Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is a country with ancient cities lining the old Silk Road and it is the home of the famous Timor Tamerlane, the powerful ruler of the Muslim World in the 14th century. During Soviet times, cotton was cultivated in the country and developed as an industry. Extremely impressive until today are the big fruit gardens and colourful Eastern bazars. Many ancient monuments have been there for thousands of years.

Albeit being an Islamic dominated country and the historical home of the Sunnites, also Roman-Catholics, Russian orthodox and Jews have found their home in Uzbekistan. But unlike the open, peaceful and tolerant atmosphere which is noticeable especially in the city of Bukhara, there are places in the countryside, from which Islamic militant groups operate, like the Fergana Valley.

Despite that, the majority of Uzbeks are extremely hospitable people. As a guest you are indeed king or queen. The wish of the guest is the host’s demand. But one should not be blinded by this atmosphere when it comes to business. In this respect Uzbekistan is similar to the other Central Asian countries and one should investigate carefully local peculiarities and customs such as the multi-layered personal and clan relationships. Eventually, one has to accept that it is not common to work in a transparent way in these countries and the legislative and political framework can change unexpectedly at any time.

Today, Uzbekistan attracts attention amongst the most different business circles. There are various reasons for this such as a well-developed infrastructure, a non-expensive but well-educated work-force, rich natural resources and incentives for foreign investors.