About Us

The Astana Times is the leading English-language news outlet about Kazakhstan and Central Asia, a source of information for international decision makers, expats and the attentive global public interested in current political and economic affairs, modern culture and the history of the country .

The newspaper and the site were founded in November 2010 on the eve of the summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which was held in the capital of Kazakhstan.

The Astana Times covers the full range of issues in Kazakhstan from local human interest stories to visits by heads of state. The reporters work on an international scale covering the economy, security, business, culture and government news.

 

Editorial team  

 

Zhanna Shayakhmetova, editor-in-chief 

Zhanna covers news related to energy, international affairs and local business news.

Zhanna has over nine years of experience as a reporter in various media (editor of Qazaq TV, intern reporter of Eurasia Pervyi Kanal TV, press manager of the Astana Opera House). She joined The AT in 2016.

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Zhanna’s recent stories

 

Assel Satubaldina, senior editor

Assel covers news related to politics, economy, business and investments. Besides writing, she is in charge of running a video segment at The Astana Times.

A graduate of Nazarbayev University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations, Assel is a journalist with more than eight years of in-depth reporting across different areas in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Before joining The Astana Times in 2017, Assel worked as a staff writer at an English editorial office of Tengrinews Kazakhstan.

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Assel’s recent stories

 

Aida Haidar, news editor 

As the AT news editor, Aida covers news related to current affairs of the Kazakh government and the President, society, economics, and the country’s investment climate.

In the ten years of her experience working in Kazakhstan’s media, she worked as TV producer and journalist (TV producer  and journalist at Qazaq TV, Atameken Business).

Aida has joined The Astana Times in 2022.

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Aida’s recent stories

 

Aibarshyn Akhmetkali, special correspondent 

Aibarshyn covers news and stories on arts and culture, history, and travel, as well as analytical materials related to domestic politics.

With a bachelor’s degree in economics from Nazarbayev University, Aibarshyn has an extensive background in humanities and social sciences, as well as experience in auditing in one of the Big Four accounting firms. She joined The Astana Times in 2021.

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Aibarshyn’s recent stories

 

Staff reporters: Dana Omirgazy, Assem Assaniyaz, Madina Mukanbednyarova.

 

The Astana Times is published by Regional Non-Profit Organization Guild of Independent Journalists. It is registered with the Ministry of Communications and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the registration number N 11208-G of 1 November 2010.