BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 26. Uzbekistan plans to develop six projects worth $8 billion in a special zone for artificial intelligence and data centers in Karakalpakstan.
This was stated by the press secretary of the Uzbek president, Sherzod Asadov, on his Telegram channel, following a meeting on the next priorities of the integrated development of Karakalpakstan, attended by the Uzbek president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
According to the information, in the course of the meeting, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev highlighted Karakalpakstan’s reserves of land, mineral resources, solar and wind energy, as well as its extensive pastures.
Based on these resources, the region will develop a new industrial and investment map covering the entire chain from raw resources to finished products.
The Kungrad–Karauzyak–Takhiatash corridor is planned to become Karakalpakstan’s "green industrial corridor" and an "intellectual economy triangle," integrating industrial, energy, and technology projects.
The special zone for AI and data center projects will host six projects with a combined investment value of $8 billion.
Officials have been instructed to prepare a five-year development program by October 1 and establish a reliable electricity supply of 1 GW for investors operating in the zone.
According to Trend’s calculations, the planned $8 billion investment represents an average of about $1.33 billion per project, while the targeted 1 GW power supply corresponds to roughly 125 MW of capacity per project if distributed evenly across the six projects.
Over the next three years, the government also plans to create 1,500 high-paying jobs in Nukus, Kungrad, Karauzyak and Takhiatash and increase annual exports of cloud technologies and artificial intelligence products and services to $600 million.
The initiative forms part of Uzbekistan’s broader effort to combine Karakalpakstan’s renewable energy resources and industrial potential with technology-intensive investment, positioning the region as a potential center for data infrastructure and high-value digital exports.
