Saida Mirziyoyeva appointed Head of Presidential Administration; Allamjonov becomes her advisor

On June 23, the position of Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which had been abolished nearly two years ago, was reinstated. Saida Mirziyoyeva, the eldest daughter of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has been appointed to the role.

Komil Allamjonov, who left the Presidential Administration for the second time last year, has returned for a third term. This time, he has been appointed as an independent public advisor to Saida Mirziyoyeva.

Let’s take a closer look at the history of leadership within the Presidential Administration and the significance of these recent appointments.

Who previously headed the Administration?

The Presidential Administration was established on August 26, 2018, by decree of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. It replaced the former Presidential Office and was designed to provide information, analytical, organizational, and supervisory support to the President.

The first to lead the newly established Administration was Zaynilobiddin Nizomiddinov, who had previously served as Head of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat during Mirziyoyev’s tenure as Prime Minister. Public opinion on Nizomiddinov's leadership was mixed—some found him unremarkable, while others described him as strict. He was dismissed on July 8, 2022, reportedly due to health reasons.

Following his dismissal, Nizomiddinov was appointed First Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan—a role that did not previously exist. After that, he largely disappeared from public view. In April 2025, he resurfaced as governor of Bekabad district in the Tashkent region.

Succeeding Nizomiddinov, Sardor Umurzakov—known for his assertive leadership style—was appointed on July 16, 2022. He gained a reputation for actively engaging with regional governors and was widely viewed as an effective administrator. However, he was dismissed just a year later. The reasons for his removal were not publicly disclosed, and following his departure, the position of Head of the Presidential Administration was abolished altogether.

President Mirziyoyev also introduced several structural changes, including the elimination of regional assistants to the Head of the Administration, their secretariats, and the department coordinating their work. Umurzakov was later appointed as a Presidential Advisor for Special Assignments.

After nearly two years, the position of Head of the Presidential Administration has been restored, and Saida Mirziyoyeva has been named its new leader. She had been serving as a Presidential Assistant since August 2023.

Born in 1984 in Kokand, Fergana Region, Saida Mirziyoyeva holds a degree from the University of World Economy and Diplomacy, a master’s from Tashkent State Law University, and a Candidate of Economic Sciences degree from Lomonosov Moscow State University.

• 2019–2020: Deputy Director, Agency for Information and Mass Communications under the Presidential Administration
• 2020–2022: Deputy Chair, Board of Trustees of the National Fund for Support and Development of Mass Media
• Since 2019: Member, Gender Equality Commission
• November 2022: Head of the Department for Communications and Information Policy, Executive Office of the Presidential Administration
• August 2023: Appointed Assistant to the President

Her appointment as Head of the Presidential Administration marks her most senior role to date and comes at a time of renewed focus on institutional reform and communication strategies within the Uzbek government.

Allamjonov returns to politics

Komil Allamjonov, who began his career in television and rose to the position of Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, is returning to government service after a brief hiatus. He has been appointed as an independent advisor to Saida Mirziyoyeva, the newly appointed head of the Presidential Administration.

His rise to prominence is largely associated with his tenure as Head of the Press Service of the State Tax Committee from 2005 to 2013. From December 1, 2017, to October 3, 2018, Allamjonov served as Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration and Press Secretary to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

On November 29, 2018, he was appointed Director of the Agency for Information and Mass Communications. In January 2020, he left that position to become Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Public Fund for Support and Development of National Mass Media. In July 2022, Allamjonov was reappointed as Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration. In August 2023, he became Head of the Information Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, a position he held until September 2024.

In late 2024, Allamjonov, a well-known figure in both media and political circles, became the center of public discussion following an attempted assassination. Such incidents are rare in Uzbekistan’s political sphere, which contributed to the widespread public attention. The attack raised questions about why someone would target a recently dismissed official who had announced plans to continue working in the private sector. Nevertheless, the attempt occurred.

On October 26, 2024, at 01:40, two unidentified individuals opened fire on a Range Rover carrying Allamjonov as it traveled along Ifor Street in the Kibray district. The assailants then fled in an unknown direction. No one was injured in the incident. A criminal case was opened, and a trial involving ten individuals followed.

According to the court verdict delivered on February 12, 2025, former Presidential Security Service employee Shukhrat Rasulov was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Javlon Yunusov received 18 years and 6 months, former Internal Affairs Directorate employee Doniyor Tashkhodjaev was sentenced to 7 years, and both Shohrukh Akhmedov and Ismoil Jahongirov received 23-year sentences.

The remaining five defendants received various prison terms based on their roles in the case. Their names were not made public. Allamjonov later responded to the court's decision, writing, “The truth may be bent twice, but it is never broken.”

Despite previously announcing plans to leave politics and focus on the private sector, Allamjonov reconsidered following the assassination attempt. He has now returned to politics as an advisor to Saida Mirziyoyeva in the Presidential Administration.

This marks the third time Allamjonov has held a senior position within the Administration. His current responsibilities include providing expert support in areas such as developing an innovative economy, attracting foreign investment, promoting freedom of speech, and supporting independent media.