Samarkand To Host Central Asia-Gulf States Summit – OpEd
On May 5, Samarkand will welcome leaders from Central Asian countries and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the “Central Asia – Gulf States” Summit. The announcement came from Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov following the third meeting of foreign ministers within the Central Asia – GCC strategic dialogue.
In the lead-up to the summit, Saidov met with GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi to discuss the organizational and strategic framework for the event. According to official reports, the two sides held talks on the development of final documents and the summit agenda, aiming to ensure the discussions reflect the shared priorities and long-term interests of all participating countries.
Special emphasis was placed on the summit’s historic nature. Uzbekistan’s FM Saidov called the upcoming meeting “an important step toward deepening ties between our regions,” a sentiment echoed by the GCC side. The summit is expected to mark a new milestone in the development of political, economic, and cultural ties between Central Asia and the Arab Gulf states.
The GCC includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman and the Central Asian group is composed of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The choice of Samarkand as the host city is symbolic. With its deep historical ties to the Islamic world, Samarkand serves as a cultural and diplomatic bridge between the participating countries. Central Asia and the Gulf countries share common ground in areas such as Islamic heritage, traditional values, and a growing interest in regional connectivity.
The summit will also provide a platform to advance cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and culture. Officials from both sides have reiterated their intention to initiate and support joint projects, particularly in infrastructure, logistics, agriculture, and tourism. With Central Asia’s strategic location and resources, and the Gulf’s investment capacity and global outreach, the potential for synergy is considerable.
