President launches completed projects and starts construction of new facilities in Karakalpakstan

During his visit to the Republic of Karakalpakstan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in a ceremony marking the launch of new projects and the start of construction on new facilities.

The favorable conditions created in the region in recent years for entrepreneurship and investment are contributing to the development of various sectors of the economy, the establishment of new production capacities, and job creation.

In particular, Karakalpakstan’s gross regional product increased from 8.5 trillion soums in 2016 to more than 54 trillion soums by the beginning of this year. The private sector’s share of production reached 66 percent, while the number of operating businesses increased 2.5-fold to 26,500.

Over the past nine years, more than $5 billion in investment has been attracted to Karakalpakstan to create high-income jobs. Foreign investment 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 increased 2.2-fold compared with 2018, reaching 271.

During the ceremony, 11 projects worth $592 million were launched, while construction began on 47 new projects worth a total of $7 billion to be implemented with the participation of foreign partners. Together, these projects will create 8,000 high-income jobs.

In particular, two wind power plants with a combined capacity of 300 megawatts and a 100-megawatt energy storage system were commissioned in Karaozyak district.

Among the facilities launched is the Sheikh Khalifa Hospital, built in Nukus in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates. The $27 million, 100-bed hospital is equipped with modern medical equipment and has created 80 jobs.

The Karakalpak Scientific and Practical Medical Academy will also contribute to improving the quality of healthcare in the region and enhancing the professional skills of healthcare specialists.

As part of efforts to develop digital infrastructure in Takhiatash district, the first phase of Linkwise’s $150 million modular intelligent computing center was launched.

Implementation has also begun on a $20 million project by SAPSAN TRANS NO‘KIS aimed at improving public transport in Nukus. Twenty-five buses and electric buses have already been delivered, with another 75 electric buses due to arrive by the end of the year. The project is expected to create 200 jobs.

The projects now entering the construction phase span energy, the digital economy, industry, transport, healthcare, and services.

In Kungrad district, construction of a major 1.5-gigawatt wind power plant and its connection to the unified power grid are entering an active phase. The $2.6 billion project is being implemented jointly with the Saudi company ACWA. It will include the construction of 1,500 kilometers of high-voltage transmission lines and three 500-kilovolt substations, as well as the modernization of two more substations.

In Chimbay district, a project to produce 3 million cubic meters of biogas annually by processing licorice root has been launched with Korean investors. It is the first project of its kind in the republic.

To develop transport infrastructure, construction has begun on a 92-kilometer section of the A-380 Guzar – Bukhara – Nukus – Beyneu highway in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank. The project is valued at $233 million. Another project to purchase 112 electric buses and establish a depot for Nukus public transport will be implemented in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

In Kungrad and Takhiatash districts, projects to produce digital currency and establish data centers for artificial intelligence, with a combined value of $2.281 billion, are being implemented jointly with Chinese partners. A data center will also be built in Takhtakupyr district. In Nukus, a project to generate electricity through thermal waste processing has been launched.

A $20 million gold mining enterprise will be established at the Zengibobodeposit in Karaozyak district. A large modern shopping center worth $15 million will also be built in Amudarya district.

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

With the participation of Turkish partners, a $103 million entertainment and shopping complex with recreational areas, modeled on Tashkent’s Seoul Moon, will be built on the bank of the Dustlik canal in Nukus.

At the ceremony, foreign partners provided information on the timelines for the implementation and launch of the projects. Regional khokims presented projects aimed at creating new jobs and increasing the incomes of low-income families in the districts assigned to them.

The President called on representatives of the older generation, scholars, and the wider public to exercise public oversight over the implementation of each project. It was noted that such an approach would contribute to the well-being of families, help secure the future of young people, and create a solid economic foundation for the Aral Sea region.

The Head of State expressed gratitude to the foreign partners and entrepreneurs involved in implementing the projects.

After the President pressed a symbolic button, the new facilities were launched and construction began on the new projects. He then spoke with investors and representatives of the region.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was also presented with plans for the New Uzbekistan residential complex to be built for young families in Nukus. A 270-hectare site has been allocated for the complex, and preparation of the design documentation has begun. The development will include multi-story residential buildings designed to accommodate 30,000 residents, as well as major business centers and commercial, service, and entertainment facilities.