ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s 16 special economic zones (SEZ) play a central role in the country’s investment strategy, offering tax incentives, simplified customs procedures and ready industrial sites. Spanning manufacturing, logistics and technology, the zones are designed to attract investors and create jobs. The Astana Times breaks down key projects and developments across all 16 zones.
Photo credit: primeminister.kz
The SEZ framework is regulated by the law on special economic and industrial zones adopted in 2019, along with the Tax Code, Customs Code, and Land Code. Benefits include corporate tax exemptions, property and land tax relief, zero VAT on qualifying goods, simplified hiring procedures, and duty-free customs treatment.
Industrial and manufacturing hubs
Astana – New City, active from 2002 to 2027, supports the production of rolling stock, electronics, armored vehicles, furniture, construction materials, and precision instruments.
Saryarka, active from 2011 to 2036 in Karagandy, develops metallurgy, machinery, electronics, chemicals, and construction materials, while Pavlodar, running over the same period, focuses on chemical and metallurgical production.
Ontustik, established in 2005 and operating through 2030 in Shymkent, specializes in cotton processing, textiles, chemicals, and high-tech industries. The National Industrial Petrochemical Technopark in Atyrau, active from 2007 to 2049, targets high-tech petrochemical production, hydrocarbon processing, research, and workforce training.
Logistics and trade-oriented SEZs
The Aktau Sea Port, operating from 2003 to 2052, includes the Caspian Hub, with a 19-hectare container terminal developed with Lianyungang Port Group, and the Sarzha maritime terminal at the Kuryk port. The first phase of the container terminal opened in July, while the second phase is nearing completion and is expected to handle up to 240,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The Sarzha terminal receives general cargo, with grain, chemical, and liquid bulk terminals under construction, Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev said at a Nov. 25 government meeting.
Khorgos – Eastern Gate, operating from 2011 to 2036, hosts 64 companies. Around half of its projects are complete, generating 2,300 jobs, while the rest are underway and are expected to create 5,000 more jobs.
Key projects include the Kazakhstan–China International Industrial City, wind energy production, metal products manufacturing, and beverage production. Infrastructure plans cover a logistics corridor to China, rail expansion, a cargo-passenger airport, a production and logistics complex, and bonded warehouses.
The Khorgos International Center for Border Cooperation, active from 2017 to 2041, supports 41 projects worth 234.4 billion tenge (US$454 million). Eight are operational and the rest are scheduled to finish by 2027.
Jibek Joly, operating from 2012 to 2037 in the Zhambyl Region, focuses on chemical production and industrial diversification.
Innovation, technology, and research SEZs
Launched in 2003 and active through 2028, the Park of Innovative Technologies in Almaty works on information and communication technologies, electronics, renewable energy, advanced materials, and telecommunications. Alatau, with an operational period from 2023 to 2048 in the Almaty Region, specializes in IT, electronics, bioengineering, telecommunications, renewable energy, and advanced materials, and supports startups and research commercialization.
Astana – Technopolis, active from 2017 through 2043, integrates industrial innovation and research in partnership with Nazarbayev University.
Turan (2018–2043) in Turkistan consists of industrial, administrative, historical, and airport subzones. Its Central Asia International Center for Industrial Cooperation subzone, granted in March, will host projects in polyvinyl chloride production, drip irrigation systems, and agricultural processing. The investment volume is 185.1 billion tenge (US$358.5 million), with 1,150 jobs expected. As trade with Uzbekistan could reach $10 billion over five years, a full launch is expected in 2026.
Regional growth and industrial expansion
Qyzyljar (2019–2044) in Petropavlovsk received 9.6 billion tenge (US$18.6 million) from the Special State Fund for expansion. Over 20 companies with declared investments of 317.1 billion tenge (US$614.2 million) are registered, expected to create around 4,000 jobs. Five projects are running, employing nearly 700 people.
Sixteen more projects in food processing, engineering, and agriculture, worth 279 billion tenge (US$540.4 million), are planned. Construction is ongoing on water supply, drainage, heating, roads, rail tracks, communications, and landscaping, reported the Prime Minister’s press service on Nov. 22.
Aktobe (2025–2049) focuses on manufacturing, logistics, agricultural processing, chemicals, light industries, automotive components, and renewable energy. Korkyt Ata (2025–2050) in the Kyzylorda Region, along the Western Europe–Western China transport corridor, supports textiles, leather, machinery, electronics, paper, pharmaceuticals, metal production, logistics, and infrastructure construction.
Investment performance
As of the third quarter this year, Kazakhstan’s SEZs had attracted over 10 trillion tenge (US$19.2 billion) in investments, with four trillion tenge (US$7.7 billion) invested in industrial sectors.
“A total of 549 projects were completed, producing 12 trillion tenge [US$23 billion] in output and 954.8 billion tenge [US$1.8 billion] in exports, while generating 33,022 jobs. Foreign investment accounts for one trillion tenge [US$2 billion],” the Ministry of Industry and Construction told The Astana Times in a written comment.
Challenges and development measures
Infrastructure development remains a key constraint, with limited financing slowing completion of vital facilities.
To address these challenges, Kazakhstan is negotiating with financial institutions and preparing legislative amendments to improve SEZ management and investment procedures. No new SEZs are planned at this stage, with the government prioritizing the strengthening of existing zones, the ministry told The Astana Times.
Global context
According to UNCTAD’s 2024 Sustainability Practices of Special Economic Zones, there were over 5,400 SEZs in 145 economies in 2019, and the number continues to grow. Worldwide, estimates range from 5,000 to 7,000 zones, including industrial parks, free-trade zones, and export-processing zones.
The report highlights that SEZs are shifting from purely economic objectives to broader sustainability aims that align with national development strategies, including net-zero commitments. Survey respondents reported goals such as improving urban and environmental sustainability, advancing circular-economy approaches, supporting education and innovation, and encouraging diversity and inclusion.
