International investors are joining Uzbekistan to develop what promises to become Central Asia’s most significant trade, logistics, and business center. The Central Asia Smart City project, slated for construction in the Akhangaran district of the Tashkent region, represents an ambitious effort to create a modern, technology-driven urban ecosystem capable of reshaping regional commerce and investment dynamics.
The project will unfold across 6,400 hectares, with development scheduled between 2025 and 2035, attracting up to $10 billion in direct investment. The initiative involves a carefully assembled international consortium led by Going Investment, a joint venture that brings together expertise from France, Japan, and Turkey alongside a pool of domestic investors.
The French consulting firm Bureau Veritas Consulting, Japanese technology company Ainergy, and Turkish construction specialist ND İmar İnşaat ve Ticaret A.Ş. have committed to the partnership, signaling confidence in Uzbekistan as an investment destination and regional gateway.
The development strategy follows a phased approach. The first phase encompasses 500 hectares and will serve as the project’s foundational tier. This initial zone will host the Central Asia Financial Center, trade and logistics infrastructure, engineering facilities, and anchor investment projects. Subsequent phases will progressively open the remaining 5,900 hectares as development milestones are achieved — with additional land releases tied to achieving at least 50% occupancy on existing phases.
Beyond financial markets: a multifunctional urban complex
The smart city concept extends far beyond traditional real estate development. Planners envision an integrated ecosystem that weaves together multiple economic functions, research capacity, and residential life for approximately 200,000 residents.
Key components include a Central Asian Financial Center to facilitate regional capital flows, an international Tourism and Transportation Hub positioned to capture logistics flowing across historic Silk Road routes, and an International Knowledge and Technology Center bearing the name of al-Khwarizmi — complete with campus facilities for 75,000 students and scholars.
The project incorporates dedicated zones for large-scale, medium-scale, and small-scale manufacturing operations spanning over 1,200 hectares. Furniture manufacturing areas have been explicitly designated within the master plan, recognizing the potential for local and regional furniture production. Warehousing, customs, supply chain infrastructure, and a railway station complement these industrial zones, creating a comprehensive logistics ecosystem.
Complementing commercial functions, the smart city will include educational institutions, healthcare facilities, cultural centers, vocational training schools, and extensive green spaces — roughly 1,600 hectares reserved for parks and water features. The design prioritizes environmental sustainability through energy-efficient systems, renewable energy integration, and ecological preservation.
Connectivity and regional integration
Translating plans into reality requires transportation infrastructure that connects the new city to existing urban centers. The project includes development of a light rail system linking Tashkent directly to the smart city, with planned extensions reaching Nurafshon, Almalyk, and Akhangaran. This rapid transit corridor will facilitate daily commuting, business travel, and cargo movement, positioning the smart city as an integrated extension of the Tashkent metropolitan area rather than an isolated development.
The light rail project will be structured as a public-private partnership, suggesting shared risk and responsibility between government entities and commercial investors — a model increasingly adopted across Central Asia.
Strategic positioning for international business
The smart city’s location proves strategically significant for several reasons. Historically positioned along Central Asian trade corridors, the site offers natural advantages for companies seeking to optimize supply chains, access regional markets, and establish manufacturing footholds in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
The project documentation emphasizes creation of special economic zones with favorable tax regimes and business support programs designed to attract both regional and international enterprises. For furniture manufacturers, construction material suppliers, logistics operators, and industrial equipment producers, the project represents rare opportunity to secure ground-floor positioning in a major new commercial center built from conception with modern infrastructure standards.
Why this matters for international investors
For international companies in manufacturing, trade, construction, design, and logistics sectors, the Central Asia Smart City project signals Uzbekistan’s commitment to positioning itself as Central Asia’s premier business hub. The involvement of established international partners from developed economies — France, Japan, Turkey — adds credibility to the initiative while reducing perceived investment risk.
The 10-year development timeline and phased rollout approach provide flexibility for companies at different growth stages. Early-phase investors can secure premium locations in core commercial zones, while later entrants might benefit from mature infrastructure and operational ecosystems. The integrated design connecting financial services, manufacturing, warehousing, education, and research creates cross-sector business opportunities and supply chain efficiencies.
For domestic and regional manufacturers seeking to serve broader Central Asian markets while maintaining proximity to capital and talent, the smart city offers an attractive alternative to traditional industrial parks. The emphasis on technology integration and sustainable practices appeals to companies navigating increasing environmental and digital transformation requirements.
The project reinforces Uzbekistan’s strategic opening to international investment and partnership — essential signals for multinational corporations evaluating regional expansion plans. With phase one launching in the coming years, early participants in the Central Asia Smart City project could establish themselves as anchors in what promises to become Central Asia’s most developed business ecosystem.
