ALMATY – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has established an Operational Committee to enable faster decision-making on the development of Alatau City, as the government moves to implement Kazakhstan’s new special legal regime for the country’s newest city.
The Alatau City model. Photo credit: Akorda. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
The announcement came during a July 10 meeting of the Alatau City council, where officials reviewed the implementation of the Constitutional Law on the Special Legal Regime of Alatau City, which entered into force on July 1, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.
A Temporary Land Relations Commission was also approved to oversee land-related issues during the transition period and facilitate priority investment projects until the city’s master plan is finalized.
Bektenov said the constitutional reforms initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev provide the foundation for the country’s next stage of economic transformation, with Alatau City expected to become one of its key growth engines.
“Alatau City should become one of the drivers of Kazakhstan’s economic development. Our main task is to ensure the timely and effective implementation of the city’s special legal regime,” Bektenov said.
Master plan and infrastructure development underway
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has established an Operational Committee to enable faster decision-making on the development of Alatau City at a July 10 council meeting. Photo credit: PM’s press service.
Chief Executive Officer of the Alatau City Authority, Alisher Abdykadyrov, outlined progress in establishing the city’s legal framework, governance structure and investment strategy.
Work is underway to develop the city’s regulatory base, strategic planning documents and investment support mechanisms, while infrastructure upgrades continue across the city’s existing neighborhoods, including Yntymaq, Koyankus, Zhetigen, Zhanadauir and Zhanatalap.
By the end of 2026, authorities plan to complete Alatau City’s long-term development plan through 2055, alongside a development strategy and master plan extending to 2040. The documents are being prepared with international consulting firms ARUP and Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
AI, smart city and Web3 projects
Officials also reviewed three flagship initiatives designed to position Alatau as a next-generation digital city.
The K-Smart City project will create a 330-hectare pilot district based on South Korean smart city technologies. Alatau AI-Driven City aims to integrate digital twins, artificial intelligence and big data into real-time urban management, while Alatau Crypto City will introduce tokenization projects and develop a Web3 ecosystem supporting digital assets and blockchain-based services.
According to the Alatau City authority, the city has assembled a portfolio of 53 investment projects worth 2 trillion tenge (nearly US$3.8 billion) that are expected to create around 51,000 jobs.
Among the largest planned investments are the more than $1 billion Iconic Complex, manufacturing projects by PepsiCo, Mars and Hyundai Green Food, the Khan Tengri Biopharma biotechnology facility, urban air mobility initiatives with AutoFlight and Joby Aviation, and the construction of a campus for South Korea’s KAIST university.
Authorities also plan to launch the city’s first tokenization projects by the end of 2026, while attracting new residents and building an integrated ecosystem that connects the physical and virtual economies.
