The Uzbek authorities have developed plans to establish Creative Industry Parks. Such zones will appear in the capital, in the area of New Tashkent, and in the administrative center of Karakalpakstan, Nukus. Details of the initiative were presented to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at a meeting on creative economy development, the presidential press service reported.
Officials presented the concept for the capital’s park in detail. It is expected to include walking areas and art objects. The site will also feature a school from an international programming network, a book café, sports grounds, art pavilions, coworking spaces, film and sound recording studios, a youth campus, and a hotel. The project is to be implemented on the basis of a public-private partnership.
A similar park in New Tashkent will provide creative residents with office and workspace facilities, as well as commercial and service venues.
In Nukus, a pavilion in Istiklol Park will be repurposed into a multifunctional social and cultural center within a specialized economic zone. Uzbekistan’s national pavilion from EXPO-2025 will be installed there, and a modern library will be built nearby.
The creation of Creative Industry Parks is expected to give additional momentum to this sector, which, as noted at the meeting, is becoming one of the main growth drivers in many countries. The sector accounts for 3–7% of global GDP.
In Uzbekistan, the creative economy’s share of GDP reached 3.7% in 2024, or 56.8 trillion soums ($4.6 billion). Exports exceeded $770 million. More than 319,000 people are employed in the sector.
The government supports the field through tax incentives. For example, the income tax rate for creative industry representatives has been reduced from 12% to 6%.
By 2030, the goal is to raise the creative economy’s share of GDP to 5%, or 145 trillion soums ($11.7 billion), increase exports to $1 billion, and provide jobs for more than 500,000 people.
The meeting also reviewed the state of cultural centers. About 800 such facilities require repairs, and most are used in outdated ways, mainly for holiday events. A pilot project has therefore been developed to transform four centers in Tashkent, Kokand, Bukhara, and Samarkand into modern institutions operating on the principle of “culture — education — leisure — dialogue,” with clubs, workshops, studios, and hobby groups.
Officials also addressed education. Plans include establishing a Higher School of Traditional Arts in Tashkent based on the experience of the Royal Foundation school model. The institution will train bachelor’s and master’s students in ceramics, decorative painting, calligraphy, architecture, geometry, and biomorphic ornamentation. Instruction will be in English under a two-year program.
The presentation also covered plans to open a National Restoration Institute and projects to restore the Bibi-Khanym Mosque in Samarkand and the summer amphitheater of the Turkiston Palace in Tashkent. It was noted that the work must be carried out in full coordination with UNESCO.
