Executive Intelligence Snapshot
The Islamic Civilisation International Media Forum in Tashkent forms part of Uzbekistan’s cultural diplomacy and supports its effort to strengthen its position as an influential Central Asian actor while promoting the region’s Islamic heritage and broadening its international partnerships.
Uzbekistan is simultaneously expanding Islamic finance and international investment channels, creating an economic dimension to its wider outreach to Muslim-majority states and international investors.
The forum as the recent law on Islamic banking confirm Tashkent’s attempt to combine cultural diplomacy, international visibility and economic diversification to strengthen its regional standing.
Context
From 24 to 29 August 2029, Tashkent hosts the International Media Forum “Islamic Civilization: A New Look – New Discoveries” brings together media organisations, journalists, academics, experts and communications specialists from abroad and Uzbekistan. The programme addresses the preservation of historical heritage, the dissemination of the scientific achievements of Islamic civilisation and new formats for reaching international audiences through television, documentary production and digital platforms.
The forum also has an operational media component. The Islamic Civilization Centre cooperates with international media organisations, including Euronews and the BBC, on documentaries, television projects and special programmes concerning Uzbekistan’s history and culture. The initiative consequently extends beyond domestic cultural promotion and seeks to place Uzbekistan and Central Asia within international media narratives concerning Islamic civilisation.
Uzbekistan is also developing Islamic finance and expanding its international investment channels. Indeed, on 27 March 2026, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a landmark law establishing a legal framework for Islamic banking in Uzbekistan to allow and ease the establishment of Islamic banks and the development of sukuk-related mechanisms. These measures are intended to attract additional investment and deposits and form part of a wider effort to increase foreign investment and develop Tashkent as an international financial centre.
Why Does It Matter?
The forum provides Uzbekistan with a platform to present itself as a Central Asian centre for the study, preservation and international promotion of Islamic civilisation. Tashkent’s approach places greater emphasis on historical heritage, scientific achievement, education and culture. This allows Uzbekistan to promote its own national and regional identity while engaging Muslim-majority countries through a cultural rather than primarily religious or political agenda.
The initiative also supports Uzbekistan’s effort to diversify its external partnerships. International media cooperation expands its diplomatic and reputational reach, while Islamic finance can create additional channels for engagement with investors and financial institutions from Muslim-majority countries. The two strands operate in different policy domains, but together they broaden the instruments through which Tashkent can strengthen external relationships.
The regional objective is particularly relevant. Uzbekistan seeks greater influence in Central Asia and greater freedom to manage its external relationships. The forum contributes to this objective by positioning Tashkent as a venue for international engagement with Islamic civilisation and by linking Central Asian heritage to global audiences. Thanks to initiatives such as the forum Uzbekistan is broadening its international engagement and developing additional channels through which it can project influence and attract cooperation.
Outlook
The most likely near-term development is continued use of cultural and media initiatives to increase Uzbekistan’s international visibility and reinforce Tashkent’s position as a Central Asian hub for Islamic heritage and international dialogue. The strategic significance of the forum will increase if media partnerships produce sustained international content and if cultural initiatives generate additional institutional or economic cooperation.
The main indicator to monitor is whether cultural diplomacy produces measurable diversification in Uzbekistan’s external partnerships. Increased participation by Gulf and other Muslim-majority institutions, new media agreements, investment commitments and the expansion of Islamic financial activity would strengthen the assessment that Tashkent is linking cultural outreach with broader diplomatic and economic diversification.
