Dentons advises on US$300 million PPP hospital project in Uzbekistan

Tashkent-Global law firm Dentons has acted as the lead legal counsel to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the development of a multidisciplinary hospital in Fergana Region. The facility is set to become the largest healthcare project in Central Asia implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, setting a new benchmark for public-private collaboration in healthcare.

The total investment in the project is approximately US$300 million, with a construction period of 36 months. The PPP agreement was signed by the Ministry of Health and private partners Vision International Investment Company (Saudi Arabia) and KOC Construction Mekanik Elektrik Fe LLC (Uzbekistan). The Government of Uzbekistan represented by the Ministry of Economy and Finance entered into a government support agreement with the private partner. The private consortium will be responsible for the full life cycle of the project, covering the design, financing, construction, equipping, and long-term technical maintenance of an 800-bed facility operating at international standards.

The project aims to provide residents of Fergana Region and neighboring areas with access to advanced, high-technology tertiary medical services and complex procedures such as cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, and organ transplantation. Consolidating existing specialized medical institutions into a single, integrated complex equipped with advanced modern diagnostic and treatment infrastructure is expected to significantly improve resource efficiency and elevate the quality of care. It will also reduce the need for patients to seek treatment outside the region or abroad.

The project structure was developed with strategic support from the International Finance Corporation (IFC, World Bank Group) and financing from Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and will be implemented under the Presidential Decree on PPP development for 2024-2030.

The project is being positioned as a pilot model for effective public-private partnership in the healthcare sector. If successful, this PPP model could be scaled and replicated across other regions of Uzbekistan to support the development of nationwide modern medical infrastructure.

Dentons advised the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan, drafting and negotiating all project documents (tender documentation, the Government Support Agreement and the Public-Private Partnership Agreement) in close consultation with IFC (financial advisor), PwC and Archus (technical advisors). Dentons also advised during the tender as well as the execution stage.

Uzbekistan Managing Partner Eldor Mannopov and Amsterdam-based Partner Başak Küçük led Dentons' cross-border legal team, which included Tashkent-based associate Javokhir Tashpulatov and Amsterdam-based associates Mees Olthof and Sybren van der Velden.

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