10.02.2026

On February 10, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting dedicated to reviewing ongoing work and further priority tasks for the socio-economic development of the Navoi region.

Previously, discussions of the Navoi region’s industry primarily referred to large sectoral enterprises such as the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Company, Navoiyuran, Navoiyazot, and Kyzylkumcement. Investment, employment, and economic growth were directly linked to the operations of these enterprises.

As a result of efforts aimed at integrated territorial development, economic diversification, and the identification of new growth points, the volume of regional investment not related to large sectoral enterprises reached $1.4 billion in 2025. The goal has been set to increase this figure to $2 billion in 2026.

At the same time, macroeconomic stability was ensured in the region last year. The gross regional product grew by 7.7 percent and amounted to 168 trillion soums. Industrial output increased by 8.3 percent, agricultural production by 4.7 percent, and the services sector by 13.7 percent. A total of 161,000 new jobs were created, while unemployment and poverty rates declined to 4.2 percent.

The President particularly emphasized the need to develop each district and city based on their comparative advantages.

In particular, Nurata and Gazgan have great potential in decorative stones and tourism, Tamdy and Uchkuduk in the mining industry, Navbakhor in the textile industry and horticulture, Kanimekh in pasture animal husbandry, Zarafshan in jewelry and IT, Karmana in the chemical industry and cultural tourism, and the city of Navoi in mechanical engineering and the services sector.

At the same time, it was emphasized that industrial development across districts remains uneven. Although the volume of industrial production per capita in the region is 177 million soums, this indicator remains below the national average in the districts of Tamdy, Nurata, Khatyrchi, Navbakhor, and Kyzyltepa. Meanwhile Tamdy and Nurata are rich in natural resources, including marble, quartz, and basalt.

In this regard, proposals were approved to establish an industrial granite park, a granite processing cluster, and a decorative stones market on a 50-hectare site in the Nurata district, as well as to establish a small industrial zone on a 50-hectare site in the Khatyrchi district and to locate high-yield projects worth $100 million there. The task was also set to multiply the production of decorative stones.

To ensure a skilled workforce for these facilities, a center for training specialists for the mining and chemical industries will be established at the Navoi College of Digital Technologies.

The importance of attracting $4.2 billion in foreign investment to the region this year and increasing export volumes to $1.5 billion was emphasized.

It was noted that small and medium-sized enterprises in the region should be supported and more actively involved in localization processes.

It was pointed out that existing opportunities in agriculture are not being fully utilized, while the 9 million hectares of pastures available to the region are sufficient to turn sheep, camel, and horse breeding into an economic driver. For the development of animal husbandry, small cattle, breeding camels, and horses will be imported in 2026, and 150 billion soums will be allocated for the construction of wells in pastures.

Overall, 3.3 million hectares of pastureland will be brought into agricultural circulation through a project-based approach. Instructions were given to implement measures to combat desertification based on China's experience in this field.

The Navoi region is considered one of the country's leading regions in the field of education. The higher education enrollment rate is 71 percent, and last year, graduates from 10 schools achieved a 100 percent university admission rate.

Starting from the new academic year, it has been proposed to open specialized classes in the cities of Navoiy and Zarafshan based on the "One school – one IT class" principle. To this end, 100 teachers from the region will upgrade their qualifications in IT and artificial intelligence in the capital and abroad, and a full-time educational program in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity will be launched at the Zarafshan branch of the Tashkent University of Information Technologies.

The tourism sector was also discussed at the meeting. By 2026, plans envisage attracting 600,000 foreign tourists and 3 million domestic visitors to the Navoiy region, opening 72 new accommodation facilities, and creating 500 new jobs.

To achieve this, trade, entertainment, and recreational facilities will be built along streets connecting 65 mahallas located in district and city centers, as well as in coastal and roadside areas. In addition, guest houses will be established in 18 mahallas with high tourism potential. The operation of trade and service facilities will also be set up in 15 mahallas along international roads.

It is planned to open a center for national embroidery in the Nurata district, develop the Langar and Angidon mahallas with a focus on tourism in the Khatirchi district, and turn four villages in the Nurata and Kanimekh districts into tourist destinations.

It was noted that in Navbakhor, which is in the category of districts with difficult conditions, a master plan can be developed to create a recreational zone around Sarmishsay, which will triple the tourist flow and create over 200 jobs.

It was also emphasized that the Alisher Navoiy Park, Yoshlik Lake, and their adjacent territories in the city of Navoiy do not fully meet modern standards. The importance of developing these sites under a unified concept to create comfortable and modern public recreational infrastructure was noted.

The city of Karmana has great potential for tourism development. Since Karmana was located along the Great Silk Road in ancient times,  opportunities exist to attract tourists traveling from Samarkand to Bukhara and extend their stay by another day. In this regard, the proposal to establish the "Ancient Karmana" cultural and tourism center based on the Kasim-sheikh khanaka and the Mirsaid Bakhrom mausoleum, the old city market, and the "Yangi avlod" park was supported.

It was highlighted that, drawing on the experience of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, tourism should be developed in the desert and pasture areas that make up a significant part of the Navoiy region.

Instructions were given to continue work on improving social and engineering infrastructure. Particularly, between 2026 and 2028, it is planned to gradually replace 312 kilometers of water supply pipes and 124 kilometers of sewage pipes in the cities of Navoiy, Zarafshan, Uchkuduk, and Zafarabad. The task was also set to create modern sanitary conditions in all schools, kindergartens, and medical institutions in the region.

At the conclusion of the meeting, after approving the proposed plans and initiatives, the Head of state emphasized that their implementation must lead to tangible improvements in people’s lives and issued relevant instructions to the responsible officials.