Editor’s Note: To mark the 15th anniversary of The Astana Times, we are launching a special series of columns written by our newsroom. Over the days, members of our team reflect on their journeys, the stories that shaped them, and the evolution of The Astana Times. We began with a column by our editor-in-chief Zhanna Shayakhmetova, managing editor Assel Satubaldina, followed by contributions from colleagues in the order of their years at The Astana Times. This time, our news department head Aida Haidar reflects on her journey at The Astana Times and the storyteller’s eye she brings to the country’s evolving narrative.
When The Astana Times first appeared in 2010, during the OSCE Summit in Kazakhstan, it was a physical newspaper — created to inform foreign delegates about a country many were just discovering. Fifteen years later, it has fully lived up to its slogan, “Bringing Kazakhstan to the World.” What began as a summit publication has evolved into a vibrant, multiplatform media outlet — with a strong online presence, a growing YouTube audience, and an unmistakable voice.
Aida Haidar moderating INMerge Almaty, organized by PASHA Holding. Photo credit: Inmerge
Today, The Astana Times is one of the most recognized and respected English-language publications from Kazakhstan, trusted by readers abroad who want to understand not only our politics and economy but also the spirit of the country itself.
The story of The Astana Times mirrors that of Kazakhstan — bold, fast-moving, and constantly reinventing itself. It has grown alongside the nation, chronicling every milestone, capturing our transitions and triumphs, and preserving them for future generations.
Reporting from Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2025 for the AT’s Youtube channel. Photo credit: The Astana Times
For me, working here has always been both a privilege and a responsibility. As a Kazakh-born female journalist writing in English, I feel the weight and honor of representing my country’s voice to the world. When I was first invited to join The Astana Times in 2014, just a year out of college in Chicago, I didn’t feel ready. But everything comes in due time.
In 2022, I finally joined the team — and it felt like coming home. By then, I had spent over a decade in television, working as a producer, screenwriter, and on-air talent. Journalism had always been the thread connecting all those roles — curiosity, storytelling, and a desire to make complex things clear. Joining The Astana Times allowed me to bring those experiences together in one place, where the storytelling was both national and global in scope.
When we launched our YouTube channel in 2023, it felt like opening a new window into Kazakhstan. The channel grew rapidly and organically, not because of algorithms or promotion, but because there was genuine curiosity about who we are. Viewers wanted to see the faces, voices, and stories behind the headlines, and they trusted the way we told them: calmly, thoughtfully, without exaggeration or propaganda. That trust, for me, is the highest currency in journalism.
Interviewing David Livingstone, Citi’s Chief Client Officer. Photo credit: The Astana Times
Kazakhstan, as I often say, can be delightfully audacious in its confidence. It dreams big, moves fast, and rarely does things halfway. And it deserves to be seen that way — as a country with ambition and imagination, not as a blank space between larger powers. We are a nation of storytellers, engineers, and dreamers. To represent Kazakhstan on the world stage with the depth it deserves means going beyond mere facts and figures. It’s about capturing the heartbeat: the people, the daily gestures, the unspoken resilience.
That is what The Astana Times strives to do. It informs, yes, but it also interprets. It doesn’t just translate Kazakhstan into English; it translates Kazakhstan’s essence: its rhythm, its contradictions, its humanity. We build bridges of understanding, one carefully chosen word at a time.
Writing about Kazakhstan in English has become more than a professional mission. It’s an act of authorship over our own story. For too long, our narrative was written by others. Often it was filtered through external lenses — from Russia, from the West — each with its own interests and assumptions. But now, as an independent nation, we are finally writing ourselves into the global conversation.
Our voice today is not defensive. It is self-assured, nuanced, and real. We are free to speak of reforms and resilience, of energy policy and art festivals, of rural life and AI center’s launches — all as parts of one evolving picture. We are not only reporting Kazakhstan’s political and economic trajectory. We are showing how people live, think, and dream. And that, ultimately, is what makes journalism worth doing: it turns a place on the map into a living, breathing story.
Visiting Masdar’s Al Dhafra two gigawatt solar PV Project, located just over 30 kilometers from Abu Dhabi. Photo credit: Personal archive
Over the years, I’ve written about everything from Kazakhstan’s digital transformation and its bold steps toward AI, to the rich heritage of our cuisine and what I call the “Kazakh DNA” — the essence of who we are today. Each story, in its own way, felt like a thread in a larger tapestry, a portrait of a country constantly in motion.
I write columns, represent The Astana Times brand abroad, and, like many of my colleagues, often act as its ambassador: moderating panels and taking part in international events. More and more opportunities keep coming our way, showing that The Astana Times is no longer just a media outlet, but a team of journalists who are becoming full-fledged experts in their fields.
I am proud to be part of this evolution, and grateful for this remarkable, and at times, challenging, place where I’ve been able to grow and let my skills truly shine. What I admire most about The Astana Times is its ability to reinvent itself effortlessly, almost as naturally as it breathes.
As a journalist, I’ve always believed that stories can move nations forward. Every column I write for The Astana Times is a small attempt to do just that: to hold up a mirror to who we are and who we’re becoming, and perhaps to help guide us toward the future with greater clarity and confidence.
Fifteen years may not seem like much in the lifespan of a nation, but for a publication, it’s an impressive journey. The Astana Times continues to grow, to reinvent, and to evolve, just like the country it represents. I am proud to be part of this story, and certain that the best chapters are still ahead.
