Employers must submit their applications for quota numbers to sponsor foreign workers in 2020 by July 31, 2019. Employers should start preparing supporting quota application documents.

Top 5 Announced China Outbound Deals

The EBRD has published its Regional Economic Prospects report, predicting an ebb in Central Asian growth.

There's a piece of news we find far more important than all the visits, pipelines, satellites, and billion-dollar contracts, but we'll try to build suspense first.

The US has reimposed trade sanctions on Iran, barring it from buying US dollars and trading gold, metal and cars with the outside world. The rial is down to half its previous worth; prices are up by half their previous worth; and the political elites are fuming.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission to Uzbekistan advised the government to raise utility prices, lest service providers end up at a loss from all the purchasing they’ve been doing. The rise might come at a cost, and authorities are advised to soften the blow for vulnerable groups. Perhaps it’s about time for public utilities to become private.

Kazakhstan’s antitrust committee has authorised Kazakhtelecom to acquire a 75% stake in Kcell.

Ajlan & Brothers Group (Saudi Arabia) intends to invest $2 billion in the silk, cotton and textile industries of Uzbekistan. The Chairman of the Board, Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Ajlan, also plans to build five-star hotels in Bukhara, Andijan and Tashkent.

The main news of the week is the rising power of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). However, let’s start with other news first.