A firm controlled by the brother-in-law of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Ajaýyp Bina, handed over a stadium and a multipurpose sports complex in Arkadag with major shortcomings.Because of tight construction deadlines and the powerful figures behind the firm, the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports had to accept the poorly built facilities.
However, the problems proved so serious that the head of the agency complained to the minister of construction and architecture.The minister was dismissed two weeks later.License to Make MistakesA 10,000-seat stadium and a multipurpose sports complex opened in Turkmenistan’s “smart city” in July 2023.
The facilities were considered so important that they were included in the first phase of construction.The Arkadag stadium’s main purpose is to serve as the home arena for the local football team of the same name.
However, like the complex next door, it was also designed for training and competitions in multiple sports.Just six months later, on January 27, 2024, problems with the quality of the facilities had frustrated users so much that the head of Turkmenistan’s State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports, Allaberdi Saparov, filed a formal complaint in a letter to thenMinister of Architecture and Construction Guvanch Orunov.
The author attached two photo albums documenting the shortcomings.“The 10,000-seat stadium and the multipurpose sports complex built by Ajaýyp Bina have deficiencies in construction, material and technical support, and engineering infrastructure that create serious obstacles to their effective use and the holding of sports events at a high level,” Saparov wrote.
Shortcomings in Arkadag are visible in nearly every real estate project in the “smart city,” from apartment buildings to educational facilities.But the stadium and the complex are prestige projects and particularly important to Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.Unfortunately for Minister Orunov, he did not have time to correct anything.
He lost his position just two weeks after receiving the letter.The sports facilities were hardly the only reason for his dismissal, but they likely contributed.If problems with priority projects are so serious, ordinary citizens can expect even less from apartments in new residential buildings.
And who among residents would dare complain about poor construction if even the slightest noise in a stairwell makes people flinch, wondering whether someone has come to evict them?Meanwhile, this is not the first time the firm has made major mistakes.
Earlier, turkmen.news reported on a diplomatic and trade scandal that occurred in Turkmenistan in 2018 in which Ajaýyp Bina was involved.At the time, several local firms that owed a Russian elevator manufacturer $500,000 refused to pay.
Ahead of the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, they had turned to the Karacharovskiy Mechanical Plant, which supplied the requested equipment on short notice without full prepayment, relying on a guarantee letter from the mayor of Ashgabat.
But after the Games ended, both the contracting companies and Turkmen officials forgot about the payment.The plant was forced to go through bankruptcy proceedings and change ownership.More than half of the debt — $268,000 — was owed by Ajaýyp Bina.
That did not prevent the firm from becoming the main developer of the sports complex and stadium several years later.Even new serious failures in construction did not push the firm out of the business arena.
On the contrary, Ajaýyp Bina presents itself as a “key player” directly influencing Turkmenistan’s economic growth.This was stated in an interview with Beyond Investments Group by the firm’s deputy director, Bagtyyar Annayarov.
According to him, the firm is engaged in several “strategic initiatives” in the construction of the “smart city.” Ajaýyp Bina is also actively preparing to participate in international tenders.Arkadag — For Whom?Why are some firms in Turkmenistan unable to recover payment under legitimate contracts and suffer losses of hundreds of thousands — or even hundreds of millions — of dollars, while others face no consequences?City of Arkadag, photo: turkmen.newsIn the case of the stadium for the Arkadag football club in the city of Arkadag, no punishment followed for the troubled developer — precisely because Arkadag himself is involved.
Ajaýyp Bina is controlled by Annanazar Rejepov, the brother-in-law of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the uncle of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.“Arkadag” means “protector.” And Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov indeed acts as a generous protector of the interests of certain residents of Turkmenistan — himself, his closest relatives and the Rejepov clan — but at the expense of everyone else.Annanazar is the most influential member of the Rejepov family and, in terms of what he receives from the state budget, approaches the scale of his powerful relative.
In addition to Ajaýyp Bina, he also controls the construction company Nusaý Ýollary.Its most famous project is the AshgabatTurkmenabat highway, for which $2.3 billion was allocated from the state budget and which has remained unfinished for many years.Nusaý Ýollary also built a road interchange in central Ashgabat that requires repairs every year or two, along with other necessary — and unnecessary — projects financed from the state budget.Neither the size of the budget nor the importance of a project for the country’s top leadership translates into high quality.
Meanwhile, the personal wealth of Annanazar and his sons continues to grow.Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov personally inspects construction progress in Arkadag almost every week, paying attention even to minor details.
During one of his latest visits on March 7, he demanded that work on the second phase be accelerated.The facilities are to be commissioned in September 2026.
How they are ultimately built apparently no longer matters.