Tashkent plans to attract $9 billion in investment by the end of 2026, the mayor Shavkat Umurzakov announced at a ceremony launching new facilities attended by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
He outlined plans to raise exports to $4 billion and detailed new projects underway in the capital's industrial zone. He separately announced a logistics project with DP World, whose leadership has invited the president to take part in a groundbreaking ceremony for the facility in October.
According to the mayor, the terminal will be designed to handle 20 million tons of cargo and 150,000 containers annually.
"We've been preparing for this for a long time. This project is very important to us — it's essential," the president said, according to a segment aired on the television channel Uzbekistan 24.
Umurzakov said the Boston Consulting Group, an international consulting firm, had ranked Tashkent third among the world's fastest-growing cities, behind only Shenzhen and Doha. He attributed the ranking to reforms underway in the capital.
"In 2024, Tashkent attracted $2.7 billion in investment. For 2026, we set ourselves a target of $9 billion. In the first eight months of this year, we've already brought in $5.6 billion. We've also set a goal of reaching $4 billion in exports," the mayor said.
Umurzakov said these results stem from the city's success in attracting high-tech projects and high-value-added manufacturing.
The president, for his part, highlighted the scale of Tashkent's investment target.
"When has this ever happened before? It's easy to say — $9 billion in investment. That's no small sum for the city of Tashkent. We have one goal: to make sure our people are satisfied and to raise their standard of living. Tashkent needs to be an example — and it's already becoming one," the president said.
14 projects, $3 billion in projected output
The mayor said 14 projects were being launched at the ceremony, four of them in industry and two in tourism.
He said that within roughly three years, once the projects reach full capacity, they are expected to generate $3 billion worth of output annually and support $1.5 billion in exports.
Umurzakov also noted that the ceremony was taking place in an industrial zone the president had opened in November 2024.
"God willing, by the end of the year we'll launch another 22 projects here worth $500 million," the mayor said.
He added that the area, once a stretch of desert, now hosts projects worth a combined $1.2 billion. In total, he said, 26 projects are planned for the site, ten of which are expected to launch this year.
DP World, or Dubai Ports World, is one of the world's largest port operators and logistics companies, based in the United Arab Emirates. It manages seaports, terminals, and supply chains around the globe.
DP World plans to build a multimodal logistics terminal in Tashkent worth more than $288 million. To carry out the project, the Emirati company formed a joint venture, DP World Tashkent, with Tashkent Invest, an entity owned by the city administration. DP World will hold an 85 percent stake in the venture, with Tashkent Invest holding the remaining 15 percent.
The logistics hub will be built on roughly 82 hectares within the Yangi Avlod special industrial zone, which is managed by the Chinese firm CAMCE. It will include a dry port with rail access, customs infrastructure, Class A warehouses, vehicle storage yards, and transshipment terminals. The first phase calls for a rail terminal with an annual capacity of 150,000 TEU and 63,000 square meters of warehouse space. It was originally expected to be completed by late 2026 or early 2027, though that timeline has since been pushed back.
DP World has said the terminal is intended to serve as a link between Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The project will have direct access to Uzbekistan's rail network, major highways, and Tashkent's international airport.
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