FERGANA, Uzbekistan - Uzbekistan is seeking to create more jobs at home through the development of industrial and logistics hubs in its eastern regions, attracting investment from East Asian countries as many of its citizens continue to work in Russia.
Major development projects have been underway since 2021 in Fergana and the neighboring Andijan region, the latter a terminus of a railway link with China and Kyrgyzstan that has drawn interest from companies in Japan, China and South Korea.
With Uzbekistan's population growing 20 percent over the past decade and its average age around 30, creating employment opportunities has become a pressing challenge.
On the outskirts of Fergana, the regional capital, fields of white cotton stretched into the distance in September, supplying a textile company established in 2021.
In a region where water is scarce, the company uses drip irrigation, delivering water directly to crops through a network of tubes.
Inside its sprawling factory, machinery imported from Japan, Switzerland and Germany operates around the clock, producing yarn and textiles.
The business has created more than 1,500 jobs, according to senior executive Abror Hadjibalayev, who has ambitions for further growth.
"We're one of the biggest production centers in Central Asia, and we want to expand both our facilities and workforce," he said.
Similar developments are taking shape across the Fergana region, with new factories, businesses and farms opening as efforts gather pace to export agricultural products, including grapes, to Japan.
The regional government plans to attract $4.2 billion in investment in 2026 alone, potentially creating 52,000 jobs.
Another major project is taking shape on the outskirts of Fergana, where a roughly 300-hectare "Eco-City" is under construction.
Designed as a self-contained urban community, the development includes plans for Japanese companies to build hotels, restaurants and medical facilities, while Chinese and South Korean firms are developing amusement parks and high-tech manufacturing plants.
The project is expected to eventually accommodate 65,000 residents and generate more than 20,000 jobs.
The push comes as Uzbekistan, with a population of around 39.6 million, seeks to provide more employment opportunities for its citizens at home.
According to the country's Migration Agency, about 1.4 million Uzbeks were working abroad as of September, including roughly 830,000 in Russia.
The government is strengthening economic ties with Asian countries while also seeking to diversify overseas employment destinations beyond Russia.
Local journalist Muhammadjon Obidov said many Uzbeks working in Russia were employed in low-skilled jobs, including construction.
He hopes closer cooperation with Japan, China and South Korea will bring more opportunities for vocational training and economic education.
"That could help us build an economy where people can earn a decent living in their own country," he said.
