President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Visionary Leadership – Digital Transformation of New Uzbekistan into a Regional IT Powerhouse by 2030
Abstract
Under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan has begun an ambitious journey of digital transformation, which is a key part of “New Uzbekistan”. The country is actively implementing significant initiatives aimed at the modernization of governance, the economy and society, like “Digital Uzbekistan – 2030”, “Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026” and the “Uzbekistan – 2030” Strategy. The strategic framework, remarkable success, international recognition and forward-looking initiatives, that have led Uzbekistan to become one of the world’s leaders in e-government and digital innovation, are explored in this article and have created a deep impact on the country’s competitiveness and regional connectivity in Central Asia.
A Strategic Vision for New Uzbekistan
The administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev has defined the process of digital transformation as a main pillar of the state’s development policy. The leadership has embraced the transformative potential of technology, and has developed broad strategic documents with clear targets for digitization throughout all regions and sectors. These include the “Digital Uzbekistan – 2030” Strategy, whose goal is to bring Uzbekistan among the top 30 countries in the world in terms of e-government development, and the “Uzbekistan – 2030” Strategy, which considers Uzbekistan as a regional IT hub.
This visionary approach is not only technical, but also humanistic. The policy of digital transformation under the leadership of President Mirziyoyev aims to modernize society, raise the standard of living of the people, and digitize the process of public administration to provide convenient services, access to foreign markets and fully digitize public administration.
Strategic Framework
Integrated and progressive policies are the basis of the digital success of “New Uzbekistan”. The main directions of the “Digital Uzbekistan – 2030” Strategy are driven by the massive application of digital technologies and development of digital infrastructure. In addition, the “Digital Government” and “Digital Region” programs (2023-2024), approved by presidential decree, focus on 300 key projects: 112 for the digitization of public administration, 51 for the real economy and 137 for the transformation of the region.
A Decree also approved the “Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence Technologies until 2030”, which will provide 10% of services on the Unified Portal with the application of artificial intelligence. A dedicated rating methodology is in place, and is in line with the UN E-Government Development Index, allowing systematic monitoring of progress in terms of openness, electronic participation, e-services, information security and digital maturity.
These strategies reflect the concept of a “Service State” – a government that puts the people at the heart of its operations by streamlining its bureaucracy, adopting “three-step” processes tailored for users and making “all-in-one” mobile apps available.
Remarkable Achievements
New Uzbekistan has achieved tremendous progress and great strides. The Unified Portal of Interactive Public Services (My.gov.uz) is a key success. Allot of public services were available digitally. User engagement has skyrocketed. In total, there were 33.1 million internet users nationwide at the end of 2025.
Services were connected to the banks, payment systems and/or operators, allot of software projects were created and many new IT companies were founded.
Special attention is paid to the development of human capital. Over 1.2 million young people have been trained through the “One Million Uzbek Coders” project, the number of IT centers has reached more than 300 and over 20,000 young people have participated in digital skills training. It is planned to annually train 5,000 gifted young people for the international IT market.
International Recognition
Uzbekistan has received worldwide recognition for its accomplishments. The country made a leap up six places to 63rd position in the United Nations E-Government Survey 2024, placing it in the “very high” E-Government Data Index (EGDI) group for the first time, with a score of 0.7999 against the 2025 target of 0.75. This compares to 69th place (0.7265) in 2022.
This success is echoed in the World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index. Uzbekistan improved its ranking by 37 spots in 2022 to 43rd place among 198 countries in the top category “Group A”. It was also one of the four best in the world in the “GovTech Enablers” Index on digital skills and public service innovation. In 2025 World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index report Uzbekistan retains in the top Group A.
These rankings and determination are based on effective digital policy, integrated government systems and quality electronic services.
Future-Oriented Initiatives and Conclusion
So, Uzbekistan is moving towards a fully “digital government”, where papers and interactions are paperless. The plans comprise digitizing of functions of public administration, localization of service points in digitization and digitalization of local council offices. The main push of cyber security, growing IT literacy and assistance for local IT companies.
Uzbekistan is expected to play a pivotal role in regional integration in Central Asia by promoting digital connectivity. Improved cooperation within and between the departments and across borders in the e-government realm can help to speed up cooperation, trade and joint technological progress in the region.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s digital transformation under his strategic leadership represents visionary leadership with an emphasis on people. Uzbekistan is not only fulfilling the vision of “New Uzbekistan,” but is also establishing an inspiring example for other developing countries around the world through its focus on infrastructure, innovation, human capital development, and inclusive governance.
The emphasis on infrastructure resilience, digital skills, cyber security and global integration will facilitate the digital dividend reaching all citizens. President Mirziyoyev is on the path of becoming one of the top-30 e-government leaders by 2030, which will bring a better future and technological empowerment to Uzbekistan, reinforcing the sovereignty and unity of the Central Asian region.
