Samarkand city’s area​ will increase from the current 12.4 thousand to 30.5 thousand hectares due to adding of part of the territories of the nearby five districts - Samarkand, Pastdargom, Taylak and Akdarya districts, making Samarkand over a million population city, announced the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during his visit to the Samarkand province.

While, the administrative center of the Samarkand province will be moved to Gulobod. “Here (in the historical part of Samarkand - ed.) everything will be for tourists. Cars will not be able to move here. We will build a new center in Gulobod,” the president added.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that it is necessary to think about the future, and without the proposed changes "it will be impossible to reach the downtown Samarkand due to congestion."

He instructed the First Deputy Prime Minister Achilbay Ramatov, the Samarkand province governor Erkinjon Turdimov and the Minister of Construction Batyr Zakirov to develop a master plan for Samarkand city, taking into account the expansion of the city before the year-end. For this, a design institute from Turkey is also involved.

To improve the management system, five new districts will gradually appear in the city - Sogdiana, Siyob, Bogishamol, Marokand and Korasuv (Yangikent was indicated in the presentation of the khokim). The President added that so far it is planned to create two or three districts.

In early April, the Samarkand province governor Erkinjon Turdimov, announcing the expansion of Samarkand, said that the million-plus city has a "special status", which, among other things, will help to increase its investment attractiveness.