Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Feb. 21 / Trend H.Hasanov /
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed a decree on Tuesday on appointment of Mammetnyyaz Nurmammedov as a hakim (governor) of the Ahal province - the country's central province.
The former head of the province, Danmyrat Myratberdiyev, has become chairman of the Association of livestock joint stock companies in Turkmenistan.
The economy of the Ahal province is of the agro-industrial nature. The province ranks second in the country in terms of territory's square (19.8 per cent) after the Balkan Province.
The main areas of specialization of agriculture are the production of wheat, cotton, vegetables, viticulture, dairy and meat cattle breeding and sericulture.
According to the country's State Statistics Committee, the province ranks fourth in terms of the country's industrial production, and it is country's second producer of natural gas. Sectors of specialization include also chemical, textile, food processing, pulp and paper and building materials industries.
New industrial enterprises have been commissioned recently in the province: cotton mill, power plant, the Ahal oils plant, factory for production of synthetic and cotton mixed yarn, plant of aerocrete products, plant for processing cotton seeds, grain elevator.
The province has significant recreational resources where resort facilities and recreational areas have been created ("Archman", "Geokdere", "Yyly suv").
Historical monuments of different epochs of the agricultural culture, the times of the Parthians and the great Seljuk, to which tourist routes have been opened (Nisa, Sarahs, Altyn-depe) are also located in the province.