President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced on October 16 that Saida Mirziyoyeva will chair a new energy sector investors council, created specifically to resolve the bureaucratic obstacles that international energy companies say are slowing or threatening their projects in the country. The announcement came during an open dialogue with representatives of major energy firms held that day.
Companies including ACWA Power, Vision Invest, DataVolt, Voltalia and EDF had proposed that a dedicated channel of regular dialogue with government agencies was needed to address systemic delays. Mirziyoyev said the new council was being established in direct response to those proposals.
Bottlenecks identified by investors
The president acknowledged that energy projects require substantial capital and complex infrastructure, and that delays in allocating land, connecting facilities to electricity networks, or issuing technical specifications can affect entire projects. These were the specific friction points raised by the international firms during the dialogue.
The council’s stated mandate is to help resolve investors’ problems at every stage of project implementation, from securing land plots through to the commissioning of completed energy facilities. However, its specific legal powers, formal membership and operating procedures had not been announced as of October 16.
Mirziyoyeva’s appointment and unanswered questions
The source reporting does not specify the formal government title or official capacity under which Saida Mirziyoyeva — the president’s daughter, who has held senior roles in public administration and digital development — will lead the council. No decree or regulatory instrument establishing the body had been published at the time of the announcement. It also remains unclear how the council will interact with the existing Ministry of Energy or whether it will carry authority to override current regulatory frameworks.
The appointment places a close relative of the head of state at the centre of a body that will mediate between the government and high-value international energy investors, in a sector the president himself described as foundational to the country’s future. The council’s undefined powers and the absence of disclosed membership or procedural rules mean its accountability mechanisms are not yet publicly established.
President’s framing of the energy sector
Addressing the assembled company representatives, Mirziyoyev said the government regards the energy sector not merely as one branch of the economy but as a foundation for the country’s future development and prosperity. He called for partnerships built on mutual trust, responsibility and shared benefits, and said every new energy project should bring tangible changes to local communities, improve living standards and create jobs.
The firms that raised the original proposals — ACWA Power, a Saudi-based renewable energy developer with a substantial existing presence in Uzbekistan; EDF, the French state energy company; and DataVolt, Voltalia and Vision Invest — represent a cross-section of the international capital the government has been courting for its energy transition programme. Their direct access to the president and the speed with which the council was announced underlines the priority the administration places on maintaining foreign investor confidence in the sector.
