A Chinese company is planning to enter Uzbekistan’s taxi market by deploying 5,000 vehicles and launching its own mobile application, potentially adding a new competitor to the country’s ride-hailing sector.

Uzbekistan’s First Deputy Minister of Transport, Mamanbiy Omarov, announced the plans in an interview with Spot.

“There is a Chinese company planning to introduce 5,000 cars to the market and launch its own app,” Omarov said.

In response to a question from a Spot correspondent, the deputy minister confirmed that the company would be a new player in Uzbekistan’s taxi market and is expected to begin operations in the near future.