Visa-Free Tourism Boom: Uzbekistan’s travel demand for China jumped sharply after visa-free rules, with searches up 189% year-on-year; leisure travel led the surge, including Shanghai (+319.9%) and Sanya (+386.2%), while average airfares fell about 20% as more direct flights and Chinese carriers entered the market. Textile Investment Push: Youngone plans to expand its Samarkand plant into a fully integrated textile hub, adding fabric, dyeing and finishing; investment is set to rise from about $22m to $40m over the next three years to move beyond garment assembly. Banking & Credit Signals: Moody’s upgrade to Ba2 (citing structural reforms and robust growth) is framed as a business-positive shift for Uzbekistan’s financing outlook. Trade & Connectivity: Kazakhstan upgraded two Uzbekistan border crossings to international checkpoints with 24/7 operations, aiming to ease congestion and improve freight and passenger flows. Energy Dependence Watch: Russia’s fuel disruptions are spilling into Central Asia, pushing up prices and squeezing household budgets, highlighting the region’s vulnerability in energy supply chains. Payments Innovation: SQRIL announced expansion into Central Asia, pitching lower-cost stablecoin-to-QR payments as an alternative to card networks. Corporate/Regional Deals: Korea and Uzbekistan discussed expanding trade and investment, including manufacturing AI transformation, ahead of a Korea-Central Asia summit. Public Health Funding: $43.5m in confiscated Karimova assets is being directed to maternal and neonatal care improvements via the “Ishonch” fund.