AI infrastructure push draws $6bn in data-centre commitments
At the Tashkent event, industrial uses and internationally active startups offer signs of a broader technology ecosystem taking shape. But affordable access to computing power remains a constraint for local companies.
Uzbekistan has committed over $6 billion (€5.3 billion) to the construction of new data centers, aiming to produce its own computing power for artificial intelligence (AI) development instead of relying on foreign infrastructure. Some of this capacity is already operational, with a government computing cluster launched this summer using Nvidia technology to run AI projects. Larger commercial data center developments are also in progress.
The expansion is attracting international capital into Central Asia's technology sector, a key focus at the ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 event in Tashkent. Building the computing power needed for AI systems involves large clusters of specialized processors called GPUs. Uzbekistan's government has reported that its Nvidia-based data centre cluster reached 90% utilization within its first month, indicating high demand for computing resources.
The government operates a government data centre serving public needs and is procuring the next stage. Private projects, such as a 12-megawatt data centre in Tashkent developed by Saudi-based DataVolt, are much larger. This project, designed to support AI and other computationally intensive services, has secured up to $150 million in financing from international investors, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Germany's DEG, France's Proparco, and the OPEC Fund for International Development.
The first phase is expected to become operational by the end of 2026, with plans to reach 300 megawatts in later stages.
Other significant data centre projects are underway in Karakalpakstan in western Uzbekistan by Shanghai LinkWise Data Intelligence. Uzbekistan's Ministry of Digital Technologies reports that investment commitments for data centre developments across the country now total more than $6 billion.
While the government emphasizes the construction of data centers, the cost of accessing computing power remains a challenge, particularly for startups and smaller technology companies that cannot finance their own infrastructure. However, over 100 AI projects are being developed under Uzbekistan's national strategy, including public service platforms and industrial applications.
More than 20 AI laboratories are also planned at universities by the end of the year, focusing on addressing language challenges for countries like Uzbekistan, which has less representation in global AI systems. Despite progress, computing power remains expensive for many local startups, which continue to rely on international cloud providers.
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