On Thursday, Turkmenistan celebrated a grandiose ceremony for the opening of a $5 billion ‘smart’ city, named Arkadag, honouring their former strongman leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov.

The ex-Soviet Central Asian nation is one of the most secretive countries in the world, so foreign media access is extremely rare; however, on this day, the current president, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, his son, unveiled the city located around 30 kilometers southwest of the capital Ashgabat.

Participants dressed in traditional Turkmen clothes chanted “Glory to Arkadag and Serdar, glory to the Turkmen leader” during the ceremony. Although Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov was not present at the ceremony, as he was making the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, observers say that he remains the real decision-maker in the country.

Rights groups have accused Turkmenistan of channelling money from its gas profits on lavish projects promoting Berdymukhamedov’s personality cult with little benefit for the broader population; however, government officials have billed Arkadag as a “city of the future”, and have said “green” technologies were used in its construction.

The city is scattered with monuments, including a sculpture in honour of Berdymukhamedov atop an Akhal-Teke horse, his favourite breed, and is expected to house a population of around 73,000. An employee of the construction and architecture ministry said that Berdymukhamedov had closely overseen the project and provided his “valuable recommendations”.

They said, “Thanks to his efforts, a beautiful city has appeared on the land of our valiant ancestors.” The inauguration of Arkadag is not only the opening of a ‘smart’ city, but is also a grand gesture of appreciation for the former president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov.

It is a fitting tribute to the leader who ruled over Turkmenistan from 2006 to 2022 and carries the title of Hero Arkadag (Protector). The city stands as a symbol of his leadership and the legacy he has left behind.