Museums play an important role in preserving the rich history, cultural heritage, and national values of the people, as well as in enhancing the moral education and tourism potential of the younger generation.
The increase in visitors demonstrates the ongoing efforts to develop museum activities in Uzbekistan in recent years, equip them with modern technologies, and transform them into more attractive venues for the public.
According to data from the National Statistics Committee, a total of 137 museums, including branches, are operating in the republic as of January 1, 2026. The fact that 5.5 million people visited these museums during 2025 indicates a year-on-year increase in interest in the field.
Analyses show that the number of museum visitors increased by 692.3 thousand people, or 14.5 percent, compared to 2024. This growth is attributed to several important factors, such as state programs aimed at developing domestic tourism, the restoration of cultural heritage sites, the introduction of interactive exhibitions and digital services in museums, and the rising public interest in cultural enrichment.
Based on statistics, this equates to 145 museum visits per thousand inhabitants. This indicator shows that although museums are present in social life, they hold an important place. To further increase this figure, it is crucial to strengthen cooperation with educational institutions, implement special cultural projects for youth, expand the role of museums along tourist routes, and utilize digital technologies effectively.
Today, museums are not just places that preserve historical exhibits; they are becoming modern centers that integrate science, education, culture, and tourism. The steady increase in visitor numbers clearly demonstrates the growing respect for national heritage among the population, the development of cultural tourism in the country, and the increasing importance of museums in social life.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the city of Bekobod in Tashkent region on July 13 to familiarize himself with current work and new projects at the Uzbekistan Metallurgical Combine. Additionally, he held a meeting dedicated to the further development of ferrous metallurgy in the country.
The Head of State arrived in Bekobod by electric train. In accordance with the decision made on December 27, 2025, regarding measures to increase passenger transport indicators on local routes in railway transport until 2030, the transport infrastructure in the region is being updated, and local tracks are being expanded. This ensures convenient and high-quality transport services for the population.
At the Bekobod station, the President was briefed on the work carried out on the route connecting the capital and this city. It is planned that the 192-kilometer railway route 'Tashkent – Bekobod' will serve almost a thousand people daily and 300 thousand people annually. Currently, an electric train consisting of six carriages, designed for 586 passengers, operates there, traveling at speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour. This is particularly convenient for citizens who commute to work and study daily.
All necessary conditions have been created for passengers on the electric train. Specifically, special lifts have been installed for people with disabilities. The carriages are equipped with air conditioning and heating systems, soft seats, USB charging ports, and Wi-Fi. There are also video surveillance systems, electronic information boards, and special spaces for bicycles.
The introduction of a fast electric train contributes to reducing the transport load on roads and increasing the share of environmentally friendly transport. The President gave instructions to responsible persons regarding the further development of railway infrastructure, improving passenger conditions, electrification of tracks, and landscaping adjacent territories.
Furthermore, the Head of State paid special attention to station infrastructure, service quality, and the efficient organization of passenger flow. After this, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the launch ceremony of a new rolling complex at the Uzbekistan Metallurgical Combine in the city of Bekobod. The Head of State congratulated the combine's staff, labor veterans, and foreign partners on this important event.
He emphasized that in recent years, large-scale reforms have been taking place in the country to bring the non-ferrous metallurgy industry to a new technological level. Over the last decade, about 2 billion dollars in foreign investment have been attracted to the industry, and 31 major production capacities have been launched. Thanks to the opening of broad opportunities for the private sector, the number of enterprises operating in this industry has exceeded 150.
During this period, the annual volume of domestic metal product production reached 3 million tons, with a value of 23 trillion sums. For comparison, 800 thousand tons of products worth 1.5 trillion sums were produced in 2016. Whereas previously the industry mainly supplied rolled metal for the construction sector, today it produces 80 types of new products for rapidly developing areas such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, defense industry, and energy.
The President stressed that the work of metallurgists plays an important role in creating the modern image of New Uzbekistan, implementing large-scale construction projects, and developing economic sectors. The goal is to transition the country's economy to a technological and innovative growth model, achieving a GDP of 240 billion dollars by 2030. It is planned to attract 180 billion dollars in foreign investment into the economy over the next five years, implement social and production infrastructure projects worth 27 billion dollars, and build multi-story residential buildings for 800 thousand residents.
Such large-scale projects will increase the demand for metal products by 1.5 times compared to the current level. It was noted that the Uzbekistan Metallurgical Combine, which has more than 5.5 thousand experienced and dedicated employees, holds a special significance.
The new rolling complex at the combine will begin a new era in increasing labor productivity and product quality through the implementation of energy-efficient technologies and digital solutions. This complex will take a historical place as the first project for producing hot-rolled sheet metal in the country. Its launch will allow for the production of 1 million tons of hot-rolled sheet metal annually, valued at 8 trillion sums. The needs of the Tashkent and Samarkand metallurgical plants for sheet metal will be fully met, and 1,200 high-paying jobs will be created.
The Head of State expressed gratitude to the builders, engineers, technologists, drivers, workers, and labor veterans involved in creating the complex. Future plans for the development of the Uzbekistan Metallurgical Combine were also determined during the solemn ceremony. It was emphasized that ensuring raw materials from local resources is the top priority, as there is a reserve of iron ore within the country's territory amounting to 1.5 billion tons.
It is planned that in the next three to four years, the launch of the Tebinbulok mine will allow for the production of 1 million tons of steel annually. Furthermore, through mineral enrichment at the Surun-ota mine, 600 thousand tons of iron ore will be collected annually. A modern metallurgical plant worth 180 million dollars will be built at the combine to process this raw material. Over the next three years, the steel rod production lines will be gradually modernized at a cost of 30 million dollars, increasing their capacity from 250 thousand to 500 thousand tons.
This year, 6 projects totaling 70 million dollars are starting in this industrial park for the production of large-diameter pipes, lifting cranes, and filtering equipment. Their implementation will create another 660 high-paying jobs. The President noted that metallurgy is a heavy but honorable industry and emphasized the high honor and recognition of the combine workers' labor.
It was noted that specialists working at the combine, which has a hundred-year history, are a role model for many teams due to the transfer of knowledge and experience within the mentorship tradition. After this, the Head of State activated the complex's activities by pressing a symbolic button. He met with industry figures, combine employees, and foreign partners. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev monitored the metal rolling process at the Uzbekistan Metallurgical Combine's new complex via a unified control panel.
In the following years, special attention will be paid to the modernization of the combine and increasing its production potential. As a result, the combine's net profit grew from 14 million dollars in 2017 to 23 million dollars by 2025. The Head of State laid the foundation stone for the construction of a rolling complex in Bekobod on August 29, 2018, for the first time. The total cost of the project is 839 million dollars. This strategically important complex, built on an area of 18 hectares, will contribute to satisfying the country's needs for metal products.
It is planned to increase production volume to 2 million tons and also produce an additional 1.04 million tons of laminated steel sheet, bringing the total number of jobs in the combine to 7 thousand. The complex uses continuous steel casting equipment based on the experience of the Italian company 'Danieli' and is managed through a unified control panel. Previously, 4-5 control panels were used in old technologies, where 9 employees worked, whereas today the process is controlled by only 3 specialists through a single management system.
The President emphasized the need to introduce artificial intelligence technologies into the unified control system to further increase the stability and economic efficiency of the complex. It was noted that this complex is a unique project in Central Asia in terms of equipment safety and operational speed. In particular, it allows for the automatic replacement of main rolls in 5-7 minutes instead of the previous 30-40 minutes without human intervention, without stopping the production process.
The President also inspected samples of products obtained from sheet rolling and listened to reports from managers. Information was provided on the value chain for hot-rolled sheet products, as well as recommendations on products that should be localized in the republic. Practical issues regarding the regulation of rebar use in construction, control of black metal rolled product use in construction sites, and reduction of seismic risks were clarified.
During the meeting, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev set sustainable goals for bringing ferrous metallurgy to a new stage at the Uzbekistan Metallurgical Combine. He emphasized that ferrous metallurgy is one of the main sources of raw materials for 50 billion dollar economic sectors, including construction, building materials, mechanical engineering, automotive production, energy, and electrical engineering.
To transition the economy to a technological and innovative growth model, it is necessary to ensure a growth rate of at least 8-9% annually to achieve a GDP of 240 billion dollars by 2030. At the same time, it is critically important that the metallurgical industry relies on a stable raw material base, competitive products, and modern technologies. Problems such as dependence on imports, high costs for coke sand and energy, as well as insufficient results in digitalization and the implementation of artificial intelligence were pointed out. It was noted that these issues become even more relevant in the context of global contradictions and logistical problems on major transport routes.
Over the last decade, the demand for sheet metal, rod rolling, pipes, and metal structures in the country has tripled, reaching 5.5 million tons. The construction of nuclear power plants, the fourth phosphate plant, and a new copper processing plant will require about 2.5 million tons of sheet metal and rebar. Over the next five years, new capacities worth 180 billion dollars will be launched, infrastructure projects worth 27 billion dollars will be implemented, and multi-story residential buildings for 800 thousand people will be built. As a result, the annual demand for metal products by 2030 will increase by 1.5 times, exceeding 8 million tons.
Currently, the Bekobod Metallurgical Combine produces 40% of rolled metal from secondary raw materials and 60% from imports. Although 700 thousand tons of scrap ferrous metal are delivered to the republic annually, another 500 thousand tons of scrap metal remains unregistered. Therefore, all processes related to the black metal cycle are monitored in real-time through an electronic platform. To ensure a healthy competitive environment and price stability in the industry, a special Project Office will be created by the Government. The electronic platform 'E-lom' was launched on August 1st to monitor the black metal cycle.
It was noted that the country has reserves of 1.5 billion tons of iron ore. An agreement has been reached with Chinese partners to receive 650 thousand tons of iron ore annually from the Surun-ota mine. The necessity of accelerating the official signing of a contract to receive 700 thousand tons of iron ore annually from the Tojikiston Metallurgical Combine by launching the Tebinbulok mine and developing a plan for this was also emphasized. It was indicated that large private enterprises are ready to engage in geological exploration, raw material extraction from mines, and creating a complete technological chain up to finished products, and they need the right conditions for this.
[ ]The Asian Boxing Championship is taking place in Jakarta, Indonesia, across two age categories. The tournament has reached a tense stage, with quarterfinal matches scheduled for the U19 category today.
Seven athletes from the national team of Uzbekistan will step into the ring in various weight classes. They will compete against representatives from South Korea, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Singapore.
Today's fighters include: in the 50 kg weight class — Utkirbek Norqosimov versus Junsy Choi (South Korea); in the 55 kg weight class — Elyor Rustamov versus Pangeran Februzio (Indonesia); in the 60 kg weight class — Muhammadrizo Ukimov versus Umar Orusbaev (Kyrgyzstan); in the 70 kg weight class — Saidkhoja Sa'dillakhjoev versus Muhammad Mamadaliyev (Tajikistan); in the 75 kg weight class — Sukhrob Rahmatullaev versus Hamza Maksatuli (Kazakhstan); in the 80 kg weight class — Abrorbek Sharipov versus Benjamin Lee (Singapore); and in the 85 kg weight class — Sardorbek Bahromkhojaev versus Sunghoon Lim (South Korea).
It should be noted that quarterfinals among boxers under 23 years old took place the day before. Eight of our boxers participated in this match, and all of them managed to advance to the semifinals.
In the first quarter of 2026, the real estate market in Uzbekistan significantly intensified, and housing prices continue to rise. This growth occurred against the backdrop of the introduction of the escrow system for real estate transactions starting April 1, 2026.
According to the 'Real Estate Market' analysis by the Central Bank, published for the first quarter of 2026, the number of real estate purchase and sale transactions in January-March amounted to 110.1 thousand. This exceeds the figures for the same period last year by 48.4 percent.
The Central Bank explains this increased activity with several factors: an increase in the volume of mortgage loans, a rise in real household incomes, and the maintenance of a high level of construction and investment activity.
The largest growth was observed in regions such as Tashkent, Syrdarya, Andijan, and Navoi. In Tashkent, activity grew by 64%, in Syrdarya by 67%, in Andijan by 56%, and in Navoi by 52%. The mortgage market also contributed to this growth: the volume of issued mortgage loans in the first quarter reached 5.7 trillion sums, which is 29% more than the previous year. Furthermore, real household incomes increased by 7.8%.
Supply indicators also show growth: the total volume of housing transferred into use by the end of the first quarter was 3.3 million square meters, which is 6.6% more than last year. The growth was mainly due to individual residential houses. High demand also influenced prices: in March, prices in the primary market rose by 1.8% in sums and by 8.1% in dollars, while on the secondary market, the growth was 3% in sums and 9.4% in dollars.
According to the Central Bank's conclusion, the revitalization of the real estate market in the first quarter of 2026 was formed based on high economic activity, the expansion of mortgage lending, and the increase in citizens' incomes.
