President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has announced the creation of an Investors’ Council for the fuel and energy sector, to be chaired by Saida Mirziyoyeva, who currently heads the Presidential Administration. The decision was made at an open dialogue with international investors in the sector, where leading energy companies raised concerns about systemic delays that have slowed project delivery across the country.
Mirziyoyev identified delays in land allocation, grid connection and the issuance of technical specifications as the principal obstacles holding up energy projects, which he acknowledged require large investment and complex infrastructure. The proposal for a dedicated dialogue mechanism came from the companies themselves: ACWA Power of Saudi Arabia, Vision Invest, DataVolt, Voltalia and EDF all called for a standing forum to resolve such issues, and the president said their request directly prompted his decision to establish the council.
The council’s mandate, as described at the dialogue, will cover the full project lifecycle — from land allocation through to the commissioning of energy facilities — with an emphasis on rapid problem resolution rather than referral through existing ministerial channels. The specific legal relationship between the new body and existing energy and land-management ministries was not detailed at the event.
Saida Mirziyoyeva’s appointment
Saida Mirziyoyeva’s appointment as chair places the president’s daughter at the head of a body with direct authority over the concerns of some of the largest foreign investors operating in Uzbekistan’s energy market. She has served as head of the Presidential Administration, a senior executive role, and the council chairmanship adds an explicit economic oversight function to that position. The combination of family relationship and institutional authority over high-value investment decisions is a configuration that governance observers typically flag as a conflict-of-interest risk, though no allegation of impropriety has been made in connection with this appointment.
Workforce development measures
The dialogue also produced a set of commitments on skilled-labour development. ACWA Power is already equipping technical colleges in Karakalpakstan, Bukhara and Syrdarya and will train hundreds of young people annually in new energy disciplines. Mirziyoyev called on other investors present to follow ACWA’s example and said the government was prepared to hand management of local technical colleges to private investors.
On the university side, admission quotas for energy-related programmes will be increased from the next academic year. In addition, 50 students per year will receive state grants to study at leading universities abroad, a measure intended to build a pipeline of specialists for an energy sector that the government is seeking to expand rapidly.
Liquefied gas market to open to private sector
Mirziyoyev also set out a timeline for liberalising the liquefied gas market. He said the aim is to open liquefied gas supply to the private sector nationwide by 2027. Approximately 3.8 million households currently rely on liquefied gas, making the distribution network a significant commercial opportunity. A pilot programme involving private entrepreneurs has already begun in Andijan province, providing an early test of the model before any national rollout.
