Oman's New Silk Road: Asyad Forges Strategic Trade Corridor to Central Asia

MUSCAT, Oman & TASHKENT, Uzbekistan – June 03, 2026 – In a move that redraws key trade routes across Eurasia, Oman's Asyad Group has acquired a controlling stake in major logistics platforms in Uzbekistan, establishing a formidable presence in the heart of Central Asia. The deal, announced today, gives the Omani state-owned logistics giant control over assets that handle roughly a quarter of Uzbekistan’s railway container traffic, creating a direct commercial corridor from the Arabian Sea to the resource-rich, landlocked nations of the region. This strategic investment, made in partnership with Uzbekistan’s Orient Group and the Uzbek-Oman Investment Company (UzOman), is more than a corporate expansion; it represents a calculated step to anchor Oman as a critical logistics hub and accelerate Uzbekistan’s integration into the global economy.

A New Corridor on the Modern Silk Road

The acquisition provides Asyad with ownership of Universal Logistics Services (ULS) and the Highway Logistics Center (HLC), two pivotal inland terminals in Tashkent's bustling freight network. This isn't merely about adding assets; it's about building an end-to-end intermodal system. By securing this foothold, Asyad can now seamlessly connect its maritime and port operations in Oman with a robust network of rail, road, and warehousing infrastructure deep within Central Asia. The move effectively creates a new, efficient pathway for goods flowing between China, Europe, the Middle East, and the fast-growing economies of the CIS region.

Abdulrahman Salim Al Hatmi, Group CEO of Asyad Group, framed the deal as a cornerstone of the company's global strategy. "This strategic investment marks a pivotal advancement in Asyad Group's global expansion journey, establishing our operational foothold in Central Asia and creating a direct logistics bridge between Oman and the region's fastest-growing markets," he stated. The integration of these assets, he noted, strengthens Asyad's value proposition by enabling it to "unlock new cargo flows while driving higher utilization across our ports."

This new corridor emerges at a time when global supply chains are actively seeking resilience and diversification. The route through Oman to Uzbekistan offers an alternative to more congested or geopolitically complex pathways. It taps directly into Uzbekistan's ambitious infrastructure drive, which includes landmark projects like the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway—a project to which the Uzbek government committed $255 million in 2024—and the proposed Trans-Afghan Railway, designed to link Central Asia with Pakistan’s seaports. Asyad's presence in Tashkent positions it to capitalize on the increased transit traffic these mega-projects are expected to generate.

Fueling Oman's Vision 2040

This investment is a direct and powerful execution of Oman's national development blueprint, the Oman Logistics Strategy (SOLS) 2040. The strategy's core ambition is to pivot the Sultanate's economy away from its historic reliance on hydrocarbons and transform it into a world-class logistics hub, leveraging its strategic location at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. By establishing a direct commercial link to Central Asia, Asyad is actively creating the demand needed to boost utilization rates at its world-class ports in Sohar, Salalah, and Duqm.

The involvement of the Uzbek-Oman Investment Company (UzOman) underscores the sovereign-level importance of this transaction. It is a manifestation of a deepening strategic partnership between the two nations. Omar Mahmood Bahram, CEO of UzOman, highlighted this, calling the deal a "foundational pillar for long-term economic integration and shared prosperity." He emphasized that the new corridor will "channel Central Asian exports through Oman's world-class ports and logistics infrastructure, enhancing connectivity, trade facilitation and economic integration."

For the Oman Investment Authority (OIA), Asyad's parent entity, the acquisition serves a dual mandate: generating commercial returns while fulfilling strategic national objectives. By planting a flag in one of Eurasia's most dynamic logistics markets, the OIA is not only diversifying its portfolio but also projecting Omani economic influence along emerging Eurasian trade corridors, ensuring the Sultanate plays a key role in shaping the future of regional trade.

Uzbekistan's Logistics Leap Forward

For Uzbekistan, Asyad's entry is a significant vote of confidence and a powerful catalyst for its ongoing economic transformation. The nation has posted impressive growth, with industrial output rising 6.8% and retail trade expanding 11.2% in 2025, fueling a surge in demand for sophisticated logistics services. The government has embarked on a massive infrastructure overhaul, outlined in its "Strategy for the Development of the Transport System until 2035," to cement its status as a central transit hub.

However, challenges remain. Much of the country's road network requires expansion, and a significant portion of its railway rolling stock is aging. The entry of a global player like Asyad, with its operational expertise and access to capital, is expected to accelerate the modernization process. The partnership with local powerhouse Orient Group ensures that this global capability is paired with deep market knowledge.

Davron Ozgurer, CEO of Orient Group Management, described the partnership as a "transformative step in modernizing Uzbekistan's infrastructure sector." He noted that combining Orient's local presence with Asyad's global network creates a platform to "strengthen Uzbekistan’s position as a key gateway for trade across Central Asia, the GCC and global markets." This investment is seen as a key enabler for developing the state-of-the-art multimodal capacity needed to serve as a premier transit hub.

Reshaping the Competitive Landscape

The arrival of a fully integrated logistics provider of Asyad's scale is set to significantly alter the competitive dynamics in Central Asia. By consolidating control over key railway, warehousing, and customs clearance assets, Asyad can offer a level of seamless, end-to-end service that few regional players can match. This will likely drive up standards across the industry, forcing competitors to innovate and improve efficiency.

This new Oman-Uzbekistan corridor also presents a compelling alternative to other regional routes, such as the Middle Corridor that runs across the Caspian Sea through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. While that route is also seeing heavy investment, Asyad's integrated model offers a different value proposition that could divert significant cargo volumes. The move signals a new era of strategic competition and collaboration in the race to connect Asia and Europe, with Oman and Uzbekistan now positioned as central players in the evolving great game of global logistics.