Financial Centre (TIFC), which is expected to attract up to $20–25 billion by 2030, contribute to GDP growth and create thousands of skilled jobs.
Alongside this, the Enterprise Uzbekistan digital hub aims to create more than 300,000 jobs and generate up to $5 billion in exports, focusing on artificial intelligence, data infrastructure and innovation. The introduction of Islamic finance instruments is also expected to broaden access to capital and attract new sources of investment.
Across Central Asia, investment flows continue to rise, driven by large-scale energy, infrastructure and industrial projects. Kazakhstan has attracted more than $17 billion in recent foreign investment, while Uzbekistan is increasingly positioning itself as one of the region’s key investment destinations.
Strengthening connectivity, both in energy systems and transport corridors, remains a priority, particularly for landlocked economies seeking to expand trade routes and reduce logistical costs.
Discussions in Samarkand point to a broader shift towards sustainable energy, deeper regional integration and private sector-led growth, as countries in Central Asia seek to strengthen resilience and accelerate long-term development.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source wh...
Central Asia’s economy has surpassed $543 billion, driven by Kazakhstan’s economic weight, strong exports and foreign investment, while growing tr...
The United Nations refugee agency is planning a settlement and carpet-weaving workshop for Afghan returnees in Kabul as the country grapples with larg...
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran seeks compensation and sanctions relief before reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
A criminal court in Damascus has sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
Millions of people across Spain and Iceland are preparing on Wednesday to witness a rare total solar eclipse, when the moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, briefly turning daylight into darkness along a narrow path.
Central Asia’s economy has surpassed $543 billion, driven by Kazakhstan’s economic weight, strong exports and foreign investment, while growing trade across Asia points to an increasingly connected region.
The United Nations refugee agency is planning a settlement and carpet-weaving workshop for Afghan returnees in Kabul as the country grapples with large-scale returns and growing pressure on housing, jobs and basic services.
Iran will soon join the New Development Bank (NDB), the lender established by BRICS nations, Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati said in a state media report on Wednesday ahead of a BRICS finance meeting in India.
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has outlined an expanded vision for the Zangezur Corridor, describing it not simply as a transport route connecting mainland Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan exclave, but as a future platform for energy, telecommunications and wider regional integration.
Iran and Russia are seeking closer cooperation on arms control and Iran’s nuclear programme as the two countries deepen strategic ties amid heightened tensions with the U.S. and Israel.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment