Uzbekistan begins second phase of $320 million rural infrastructure project

Tashkent hosted a review of the Rural Infrastructure Development Project (RIDP), implemented in 2019–2026, and presented plans for its continuation as RIDP-2. The Ministry of Economy and Finance, together with the World Bank Group, held a conference on 4 November to discuss the results of the first phase and the move to the next stage.

During the first phase, about 900 infrastructure projects were carried out in 306 mahallas across five regions. These included more than 340 roads, 220 power supply systems and 160 water supply systems, along with about 100 renovated schools, 40 preschool institutions and 10 bridges. Around 1 million rural residents benefited directly, nearly half of them women.

The total budget for RIDP-2 is $320 million. The World Bank will provide $150 million, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) $100 million, and the Uzbek government $70 million. The second phase will cover 296 mahallas in six regions and is expected to benefit about 1.2 million rural residents by 2031, including 600,000 women and 300,000 young people. The programme also aims to expand economic opportunities through entrepreneurship support and new jobs, with shared centres planned for entrepreneurs in 15 pilot mahallas.