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Natural resources

Mirziyoyev: Uzbekistan’s Natural Resources Valued at Up to $79,000 Per Person

Uzbekistan’s vast underground wealth has drawn renewed attention following the release of an international ranking of countries by natural resource value per capita, as reported by Uzbek publication Zamin. According to the ranking, Saudi Arabia tops the list, with natural resources valued at approximately $1 million per person, driven largely by its extensive oil reserves. Canada and Australia follow, each exceeding $700,000 per capita, supported by a combination of oil, forests, minerals, iron ore, coal, and natural gas. Russia ranks fourth, with more than $520,000 in resources per person. Although accurately assessing Uzbekistan’s total natural resource value remains difficult due to fluctuating global commodity prices and ongoing geological exploration, the country's long-term potential is considered substantial. In July 2018, Azam Qadirhodjayev, then Deputy Chairman of Uzbekistan’s State Committee for Geology and Mineral Resources, estimated the total potential value of the country’s mineral resources at approximately $5.7 trillion. Of this, over $1 trillion stemmed from explored and currently developed deposits. At the time, only about 20% of Uzbekistan’s territory had been fully studied, leaving considerable room for new discoveries. Additional details were provided in December 2023, when Ilyos Jumayev, a representative of the Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology, announced at a press conference that Uzbekistan officially possesses 101 gold deposits and three silver deposits. According to the ministry, the country holds nearly all mineral types found globally, including gold, silver, copper, uranium, oil, natural gas, lithium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, nickel, cobalt, tantalum, and niobium. Major gold reserves serve as the raw material base for the Navoi and Almalyk mining and metallurgical complexes, while copper deposits are primarily located in the Tashkent region. The value of Uzbekistan’s natural resources was also a key topic at the Tashkent International Investment Forum in June 2025. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated that the country’s underground wealth is valued at approximately $3 trillion. He emphasized that the global demand for technological minerals is rising amid the fourth industrial revolution and identified strategic reserves of lithium, tungsten, magnesium, graphite, titanium, and vanadium as vital for developing high value-added industries. Based on the president’s $3 trillion estimate and Uzbekistan’s current population of roughly 38.24 million, the per capita value of natural resources stands at approximately $78,000 to $79,000. While lower than the per capita resource wealth in countries like Saudi Arabia or Canada, officials argue that incomplete geological surveying leaves room for this figure to grow. Uzbekistan’s resource base includes not only precious and rare earth metals but also energy resources such as oil and natural gas, underscoring the country’s strategic position in the global minerals landscape.

Natural resources

Kyrgyzstan Expands Mineral Reserves Amid New Exploration Drive

Kyrgyzstan now boasts over 1,000 deposits of 51 different types of minerals, including precious, base, and rare earth metals, as well as coal and hydrocarbons, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision. Among the most prominent is the Kumtor gold mine, situated at an altitude of 4,000 meters in the Issyk-Kul region. Kumtor ranks among the world’s ten largest gold deposits and remains a cornerstone of the national mining sector. Approximately 400 deposits across the country are currently under development or active exploration, while operations at around 600 sites have been suspended pending reserve reassessments and upgrades to mining technologies. The mining sector is considered a strategic priority for Kyrgyzstan’s economy. After years of limited geological activity, the government allocated 1 billion soms in 2024 to Kyrgyzgeology for equipment modernization and intensified exploration of polymetals and rare earth elements. Between January and September 2025, the industry recorded stable growth in both output and reserves. As of January 1, 2025, Kyrgyzstan’s confirmed reserves included 973 tons of gold, 1,100 tons of silver, and 960,400 tons of copper, along with significant quantities of other minerals. Recent exploration efforts yielded an additional 5.8 tons of gold, 3.7 tons of silver, and substantial volumes of non-ferrous metals, coal, and construction materials. In the first nine months of 2025, Kyrgyzstan produced 17 tons of gold, 198,000 tons of oil, 18.9 million cubic meters of gas, and 2.3 million tons of coal. To support industry growth, the government conducted 26 auctions for subsoil use rights, generating $1.6 million in revenue. As of September 2025, a total of 2,005 mining licenses had been issued, including 103 granted to state-owned enterprises.

Rare Earth Elements

Kazakhstan’s Rare Earth Ambitions Hindered by Investment and Control Challenges

Kazakhstan holds significant reserves of rare metals and rare earth elements, sometimes referred to as the "new oil" due to their increasing importance in global industries. However, experts say the country remains far from becoming a major supplier, as geopolitical tensions and a lack of large-scale investment continue to hinder development. Global Context: Rare Earth Metals in Geopolitics U.S. President Donald Trump has called for a rare-earth deal with Ukraine, raising international public interest in these minerals. While the specifics of the deal remain unclear, Trump has estimated its potential value at a trillion dollars. Meanwhile, Russia, which holds the world’s fourth-largest rare earth reserves, has expressed interest in cooperating with the U.S. in this sector. Experts argue that large-scale mining operations in Ukraine are currently unprofitable and impractical. The rare metal sector includes 60 elements, such as lithium, titanium, beryllium, gallium, and tungsten, while rare-earth metals include 17 elements, such as scandium, yttrium, and lanthanides. Their high production costs, complex extraction process, and long payback periods have made large-scale commercial extraction difficult despite growing global demand. Is Kazakhstan a Promising Market? China remains the dominant global producer of rare earth metals, followed by Brazil, India, Australia, and Russia. Despite its extensive natural resource base in oil, gas, uranium, and non-ferrous metals, Kazakhstan has yet to prioritize rare-earth extraction. However, international interest in Kazakhstan’s deposits is growing. France, Germany, and South Korea have already initiated exploration projects in the country. Germany’s HMS Bergbau AG, in collaboration with Qazaq Lithium, is developing lithium deposits in East Kazakhstan Oblast (EKO). Meanwhile, South Korea’s KIGAM has conducted exploration at the Bakennoye lithium deposit, leading to a memorandum of cooperation. The U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan has also announced upcoming mining and processing projects for critical materials, such as lithium and titanium, involving American companies. President Tokayev has stated that Kazakhstan’s subsoil contains 50,000 to 100,000 tons of lithium, but substantial investment in exploration and development is required. Kazakhstan already holds an 11% share of the global titanium market, rising to more than 20% in the aerospace industry. Newly identified rare earth deposits were announced by the government in early 2025, totaling 2.6 million tons, including 400,000 tons of tungsten and 500,000 tons of niobium. Calls for Stronger State Control As international interest in Kazakhstan’s resources grows, concerns about foreign control over strategic assets have intensified. Financial analyst Rasul Rysmambetov has warned that major international players, particularly from Russia, may seek to dominate Kazakhstan’s rare-earth sector. “Several large Russian companies already operate in Kazakhstan. It is crucial to ensure that control over these resources remains in the hands of the state,” he said. Rysmambetov has proposed the creation of a state agency for strategic assets or expanding the jurisdiction of existing institutions, such as the National Security Committee and the Ministry of Finance. He also suggested that sales of strategic resources should require oversight from the Security Council or Parliament. “We can expect attempts by foreign firms, particularly Russian and Chinese companies, to acquire major...

Natural resources

Gold Reserves in Kyrgyzstan May Reach Up to 4,000 Tons

Kyrgyzstan holds over 5,000 deposits of various minerals, including valuable resources such as gold, rare earth elements, uranium, and thorium. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Narynbek Satybaldiev during a briefing. According to official state data, Kyrgyzstan has just over 1,000 tons of confirmed gold reserves. However, geologists estimate that the country's total potential exceeds 4,000 tons. Many deposits are complex, containing other metals such as antimony, copper, and zinc alongside gold. Satybaldiev highlighted that the recent lifting of a moratorium on deposit development presents new opportunities for mining gold and other strategically important metals essential for the global economy. The Kyrgyz government is developing a comprehensive strategy to fully utilize its mineral resources. The plan includes exploration, mining, and processing initiatives, with a particular focus on rare earth metals. These resources are critical for producing high-tech products and advancing green energy technologies. The implementation of this strategy is expected to boost mining revenues, strengthen Kyrgyzstan's economic independence, and attract foreign investment. In June 2024, Kyrgyzstan lifted a ban on developing uranium and thorium deposits, a restriction that had been in place since 2019. The decision reflects the government’s aim to balance environmental safety with the need to harness strategically important resources for economic growth. The policy change is expected to attract investment, create jobs, and increase revenues from mineral exports.

Science

Turkmenistan to Produce Food Additives from Locally Harvested Gleditsia Pods

In a significant step towards implementing innovations across various economic sectors, Turkmenistan has secured the copyright for galactomannan production technologies developed by the Biotechnology Department of the International Science and Technology Park. Galactomannans, polysaccharides consisting of D-galactose and D-mannose, are known for their ability to form gels and increase the viscosity of solutions. Thanks to these properties, they are in high demand in the food, agricultural, and printing industries, where they are used as thickeners and structuring agents. According to Altyn Rakhmanova, head of the biotechnology department of the Academy of Science of Turkmenistan, the development of galactomannan production technologies is part of Turkmenistan’s Biotechnology Development Program for 2024-2028, a vital aspect of which is the creation of feed additives for farm animals from local raw materials. Using galactomannans derived from pods of the Gleditsia triacanthos, a plant grown in Turkmenistan and described by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the National Leader of the Turkmen people in his book, Medicinal Plants of Turkmenistan, as having multiple valuable properties, helps reduce costs and maximizes the utilization of local resources . As detailed in the book, Gleditsia is a honey-bearing plant from which up to 250 kg of honey can be harvested per hectare. An efficient method of galactomannan extraction ensures maximum yield from the raw material, contributing to sustainable and autonomous production, as well as serving as a foundation for further technological advancements in the food and agricultural sectors and the utilization of local natural resources. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Turkmen bio-technologists from the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan have developed an innovative lactose-based gel designed to rejuvenate and correct age-related skin changes. Other scientific breakthroughs include a therapeutic ointment made from the Maclura, a tree species widespread in the country, which relieves inflammation and aids the healing of wounds, a cream based on oil extracted from silkworm cocoons for use in cosmetology, and crackers made from extracts from camel thorn.