ADFD backs Tajikistan’s hydroplant: Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) signed an AED 376 mn loan agreement with Tajikistan to support construction of the Rogun hydroelectric power station, state news agency Wam reports. The financing is being provided under the USD 2 bn Abu Dhabi Global Water Platform, launched last month.

Rogun station is a USD 6.3 bn hydroelectric project with a projected 3.4 GW capacity. It is slated to provide energy to 10 mn people in Tajikistan, as well as export output to both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan — and possibly Pakistan — through the Casa-1000 link, which aims to export surplus energy from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan over to Pakistan and Afghanistan. The facility will also provide large-scale water storage capacity.

The loan comes amid deepening bilateral economic ties. The UAE was Tajikistan’s second-largest source of foreign investment as of mid-2025, with cumulative investments of about USD 1 bn between 2020 and 2024. Trade volume doubled y-o-y in 1H 2025, and cooperation has spilled over to other sectors like aviation, tech, and smart cities.

The wider take: Emirati players have been expanding their energy footprint across Central Asia. In Turkmenistan, Adnoc’s international arm XRG acquired a 38% stake in the offshore Block I gas concession last May, while Dragon Oil invested USD 10 bn in developing oil production back in 2024. Elsewhere, Masdar inked an agreement in Kazakhstan for a 1 GW wind farm and a round-the-clock energy project, added 2 GW of wind power and 250 MW of solar power to its Uzbekistan portfolio, and upped its Azerbaijan presence with 1 GW worth of solar and wind projects.

In other ADFD news

ADFD also agreed to provide AED 32 mn for a social housing project in the Seychelles, Wam reports. The funding will be used to build 80 residential units for lower-income households, split evenly across two construction phases, and deliver supporting infrastructure and public services.

Tags: