From December 6 to 8 this year, Eldor Aripov, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS), participated in the annual Doha Forum, where he held a series of substantive meetings with representatives of leading Qatari think tanks and development funds.

Negotiations were held with Faisal bin Abdullah Al Hanzab, Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Qatar, Director of the Center for International Policy Research Majed Al-Ansari, Executive Director of the Global Institute for Strategic Research Mohamed Ali Chihi, Chairman of the Saudi Gulf Research Center Abdulaziz Sager, CEO of the labor market company Jusour Abdulhadi Bakhit Barqan, and members of the Qatar Fund for Development.

During the meetings, a wide range of bilateral and regional issues were discussed. The parties noted with satisfaction the positive dynamics of trade, economic, and investment cooperation in recent years. Arab countries are actively investing in various sectors of the Uzbek economy, with a particular focus on energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and high technology.

The interlocutors identified promising areas for growth in the coming years. These include expanding trade ties through multilateral mechanisms, implementing transport initiatives (including the Trans-Afghan Corridor), attracting investment in infrastructure and high-tech projects, developing the agro-industrial complex, and digital transformation.

In addition to bilateral cooperation, the negotiators noted the active development of interregional cooperation. This was evidenced by the First Summit of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the Gulf Cooperation Council, held in July 2023. Following this summit, the leaders approved a Joint Action Plan until 2027, laying the foundation for systemic and long-term cooperation.

The parties recognized that the Central Asian and the Gulf countries possess significant economic potential. Combined with strengthened political dialogue and a favorable geostrategic location, this creates new opportunities for expanding interregional ties. Over the past ten years, Arab countries’ investment in the region has grown by almost a third, and exports have increased by more than 30%.

A separate topic of discussion was the development and deepening of cooperation between the ISRS and Qatari analytical and research institutions. The importance of intensifying expert dialogue to develop joint ideas and practical proposals to strengthen the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Qatar was emphasized.

The Doha Forum has been held since 2002 with the support of the Government of Qatar and is a respected platform for discussing pressing global issues. In 2025, the forum was held under the theme “Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress”.

Approximately 8,000 people from approximately 150 countries participated, including leadership and specialists from leading think tanks from the US, UK, Russia, the EU, the Middle East, India, Pakistan, China, Japan, and Korea.

Among the distinguished guests were the Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the cofounder of Microsoft Bill Gates, the eldest son of the current American President Donald Trump Jr., former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and others.

UzA