Uzbekistan establishes tech hub with tax incentives and new free zone
Uzbekistan is launching "Enterprise Uzbekistan," a new free zone aimed at attracting technology and financial companies with tax incentives and a common law framework.
Uzbekistan is positioning itself as a technology hub for Central Asia, combining tax incentives, sector-specific tech parks, a young workforce, and closer regional ties. A key part of this push is "Enterprise Uzbekistan," a free zone for technology and financial organizations expected to operate under English common law.
Seven years after its launch, IT Park Uzbekistan has become a central part of the country's digital strategy. Since its founding, Uzbekistan has seen a 13-fold increase in foreign direct investment inflows and a tripling of foreign trade turnover. StartupBlink recently ranked Uzbekistan as the world's fastest-growing startup ecosystem.
"Enterprise Uzbekistan" is designed to provide foreign companies with a legal environment separate from the domestic Uzbek system. Companies registered within the zone would operate under English common law, a structure familiar to international investors and venture funds. The zone is scheduled for a full launch in early 2027 and is modeled on international financial centers such as Astana and Dubai. The planned territory in Tashkent will exceed 10 hectares.
Alongside its capital, Uzbekistan is building specialized technoparks: IT Park focuses on software, digital products, and IT exports; Inno Technopark on hardware and manufacturing; Creative Park on gaming, user-generated content, and digital art; and Cyber Park on cybersecurity. IT Park residents receive a 0% corporate tax, 0% social tax, and a 7.5% personal income tax rate for employees.
Uzbekistan is leveraging its demographics, with 65% of its 39 million people under 35 and 146 universities offering IT programs. The startup market has expanded rapidly, with Uzbek startups raising $3 million in 2022 and $329 million in 2025. The government also supports initiatives like Digital Uprise, which matches foreign venture capital invested in local startups. Uzbekistan is also collaborating with Kazakhstan's Astana Hub to promote regional innovation.