Uzbekistan is preparing to launch an ambitious new legal jurisdiction aimed at attracting international technology companies. The idea is to utilise legal certainty and regulatory flexibility rather than tax incentives in building a digital economy.

In an exclusive interview with bne IntelliNews at the fifth annual Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF 2026) held last week, Bokhodir Ayupov, vice president of Enterprise Uzbekistan, outlined plans for what he described as a new type of jurisdiction built specifically for technology companies rather than financial institutions. "Enterprise Uzbekistan is not an economic zone," Ayupov said. "It's a jurisdiction."

The project represents the latest stage in Uzbekistan's efforts to position itself as a regional technology hub following years of rapid growth in its IT sector. According to Ayupov, Enterprise Uzbekistan emerged from the success of the country's IT Park programme, which was established around a decade ago to create favourable conditions for technology businesses. "The time came when we had to go global because more and more companies started to consider Uzbekistan as a very good spot for exporting their services," he said.

However, as Uzbek technology companies expanded internationally and foreign firms began considering the country as a destination, limitations within existing legal frameworks became increasingly apparent. "The legal systems, just like in many countries, are not designed for modern technology business reality," Ayupov said.

The solution, he argues, is to create a dedicated six-hectare jurisdiction operating under English and Welsh common law principles, a legal framework familiar to many international investors and technology companies. The centrepiece of the initiative is a constitutional guarantee designed to provide long-term certainty for investors. "We're talking about investor protection, trust from investors that is being written in the constitutional law that guarantees the stability all the way to the year 2100," Ayupov said.

The proposed framework includes freedom of foreign exchange operations, simplified registration procedures, special visa arrangements for technology specialists and remote registration services designed to reduce administrative burdens for international firms.

Enterprise Uzbekistan will also offer extensive tax benefits. Companies exporting services and products from Uzbekistan will be exempt from corporate taxes, VAT and a range of other taxes, while technology firms importing equipment for their own operations will benefit from customs exemptions. Yet Ayupov repeatedly emphasised that tax incentives are not the project's primary selling point. "It's zero tax," he said. "But it's not the most important thing.The most important thing that we're promoting is stability."

That focus distinguishes Enterprise Uzbekistan from many traditional special economic zones that rely primarily on tax holidays and customs incentives to attract investment.

It also reflects a broader shift in Uzbekistan's economic strategy. As the country moves beyond manufacturing and resource-based development, policymakers are increasingly seeking to attract higher-value digital industries, including artificial intelligence (AI), digital infrastructure, software development and technology startups.

Ayupov argues that many of the world's best-known special jurisdictions were originally designed as financial centres and only later adapted to accommodate technology businesses. "What we did here is we decided to build a global jurisdiction built for the needs of global tech companies, not financial ones," he said.

The distinction is particularly important because Uzbekistan is simultaneously developing a separate Tashkent International Financial Centre, which will focus on fintech, capital markets, blockchain and financial services. Enterprise Uzbekistan, by contrast, is intended to serve technology companies, AI developers, startup founders, digital infrastructure operators and international innovators.

The project is currently awaiting final approval after passing through Uzbekistan's legislative process. Ayupov said the government had initially hoped President Shavkat Mirziyoyev would announce the launch during this week's investment forum, but final enactment is now expected within the coming weeks. "We're talking about in one month's time when the president will sign both constitutional laws," he said.

Despite the formal launch still pending, discussions with potential residents have already begun. "We are already starting to communicate with companies about their pre-registration," Ayupov said.

The initiative comes as countries across Central Asia compete to attract technology investment and diversify their economies beyond commodities and traditional manufacturing. Whether Enterprise Uzbekistan succeeds in attracting major international technology firms remains to be seen.

But its creation highlights a growing recognition among policymakers that in the digital economy, legal certainty and investor confidence may be just as important as tax incentives.

For Uzbekistan, the wager is that a jurisdiction designed specifically for technology businesses can help transform the country from a fast-growing outsourcing destination into a global technology hub.