
Chairman
Mr. Bakhtiyor Fazilov
Bakhtiyor Fazilov is a leading Uzbek business entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist, who hails from the historic city of Samarkand, on the famed Silk Road. In the past three decades he has established a diverse portfolio of business and investment interests located within his home city, across Uzbekistan and internationally.
A graduate of the Tashkent State University of Economics who is committed to the future development of the ‘new Uzbekistan’ and the prosperity of its people, Mr Fazilov began his career by establishing an import-export business focused on leather and food products.
In 2000, aged just 25, he expanded into the oil and gas industry, initially supplying machinery and equipment. He established Eriell four years later, which today is an international oilfield services group that embraces oil and gas production and exploration, drilling, well development, testing, repair and maintenance.
His business interests are now spread across a diverse range of industries including Uzbekistan’s largest construction company Enter Engineering, the world-class multi-purpose resort Silk Road Samarkand, state-of-the-art Samarkand International Airport as well as investments in agriculture & farming, aviation, banking, digital services & technology, hospitality, leisure, logistics terminals, mining, renewable energy and steel production.
Mr Fazilov has funded innovative medical and educational facilities to support the health and future development of fellow Uzbeks – including the Tashkent International Medical Centre (TIMC) and the Samarkand International University of Technology (SIUT).
His commitment to Uzbekistan extends far beyond the boardroom. A life-long ice hockey fan, Mr Fazilov is President of the Hockey Federation of Uzbekistan and heavily involved in nurturing young talent. This led to the formation of the Humo Tashkent professional hockey team and a state-of-the-art ice hockey stadium. He acquired the Surkhon football club in 2023 and is currently spearheading a stadium modernisation for supporters.
With a passion for showcasing and preserving Uzbekistan’s rich heritage, he is Deputy Chairman of the World Society for the Preservation, Study and Popularization of the Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan, and received the Avicennia International Prize for his contribution to the preservation and study of cultural heritage. In addition to his leadership of the World Society, he commissioned the development of an “Eternal City” at the heart of his Silk Road Samarkand tourist resort to celebrate and display traditional Uzbekistan craftsmanship.
In philanthropy, Mr Fazilov established the MESCA Foundation to sponsor vital medical and clinical studies. Research with the ELZA Institute in Switzerland is improving the vision of patients with keratoconus, a corneal eye disease, and in a collaboration with the Light for Sight Foundation and patient group Tabasuum, screening for keratoconus is improving the lives of Down Syndrome children and adolescents. MESCA is also cooperating with Andijan State Medical Institute in medical education and research, supporting international exchange programs for teachers, researchers and students as well as an exchange of information and literature.