THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE GULF REGION IN UZBEKISTAN'S GEOPOLITICS

Аннотация

This article highlights the strategic opportunities and goals of Uzbekistan in relation to the Gulf countries, joint cooperation projects, regionally implemented initiatives, recent meetings and the decisions made within their framework, as well as the objectives and content oftheplanned projects. Keywords: Investments, bilateral cooperation, trade turnover, ACWA Power, religious cooperation, diplomatic relations, “Uzbekistanis” forum, secure transport and logistics corridor, visa-freezone. Introduction: The Gulf Arab states, Iran, and Iraq, which have traditionally been Uzbekistan’s partner countries, have established close and friendly relations with our country since the early years of independence. The states that make up the globally powerful "Arab Six" — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, the Sultanate of Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain — are significant not only because of their dominance in oil and gas reserves but also for their role as donors to many developing countries around the world. Furthermore, these states are the main founders and vital driving forces of international intergovernmental organizations such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Islamic Development Bank. Due to economic, energy, and geopolitical factors, the Gulf region holds strategic importance for Uzbekistan. Being a landlocked country in Central Asia, Uzbekistan considers the Persian Gulf as a key economic partner for trade and investment. Moreover, the Persian Gulf countries are major suppliers of energy resources, and ensuring stable energy imports is very important for Uzbekistan’s economy. Geopolitically, the stability of the Persian Gulf region is connected to regional security — any disturbances in the region could affect Uzbekistan. Collaborative efforts and diplomatic relations with the Persian Gulf offer Uzbekistan the opportunity to overcome geopolitical challenges and contribute to regional stability. The Persian Gulf region plays a decisive role in shaping Uzbekistan's geopolitical and economic strategies. Uzbekistan’s strategy to access the South passes precisely through this region. Especially, the projects implemented with Saudi Arabia in recent years are of great significance. The high level of bilateral cooperation and the role of the two countries’ leaders in developing partnership relations are specifically emphasized. The opening of the Qatari embassy in Tashkent this year is clear evidence ofthedevelopment ofcooperation with Qatar. Method ofAnalysis:Thisarticle uses theEvent analysis method. Results: A general approach to cooperation with the Persian Gulf countries provides Uzbekistan with opportunities to expand its capabilities in economic, energy, and security sectors. Geopolitically, the Persian Gulf provides Uzbekistan with access to global freight corridors, improves itsgeopolitical standing, and expandsopportunities for tradeand economic cooperation. https://ijmri.de/index.php/jmsi volume 4,issue4,2025 281 At the same time, cooperation with the Gulf helps Uzbekistan diversify its agriculture- and extractive industry-based economy by integrating into global trade networks. Uzbekistan can attract investment from the Persian Gulf countries to support its infrastructure projects, energy, and other key sectors. It is known that Uzbekistan has established legal foundations for mutually beneficial bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the Gulf Arab states in the fields of economy, investment, finance, tourism, transport communications, and green economy, including within the frameworks of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Islamic Development Bank. Uzbekistan has signed around 100 international agreements with these countries. As stipulated in Decree No. PF-158 signed by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on September 11, 2023, as part of the “Uzbekistan – 2030” Strategy, cooperation with the Gulf countries is of great importance in achieving goals such as deepening Uzbekistan’s integration into global transport-logistics networks, increasing the potential of the national transport system, transitioning to a “green economy,” significantly increasing the use of renewable energy, and ensuring uninterrupted energy supply to economic sectors and the population (PF-158, 2023, p.19,20). Recent negotiations on investment cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan confirm Riyadh’s strategy of financially supporting infrastructure projects of local governments in Central Asia and providing humanitarian assistance (Giuliano Bifolchi, 29.03.2023, Geopolitical Report). On March 26, 2023, Deputy Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan Oybek Hamrayev held an online meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Investment Muhammad al-Hasan to discuss the implementation of investment cooperation between the two countries. The negotiators exchanged views on implementing several joint projects and on upcoming business meetings and roundtables involv