ICTWEEK Uzbekistan 2026 is putting foreign investment in the country’s technology sector under the spotlight. More than 2,000 foreign guests and investors are taking part in this year’s event, alongside more than 200 international and local IT companies and 30 venture funds.
As competition for technology investment grows, Uzbekistan is using tax breaks, market-entry support and a new legal regime to make it easier for international companies to establish operations in the country.
The most established incentive is the IT Park residency regime. Eligible residents receive exemptions from corporate income tax and VAT, as well as other tax and customs benefits. Employees of resident companies are also subject to a reduced personal income tax rate.
For foreign companies, the incentives can reduce the cost of establishing and operating a technology or digital-services business in Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan is also trying to reduce the upfront cost of setting up operations through IT Park’s Zero Risk programme.
The scheme provides eligible companies with support such as office space, equipment and assistance with payroll, recruitment and employee training. The programme is aimed particularly at export-oriented IT and BPO companies.
By 2026, companies supported through the programme had created more than 4,000 jobs and generated more than 43 million dollars in exports.
A newer initiative is Enterprise Uzbekistan, which creates a special legal environment for international digital technology companies and investors.
The framework includes elements of English and Welsh common law, a regulatory sandbox for innovative technologies and simplified procedures for businesses operating within the regime. It is intended to give international companies a legal framework that is more familiar to global investors.
The regime is set to operate until 2100, making it a long-term component of Uzbekistan’s investment strategy.
The country is also addressing one practical issue for international companies: moving people into Uzbekistan. Foreign investors, founders and technology specialists can obtain IT visas valid for up to three years. Eligible foreign IT specialists can also work under simplified procedures without a separate work permit.
This allows companies establishing local teams to bring in key employees while building a domestic workforce.
The incentives are not limited to attracting companies into the country. Uzbekistan is also trying to make it easier for IT businesses based there to sell internationally.
IT Park members currently export digital services to 102 countries, with North America, the EU, the UK, CIS and Asia-Pacific among their main markets.
The government has introduced additional support for international operations, including measures covering global digital platforms, corporate subscriptions and online advertising for exporting IT companies.
Uzbekistan is also looking beyond software and outsourcing. Saudi Arabia’s DataVolt, for example, is developing a 12-megawatt data centre in Tashkent with an initial investment of 150 million dollars. The project is part of wider plans to expand data-centre capacity in the country.
Other initiatives include new data centres, AI laboratories and computing infrastructure aimed at supporting the development of artificial intelligence and cloud services.
The question now is whether these incentives will translate into larger and longer-term foreign investment as Uzbekistan competes with other emerging technology markets.
ICTWEEK 2026, with its focus on startups, venture capital, AI and digital investment, is providing a platform for that competition to play out.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at ...
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk...
Greek students braved heavy rain to pitch tents outside parliament in Athens on Tuesday, demanding affordable housing and more education funding as...
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow his country to hold presidential elections, saying it wanted an overall peace deal instead.
Thousands of young Georgians leave the country each year in search of better economic opportunities, with many moving west. As questions grow over Georgia’s European path, AnewZ spoke to people who have emigrated about what it would take for them to return.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Georgia and Uzbekistan are aiming to nearly quadruple annual trade to $1 billion, up from $267.6 million in 2025, as the two countries seek to strengthen economic ties and expand transport links.
Iran has warned against the military use of Starlink, saying it has developed domestic technology capable of countering cyber threats linked to the satellite internet service.
Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of blaming Kabul for its domestic political and security problems, as Islamabad repeated claims that militants are using Afghan territory to launch attacks across the border.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment