KILKEEL, Northern Ireland: When it comes to UK-European Union relations, there’s nothing like slapping a fish around. After all, both sides have been contesting who rules their waves practically since the United Kingdom became a member in 1973.
So it’s not so surprising that once the United Kingdom officially leaves the EU on Friday night, one of the first things the two sides will wrestle over during negotiations on their post-divorce relationship is the comparatively tiny fisheries industry.
“Perhaps in many ways, fisheries is the acid test of Brexit,” said British politician and leading Brexiteer Nigel Farage.
Industry and financial services are much more important in economic terms. But somehow fish and chips in Britain and sole meuniere on the continent stir much stronger emotions.
“For example, our car industry and chemicals industry alone are worth 20 times the value of the fishing industry.” said Chris Davies, an English Liberal Democrat member of the European Parliament who is head of the EU’s fisheries committee until he leaves on Friday.
“It is much more important, of course, to the economy in Britain as a whole that we get access for those products,” Davies said.
That doesn’t ring right in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland, and other UK ports where resentment against EU fishing policies that allow vessels from other nations in the bloc to catch stocks in rich British waters runs deep.
“This fleet has been stymied now for, what, 30, 30-plus years in terms of fish being taken off us and given to other member states. It has been a struggle,” said Alan McCulla, CEO of the local ANIFPO fishing cooperative.
“Fishermen here have lost thousands of tons of fishing opportunities valued at millions of pounds,” McCulla said.
Brexiteers have thrived for years on similar words of perceived wrongdoing by faceless bureaucrats encroaching on age-old British sovereignty. And no one has done that more effectively than Farage, who has been driving the UK toward the EU’s exit door for decades, mostly from inside the European Parliament itself — where he served as a British MEP for over two decades.
Farage knows how the briny whiff of the sea tugs at the nation’s heartstrings.
“The greatness of Britain has always been what we’ve done on the seas, whether it’s through the Royal Navy or through our merchant fleets,” Farage said in an interview with The Associated Press. “So fisheries is actually — symbolically — very, very important.”
Farage led a flotilla of fishing boats up the River Thames to Britain’s Parliament in last-ditch campaigning before the Brexit referendum on June 23, 2016. It turned out that every bit helped, as Britain stunningly decided to leave the bloc with a narrow 52 percent-48 percent margin.
Fish in waters off Britain were still abundant in the 1970s and fishing towns still thrived.
But for just about the duration of Britain’s membership, stocks of North Sea cod to English Channel sole were in decline. And for British fishermen it was easy to point fingers at foreign vessels and EU headquarters in Brussels. Every coastal member state wanted to catch as many fish as possible, despite dwindling stocks and scientific warnings.
First, the EU forced boats to stay in ports and restricted quotas, limiting access to fish. And when British fishermen then saw EU boats in their shared waters, anger came naturally.
The broad promise of Brexit always was to regain control and there is a physical sense of control when a 200-nautical mile zone is set for the UK, instead of the current 12 miles.
“The UK should determine what level of access from EU boats is allowed in. It shouldn’t be a free-for-all just because they’ve been there for years and years. The rules have changed, and we’re taking back control of our own waters,” said Brian Chambers, who owns the “Boy Paul” with his brother and mainly fishes off the coast of Ireland and the Isle of Man for crab and scallops. He voted “leave.”
Farage says Brexit could make sure boom years lie ahead for Britain’s workforce of 8,000 fishermen that nets just under €1 billion ($1.1 billion) worth of annual catches.
“If we get fisheries right, we will bring tens of thousands of jobs back to our coastal communities,” he said.
However, the EU has already made it clear negotiations won’t be that simple. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier’s office has already informed diplomats from the 27 member states that “reciprocal access to fishing waters and resources should be maintained.” That means pretty much looking for the status quo that UK fishermen hate so much.
And the EU can also play the history card.
“European vessels have been fishing in those waters forever. The Vikings would have dragged a net behind their longboats when they came over 1,000 years ago,” Davies, of the EU parliament fisheries committee, said.
“So, not surprisingly, the Dutch and the French and others are saying ‘we want this to continue, historically, it’s our right,’” he said.
Furthermore, while Britons may have their fish-rich waters, the EU has an even richer consumer market.
“British fishermen are going to have to accept that so long as they are selling 70% of all the fish they catch into the European continental market, their bargaining power is not that great,” Davies said.
Again, fishermen can already feel the squeeze. Even if they are revered and romanticized for being some of the last true hunters in Europe, many have long been squeezed out economically. As fish needed to be protected, they felt the politicians didn’t protect them. The promise of Brexit gave them a new hope, but now the realities of hard-nosed negotiations set in.
The fear is that their desire to get better ownership of their fishing grounds might just become the merest of pawns in the talks between both sides.
McCulla of the ANIFPO cooperative is trying to look at the bright side.
“I’ve no doubt that Europeans will still be able to fish in UK waters in the future,” he said. “But the important difference is that they will have to have that access under the terms of UK PLC, not under the terms of Brussels. And in the future Britannia will rule Britannia’s waves.”
Post-Brexit talks gear up for fish fight between EU, UK
https://arab.news/4edfx
Post-Brexit talks gear up for fish fight between EU, UK
- Industry and financial services are much more important in economic terms
- Every coastal member state wanted to catch as many fish as possible, despite dwindling stocks and scientific warnings
Pakistan eyes over $6 billion in Saudi support as top foreign financier in FY26
- China, Pakistan’s largest trading partner, projected to be second-biggest lender with $4.37 billion
- Budget documents also list smaller expected inflows from Kuwait ($21.4 million) and Oman ($5.14 million)
KARACHI: Saudi Arabia is expected to be Pakistan’s largest source of external financing in the upcoming fiscal year with over $6 billion in support as the South Asian country seeks to raise more than $20 billion from international lenders to uplift its fragile economy, official budget documents released this week showed.
In the 2025–26 fiscal year starting July 1, Pakistan aims to secure $6.46 billion from Riyadh, including $5 billion in time deposits, $1 billion in oil on deferred payments, and $46.4 million in economic assistance, according to the budget documents.
The financial support is intended to help stabilize the country’s external account and meet its balance of payments needs.
Islamabad has long relied on financial support from its Gulf and Chinese partners to shore up its foreign reserves and avoid default. In 2023, these inflows played a key role in helping Pakistan avert a sovereign debt crisis.
“The support from Saudi Arabia in the form of deposits and oil facility is undoubtedly the major source of the external stability,” said Shankar Talreja, head of research at Karachi-based Topline Securities.
Pakistan’s government unveiled a Rs17.6 trillion ($62 billion) federal budget on June 10, aiming to consolidate what it describes as fragile macroeconomic stability achieved under a $7 billion bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Notably, Pakistan has not earmarked a specific amount under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its external financing estimates for 2025-26. The country is currently operating under a 37-month IMF Extended Fund Facility approved last year.
In total, Pakistan has budgeted for Rs5.78 trillion ($20.4 billion) in foreign assistance in FY26, including both loans and grants from bilateral and multilateral partners, to help shore up reserves and finance its current account. The country’s total external receipts for the year are budgeted at Rs20.3 trillion ($71.9 billion).
China, Pakistan’s largest trading partner and longtime ally, is projected to be the second-biggest lender after Riyadh with $4.37 billion, including $4 billion in “safe deposits,” a form of central bank support, and $37 million in economic assistance.
“China is a major bilateral partner… supporting Pakistan with both commercial loans and time deposits,” said Talreja. “Both types are refinanced and renewed annually.”
Pakistan’s multilateral lenders include the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and others such as the United Nations, OPEC Fund, and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
SMALLER LENDERS AND REMITTANCES
Besides Saudi Arabia and China, Pakistan will also seek smaller amounts of aid and financing from countries including the United States, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Japan, and South Korea, according to the budget documents, which also list smaller expected inflows from Kuwait ($21.4 million) and Oman ($5.14 million).
However, a long-delayed Saudi oil facility, initially expected last year, has yet to materialize. Media reports have suggested Riyadh has linked its final approval to progress on Saudi investment in Pakistan’s Reko Diq copper and gold mining project.
State media reported in September that Saudi Arabia had offered a 15 percent equity stake in the multibillion-dollar Reko Diq mine in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province. The project, one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper-gold reserves, is operated by Canada’s Barrick Gold.
Islamabad also plans to raise $1.3 billion in commercial loans and $400 million through international bond issuances, though the finance ministry has not specified the sovereign guarantees or instruments.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has separately said the government aims to issue Panda bonds, yuan-denominated debt instruments issued in China, to raise around $200 million from Chinese investors to boost foreign exchange reserves.
In addition to official financing, Pakistan continues to benefit significantly from worker remittances, particularly from the Gulf region.
According to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024–25, released this week, Saudi Arabia accounted for $7.4 billion in remittances in the last fiscal year, about 25 percent of the national total.
Remittances from all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain — totaled $16.1 billion, or more than half of Pakistan’s total remittance inflows in 2024.
“In the GCC region, expanding Saudi mega-projects led to higher migrant employment, further contributing to inflows,” the economic survey said.
“It’s not just deposits and oil facilities helping Pakistan,” added Talreja. “Remittances from Saudi Arabia alone are a quarter of Pakistan’s total remittances.”
“Saudi Arabia is a key nation for Pakistan in terms of foreign inflows, whether in the form of remittances or economic assistance,” Sana Tawfik, head of research at Arif Habib Ltd. said.
Closing Bell: Saudi Arabia’s main index declines to close at 10,840
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index closed lower on Thursday, falling 164.08 points, or 1.49 percent, to end the session at 10,840.94.
Trading turnover on the main index reached SR5.34 billion ($1.42 billion), with only 14 stocks recording gains while 238 declined.
The Kingdom’s parallel market, Nomu, also saw a downturn, losing 425.57 points, or 1.56 percent, to close at 26,798.14. A total of 28 stocks advanced while 63 retreated. The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index slipped 13.42 points, or 0.95 percent, to finish at 1,392.04.
SEDCO Capital REIT Fund emerged as the session’s best performer, with its share price rising 0.88 percent to SR6.85. Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co. followed with a 0.71 percent gain to SR19.84, while Tihama Advertising and Public Relations Co. rose 0.67 percent to SR15.10.
On the downside, Al-Omran Industrial Trading Co. recorded the steepest loss, falling 9.15 percent to SR26.30. AYYAN Investment Co. dropped 7.35 percent to SR12.60, and Al Taiseer Group Talco Industrial Co. declined 7.26 percent to SR40.85.
On the announcements front, the Saudi National Bank announced plans to issue US dollar-denominated notes under its Euro Medium-Term Note Program.
According to a Tadawul filing, the issuance will be conducted through a special purpose vehicle and will be offered to eligible investors in Saudi Arabia and globally.
The bank has appointed Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC, DBS Bank Ltd., Emirates NBD Bank P.J.S.C., Goldman Sachs International, HSBC Bank plc, J.P. Morgan Securities plc, Mashreqbank psc, and Mizuho International plc as joint lead managers and book-runners.
SNB Capital Co., SMBC Bank International plc, and Standard Chartered were also mandated. The proceeds from the offering will be used to enhance Tier 2 capital, support general corporate purposes, and advance SNB’s strategic goals.
Final terms of the issuance will be determined based on market conditions. SNB shares edged up 0.14 percent to close at SR34.70.
Meanwhile, Yaqeen Capital Co. announced it has deposited proceeds from the sale of fractional shares following a recent capital increase. A total of 308 shares were sold, generating SR3,451.76, with an average price of SR11.23 per share. The proceeds have been distributed to eligible shareholders via their investment-linked accounts.
Saudi-UK ties deepen as 400+ leaders boost investment partnerships in London
JEDDAH: Saudi-UK business ties are set to grow as more than 400 leaders from various sectors gathered in London to explore cross-border investment opportunities and strengthen economic partnerships.
Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih led the Kingdom’s delegation at the UK-Saudi Investment and Partnership Summit held on June 11 at Mansion House in London’s financial district.
The Kingdom and the UK are strengthening economic ties, with bilateral trade hitting $21.6 billion in 2023 and a shared target of $37.5 billion by 2030, driven by the UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement negotiations and the UK’s GREAT Futures campaign.
Investment flows remain strong, with Saudi Arabia investing over $21 billion in the UK since 2017, including $3.5 billion in the northeast, while UK foreign direct investment in the Kingdom reached $13 billion by 2023.
Organized by the UK-British Joint Business Council and hosted by the City of London Corp., the summit was supported by the Saudi Ministry of Investment and the UK Department for Business and Trade, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
According to Al-Falih, the Kingdom and the UK share a bold vision for global leadership and a longstanding legacy of international trade.
“More than 30,000 UK British professionals reside in Saudi Arabia, and British investment in the Kingdom exceeds £14 billion, reflecting the bright future of the partnership between the two countries,” the minister said in a post on his X handle.
Al-Falih delivered the keynote speech, highlighting investment opportunities in infrastructure, financial services, and the green economy, as over 400 leaders gained insights into evolving markets and emerging investment trends.
The minister also engaged in a high-level ministerial dialogue with UK Investment Minister Baroness Poppy Gustafsson, highlighting the evolution of the strategic relationship and the countries’ shared outlook for the future.
“Today, I met with our UK partners— including Baroness Poppy Gustafsson, minister of investment; His Excellency Ambassador of the UK to Saudi Arabia Neil Crompton; and the Rt Hon. Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King— to discuss enhanced investment cooperation and partnership between our great nations,” Al-Falih said in a post on X.
In a separate post, the Saudi minister said: “At the historic Mansion House in the City of London, I spoke to an elite group of global investors, inviting them to explore the exceptional opportunities offered by Saudi Arabia. I shared insights into our future investment prospects, particularly in mutually prioritized sectors.”
In his speech, the minister discussed progress under the Mansion House Accord — a UK-led initiative to unlock up to £50 billion ($63.5 billion) in domestic investment from pension funds into high-growth sectors.
Panel discussions addressed joint development priorities aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UK’s industrial strategy, Invest 2035 — the UK government’s 10-year plan to provide certainty and stability for investments in high-growth sectors driving national growth.
Key topics included expanding public-private partnerships, mobilizing capital for large-scale infrastructure and real estate projects, supporting venture capital ecosystems, and harnessing frontier technologies such as deep tech, space, and clean innovation.
The Saudi Ministry of Investment noted that the summit agenda was designed to encourage practical dialogue, facilitate cross-border investment flows, and accelerate economic diversification through sustainable, forward-looking partnerships.
The London meetings followed the launch of the UK-Saudi Sustainable Infrastructure Assembly in May, a platform uniting companies, policymakers, and experts from both countries to shape the future of investment in infrastructure.
The assembly is part of the UK government’s “Great Futures” campaign, which promotes bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, education, and culture. A concluding meeting is planned for the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh this fall.
New Saudi offices in the UK, including those of the Public Investment Fund subsidiaries, NEOM, and Elm, alongside 52 UK firms establishing regional headquarters in Riyadh, further highlight expanding cross-border engagement.
Both nations also collaborate in areas such as energy, financial services, education, and green technologies. London has become a preferred hub for Saudi capital, with $69.9 billion raised since 2022 — $13.8 billion of which targeted sustainable finance.
Bahrain’s Islamic finance industry projected to surpass $100bn in 3 to 5 years
RIYADH: Bahrain’s Islamic finance industry is likely to surpass $100 billion within the next three to five years, according to global credit rating agency Fitch Ratings.
This growth will be fueled by the need for diversification and funding, partly addressed through sukuk, as well as a favorable regulatory environment and ongoing mergers and acquisitions, according to a statement.
This aligns with Bahrain’s banking sector assets to GDP ratio, which was estimated at 516 percent in 2024, indicating a highly concentrated and competitive market that presents significant challenges for both Islamic and conventional banks.
The debt capital market is primarily made up of government-issued sukuk and bonds, with limited participation from corporations and financial institutions.
This is also reflected in the fact that as of the first three months of 2025, Bahrain’s Islamic finance industry was valued at over $80 billion, with Islamic banking assets making up 78 percent, sukuk accounting for 19.2 percent, and the remaining 2.8 percent coming from Shariah-compliant investment funds and takaful firms.
The newly issued Fitch statement said: “Sukuk are substantial to Bahrain’s DCM (debt capital markets), comprising 32.5 percent of DCM outstanding (all currencies) as of end-1Q25 … In 2024, sukuk issuances grew by 36.2 percent yoy (year-over-year), with sovereign issuers representing about 90 percent of Bahrain’s sukuk issuances.”
It added: “Bahrain has notable access to the global DCM, with US dollar-denominated DCM comprising about 70 percent of the total, and dollar-denominated sukuk comprising nearly 90 percent of sukuk outstanding. The anticipated lower oil prices … upcoming government debt maturities and sizeable investors, including Bahraini and other GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Islamic banks, could encourage sukuk issuance.”
The statement further indicated that the agency rates 80 percent of the country’s US dollar sukuk outstanding as of the end of the first quarter of 2025, with 94.6 percent in the “B” rating category and 5.4 percent in the “BB” rating category.
It further disclosed that most sukuk issuers carry negative outlooks, reflecting Fitch’s downgrade of Bahrain’s outlook from stable to negative in February. The country has maintained its payment record on sukuk and bonds, with only one issuer launching ESG sukuk and no ESG bonds issued from the country.
“Bahrain continues to host Islamic finance industry setting bodies like the AAOIFI (Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions) and IIFM (International Islamic Financial Market). The draft AAOIFI Shariah Standard 62 has had no impact on Bahraini Islamic banks’ or sukuk ratings so far. However, there is a lack of clarity around the standard’s final scope and implementation,” the statement said.
It added that in the first quarter of 2025, Bahraini Islamic banks’ domestic assets saw an annual rise of 7.5 percent, outpacing conventional banks’ 3.4 percent.
They also increased their share of domestic banking assets to 41.4 percent in what was a 1 percentage point rise from the same quarter of 2024.
Fitch said this was partly due to Ahli United Bank’s conversion to an Islamic bank.
Islamic banks’ foreign assets decreased by 7.6 percent, while conventional banks’ increased by 6 percent, reducing the former’s share of total industry assets to 25.4 percent from 26.1 percent in the first quarter of 2024.
The Central Bank of Bahrain has introduced a draft netting law that includes Islamic derivatives, sukuk, digital asset derivatives, and carbon credit derivatives under qualified financial contracts — aimed at strengthening market participants’ confidence.
In June 2024, the CBB also launched a Shariah-compliant commodity Murabaha facility to help Islamic banks better manage surplus liquidity.
Bahrain’s Islamic finance projections come as other countries in the region also report relatively strong performance in the sector.
Earlier this month, a report from Qatar-based Bait Al Mashura Finance Consultations showed that Qatar’s Islamic finance sector continued its upward trajectory in 2024, with total assets rising 4.1 percent year on year to 683 billion Qatari riyals ($187.5 billion).
The analysis showed at the time that Islamic banks held the largest share, with 87.4 percent of total Islamic finance assets.
In April, S&P Global Ratings said in its outlook report that Saudi Arabia is poised to play a key role in propelling the growth of the global Islamic finance industry in 2025, underpinned by non-oil economic expansion and robust sukuk issuance, according to a new analysis.
The Kingdom’s banking system growth, supported by Vision 2030 initiatives, is expected to contribute significantly to the expansion of Islamic banking assets next year, the S&P report said at the time.
Uzbekistan keen to collaborate with Saudi Arabia on environmental protection: top official
RIYADH: Uzbekistan’s cooperation with Saudi Arabia on ecology and environmental protection is steadily progressing, with the Central Asian nation aiming to deepen this partnership through the exchange of knowledge and innovation, a top official said.
Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Tashkent International Investment Forum, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov said that the country wishes to collaborate with the Kingdom to develop effective solutions to issues including dust and sand storms.
Saudi Arabia is spearheading climate action efforts across the Middle East, with ambitions to plant 10 billion trees, rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land, and reduce carbon emissions by more than 278 million tonnes per year.
“Our cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the field of ecology and environmental protection is both dynamic and built on the principles of mutual respect and cooperative spirit. Within the framework of the Intergovernmental Commission between our two countries, we maintain a regular and constructive dialogue, exchanging views on the current state of cooperation and discussing long-term priorities between our environmental agencies. We also explore new avenues of cooperation,” said Abdukhakimov.
He added: “We envision cooperation between our national parks and protected natural areas. Saudi Arabia currently has over 70 protected areas, covering nearly 18 percent of its territory. By sharing expertise in ecosystem preservation and species protection, we can strengthen conservation efforts on both sides.”
The minister further said that such collaborations will allow the exchange of expertise in preserving unique ecosystems and rare species of flora and fauna.
Abdukhakimov added that Uzbekistan’s Central Asian University of Environmental and Climate Change Studies is seeking to establish academic partnerships with institutions in the Kingdom, including King Saud University and King Abdulaziz University, for the exchange of scientific knowledge and innovations in the environmental field.
“Our cooperation with Saudi Arabia is built on a foundation of trust, mutual interest and a shared responsibility for sustainable development. We look forward to deepening this partnership in the years ahead,” said the minister.
The minister further said that Uzbekistan sees great opportunities for broader regional cooperation through the Middle East Green Initiative, which offers a valuable platform for environmental innovation, joint research, and investment in green infrastructure - particularly in areas like desertification control, sustainable land management and cross-border technology transfer.
He also invited Saudi partners to participate in the international Eco Expo Central Asia exhibition to be held in Tashkent from June 19 to 21, as well as the 20th CITES COP20 Conference, which will take place in Samarkand from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5.
Uzbekistan’s environmental agenda
During the interview, Abdukhakimov told Arab News that Uzbekistan is currently facing several severe environmental challenges, both globally and regionally, including climate change, desertification, and land degradation.
“These issues are the legacy of decades of unsustainable natural resource use and ineffective environmental management and a bitter lesson that we learn,” he said.
To address these challenges, the Uzbek government, under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is taking various measures, including a push for a green economy, a transition to environmentally friendly transportation, and the development of alternative and renewable energy sources.
Saudi Arabia is also collaborating with Uzbekistan to advance its energy transition journey, which aims to generate 40 percent of its electricity from clean sources by the end of this decade.
Saudi utility giant ACWA Power is the largest foreign player in Uzbekistan’s energy sector, with the company already implementing 19 projects in the country worth a combined value of $5 billion.
Out of these 19 initiatives, eight are focused on renewable energy, which is expected to support the Central Asian nation’s goal to achieve 20 gigawatts of clean energy capacity by 2030.
During the Tashkent Investment Forum, Abid Malik, president of ACWA Power for Central Asia, announced that Uzbekistan will commence producing green hydrogen this month, with an annual production capacity of 3,000 tonnes.
In 2023, Mirziyoyev launched a pilot green hydrogen facility in the Tashkent Region in cooperation with ACWA Power. The $88 million project is being implemented in two phases, with production from the first phase expected to begin this month.
During the forum, Soumendra Rout, ACWA Power’s country head for Uzbekistan, said that the company is planning to invest $5 billion in the Central Asian nation as a part of its broader strategy aimed at increasing its total commitments in the country to $15 billion.
Abdukhakimov added that Uzbekistan, through the nationwide project Yashil Makon “Green Space,” aims to plant 200 million trees annually.
Under the project, Uzbekistan has planted over 850 million tree and shrub seedlings over the past four years.
“We’ve also launched the Uzbekistan–2030 Strategy, where one of the central goals is to ensure a healthy and sustainable environment for all. Furthermore, we’ve declared 2025 the year of Environmental Protection and Green Economy, a vision that reflects our national commitment to ecological priorities,” said the minister.
He added: “In terms of policy, we’ve adopted several strategic documents, including the Concept for Environmental Protection until 2030, the Strategy for Solid Household Waste Management, the Forestry Development Concept, and a comprehensive program to raise environmental awareness among the public.”
Abdukhakimov further added that Uzbekistan is also strengthening institutions for environmental monitoring and control, with the country modernizing its environmental monitoring systems and expanding its meteorological network.
“All of these efforts reflect Uzbekistan’s systematic and science-based approach to solving environmental problems, as well as our growing engagement with the global environmental community. We are determined to build a greener, more resilient future for our people,” he added.
According to the minister, Uzbekistan is actively undergoing a strategic shift from a linear to a circular economic model, where waste is no longer viewed merely as a byproduct but as a valuable resource.
“These initiatives are not only improving our national waste processing capacity but are also creating green jobs, enhancing public health and helping us meet national climate targets under the Paris Agreement,” he added.
Cooperation with regional partners
According to Abdukhakimov, Uzbekistan, like other Central Asian nations, is located in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
He added that the average temperature in the region has risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius — twice the global average, while the area of glaciers has decreased by 30 percent in the last 50 to 60 years, resulting in water shortages, land degradation, and reduced crop yields.
“Central Asian countries share not only geographic and ecological systems, but also the risks driven by climate change, such as desertification, drought, and declining agricultural productivity. Uzbekistan views collaboration as the most effective strategy to forge a common, sustainable future,” said the minister.
To ensure regional cooperation, Uzbekistan also hosted the Samarkand Climate Forum in April, where the Regional Green Development Concept was presented.
The minister said that this document serves as a foundation for shaping coordinated climate policy and strengthening regional solidarity in the face of global challenges.
Uzbekistan is also actively engaged in numerous regional initiatives, including the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia, and the CAREC Program, as well as projects with the World Bank, OSCE, and UNESCO.
Abdukhakimov further said that these initiatives will facilitate knowledge exchange, joint management of natural resources, and the mobilization of international funding.
“In all our regional work, we are guided by the principles of solidarity, mutual benefit, and synergy. We believe that only through collective action can we ensure the sustainability, security, and prosperity of our entire region in the face of climate change,” the minister said.
