Tajikistan, which is officially known as the Republic of Tajikistan, is a desert and mountainous region in Central Asia next to Afghanistan, inhabited by around eight million people. This country that achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has started building a new desert town in the northern desert region to help provide housing and jobs for local people living there.
It will be a welcome sight for the population of Tajikistan because there are few opportunities for the local people and the economy is slow for the average worker, who makes on average of about $150 a month equivalent in US dollars. Currently, about half the people in Tajikistan also live below the poverty level.
The city is to be called Saihoon, and is named after the river that is close to it. President Emomali Rahmon, who was present at a ceremony on March 24, announced the new desert town with the setting of its cornerstone, stating that it is meant to be a city to hold about a quarter of a million residents. It will truly be a new environment for citizens who will get to live in the city once it is finished and businesses begin to come to life.
Saihoon is being constructed on an area of 14,000 hectares of desert land, and is about 10 kilometers from the city of Khujand, which is in the province of Sughd. The desert town is expected to be very modern, with 19 areas deemed for residential use, as well as 50 schools, and 40 sports centers, as well as several bazaars and shopping areas.
In addition, about half of the 14,000 hectares is slated to become orchards, which will turn the desert land into an area of beautiful and bountiful fruit trees for the residents to enjoy. The cost of the new city in Tajikistan is expected to come from the state’s budget, along with the help of some private businesses. The actual cost for the project was not given.
