China, Russia, and Türkiye lead foreign business presence in Uzbekistan

Of these, 4,031 are joint ventures established in partnership between local and foreign investors, while 11,708 are wholly foreign-owned enterprises.

China tops the list of countries with the most foreign-invested companies in Uzbekistan, with 3,711 firms currently active. Russia ranks second with 3,033 companies, followed by Türkiye in third place with 1,942 enterprises, demonstrating its strong trade ties with Uzbekistan.

Other key investor countries include Kazakhstan (1,082 enterprises), Afghanistan (672), and South Korea (663). The United Arab Emirates is represented by 352 companies in the Uzbek market. Tajikistan (329) and India (317) have also shown considerable interest. The United States operates 310 businesses in Uzbekistan, placing it just above Kyrgyzstan with 309.

Additional countries investing in Uzbekistan’s economy include Azerbaijan (278 enterprises), the United Kingdom (240), Belarus (230), and Germany (217). Turkmenistan has 209 companies active in the country, while Pakistan and Japan operate 148 and 92 enterprises, respectively.

In comparison, as of January 2025, the number of foreign-invested enterprises across the country stood at 14,871.

Boosting international investment

In the first quarter of 2025, Uzbekistan secured agreements on 178 investment projects worth a total of $39 billion during high-level visits to the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Kuwait, and France.

Additionally, during a summit held in Samarkand, the European Union pledged €12 billion to support development initiatives across Central Asia.

Uzbekistan aims to attract $42 billion in foreign investment by the end of 2025. As part of its investment strategy, the country plans to implement 81 major projects and more than 8,000 small and medium-sized enterprises. Moreover, the strategy includes attracting $2 billion in grant funding and securing $6 billion in loans from international banks.