Over the past five years, the country’s processing industry has grown 1.4 times, reaching 553 trillion UZS last year alone. In Bukhara, this figure increased 1.6 times and reached 30 trillion UZS.

In the region, work is underway on 41 projects worth $7 billion in foreign investment and 39 through local investment for the same amount.

Three more large facilities are planned: a gas chemical complex, a solar power plant, and an international airport in Bukhara.

At the launching ceremony, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of these projects.

The gas chemical complex, which will be built in the “Karakul” Free Economic Zone, will be the first plant in the country to operate using the methanol-to-olefins (MTO) technology.

The project will attract about $5 billion in investments and advanced technologies from the United States, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Italy, and China. The complex will process 1.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas and 430 thousand tons of naphtha per year and produce 1.1 million tons of polymer products in demand in the domestic and global markets. According to calculations, the added value of these products will exceed the cost of gas by five times.

The new plant will employ 2,000 people. It will also stimulate the creation of dozens of enterprises in the construction, textile, leather and footwear, automotive, electrical, and other related industries and create another 4,000 jobs.

The launch of these projects will turn Bukhara into a driver of tourism and industry.

Steady economic growth increases demand for electricity by an average of 6 percent per year. Therefore, new generating capacities are being created in the regions.

In recent years, 10 solar and wind power plants with a capacity of 2 gigawatts have come online with $2 billion in foreign investment. Currently, 32 green generation facilities with a total capacity of 18.3 gigawatts worth $19 billion are being built with foreign partners.

This year, the first 2.6 gigawatts of 14 solar and wind farms will be connected to the network. As a result, the share of renewable energy in the total electricity production in the country will increase from 9 to 15 percent. In general, by 2030 this figure is planned to increase to 40 percent.

Of course, sunny Bukhara occupies a special place in this. Currently, 9 large projects with a capacity of 4 gigawatts worth about $4.5 billion in foreign investment are being implemented in the region.

They will be added to a 250-megawatt solar power plant built by the Masdar company from the United Arab Emirates. 648 hectares of land have been allocated for this project in Alat district. The station is planned to be connected to the unified energy grid in December 2025.

In addition, renewable energy complexes are being built in Bukhara region by ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia and Gezhouba from China. By 2030, the region’s capacity will increase 9 times – up to 12.5 billion kilowatt-hours of green energy per year.

Another project that has started is a new international airport.

Thanks to the state’s openness policy, global collaboration is strengthening. Uzbekistan has introduced a visa-free regime for citizens of more than 90 countries.

As a result, the flow of foreign visitors has increased. Over the past 2 years, tourism’s share in services exports has reached 40 percent. 283 hotels, 486 hostels, and 1.2 thousand family guest houses were built. Tourist flow increased by 35 percent.

Thus, in 2023, about 1.4 million foreign tourists visited Bukhara.

Such factors require an increase in the number of flights at the region’s international airport. Therefore, a new international airport in Bukhara district is planned through a private partnership.

This $226 million project will create airport infrastructure that meets international standards. Conditions are provided to serve 1.2 thousand passengers per hour. Improving the quality of service for passengers and aircraft will attract new international airlines.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev launched the construction of these complexes by pressing a symbolic button.

A presentation of projects planned for construction in Bukhara region, including a new airport, took place here.