Tajikistan has begun construction of what is set to become the tallest building in Central Asia, according to the presidential press service.

According to the presidential press service, on September 3, President Emomali Rahmon and Senate Speaker and Mayor of Dushanbe Rustami Emomali laid the foundation stone for a new multifunctional architectural complex in the Shohmansur district of the capital, The Caspian Post reports.

The complex will cover 29 hectares and comprise 52 facilities, including five high-rise towers. Its centerpiece, the Dushanbe Tower, will stand 340 meters tall and have 77 floors, surpassing Astana’s Abu Dhabi Plaza, which is 311 meters high with 75 floors, to become the tallest structure in the region.

The tower will feature hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, offices, a 1,000-seat concert hall, a cinema, an entertainment center, sports facilities, landscaped public spaces and a park with a lake.

The project will also include 42 residential buildings with 6,160 apartments, a school for 1,200 students and a kindergarten for 500 children.

Construction is expected to take five years and provide employment for more than 2,000 local workers. Officials said the design will comply with international standards and further strengthen Dushanbe’s position as a modern urban hub.