Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Special Economic Zone (SEZ) “Alabuga” plans to create a special economic zone (SEZ) in Bukhara. At the first stage, it is planned to attract about 20 residents, Deputy General Director of the Alabuga SEZ Artur Ayupov told TASS.

“We presented the potential of Alabuga to the first person of Uzbekistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The President became very interested and actually gave instructions that a management company would be created, and the management company would be headed by Alabuga. He actually gave us complete carte blanche to implement this project. We will build a special economic zone in Bukhara,” Ayupov said.

According to him, at the first stage, in the first two to three years of the SEZ’s operation, it is planned to attract about 20 residents. About 3.6 thousand jobs will be created. The initial investment in the construction of the first stage of the special economic zone from the government of Uzbekistan will amount to $60 million, Ayupov specified.

He explained that construction could begin next year after Uzbekistan adopts the necessary regulatory documents. “I think that residents from Russia who are interested in locating their production facilities in Uzbekistan will be happy to come to the site created by Alabuga,” Ayupov said.

The Novgorodskaya SEZ is currently operating under the management of Alabug, the agreement on the creation of which was signed in 2020. The special economic zone "Alabuga" was created in 2006. It is the largest special economic zone on the territory of the Russian Federation.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev is visiting Tatarstan as part of his official visit to the Russian Federation. During his stay in the republic, he visited an exhibition of the industrial potential of Tatarstan, where he also got acquainted with the work of Alabuga.