ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest explores the country’s ambitions to become a regional artificial intelligence hub, Kairat Almaty’s draw against Italian club Atalanta, expanding freight connections with Mexico, plans to attract investment into data center infrastructure, and the challenges of balancing industrial development with water resources.
Almaty. Photo credit: Almaty’s city administration.
Kazakhstan seeks to turn energy resources into AI exports
Kazakhstan could emerge as a major artificial intelligence and computing hub connecting Europe and Asia, but its long-term success will depend on its ability to develop domestic technologies rather than simply host foreign infrastructure, reported Global Banking & Finance Review on Nov. 2.
The article examined the country’s digital development and growing partnerships with international technology companies, following NVIDIA co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang’s first visit to Kazakhstan. During a public discussion in Astana, Huang described the country as “a future computing center and artificial intelligence factory for all of Europe.”
The report also examined the Data Center Valley project in Ekibastuz, which is expected to begin commercial operations in the third quarter of 2027.
Kairat Almaty holds Atalanta to draw in European competition
Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty secured a 1-1 draw against Italian club Atalanta in Bergamo on Nov. 5, earning a valuable point against the 2024 Europa League winners, reported The Times of Central Asia on Nov. 6.
Spanish forward Marc Gual gave Kairat the lead in the 53rd minute after an attack created by Brazilian teammate Edmilson. Atalanta equalised in the 82nd minute through substitute Nikola Krstović, preventing a home defeat.
The result came during a period of change for the Almaty club. Head coach Rafael Urazbakhtin resigned on Oct. 26 after Kairat finished second in Kazakhstan’s 2026 Premier League, three points behind champions Ordabasy Shymkent. Interim manager Zhora Arutyunyan took charge of the team.
Kazakhstan expands freight connections to Mexico through Caspian route
Kazakhstan’s national railway operator is expanding its international freight network, with its freight forwarding subsidiary KTZ Express organising a container shipment from Almaty to the Mexican port of Veracruz, reported RailFreight.
The route combines rail and maritime transport. Containers are transported from Almaty to Georgia’s port of Poti, crossing the Caspian Sea and passing through Azerbaijan’s Port of Alat. From Poti, Danish shipping company Maersk carries the cargo across the sea to Veracruz.
Kazakhstan attracts investment for second phase of Data Center Valley
Kazakhstan has reached preliminary agreements with international companies to develop up to 620 megawatts of additional computing capacity as part of the second phase of its Data Center Valley project in the Pavlodar Region, reported Trend news agency on Nov. 6.
According to the report, preliminary agreements with Gaw Capital, Boosteroid and Firebird cover 480 megawatts, with the potential to increase capacity to 620 megawatts. The project was discussed at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, where officials reviewed construction progress and plans to attract further investment.
Kazakhstan’s industrial ambitions raise questions over water resources
Kazakhstan’s plans to expand mineral processing and other water-intensive industries will require careful assessment of their impact on regional water supplies, particularly in areas already facing irrigation constraints, wrote Zamirbek Minbayev in an opinion article for The Times of Central Asia.
The article examined the Shalkiya lead-zinc mine in the Kyzylorda Region, where a planned processing plant could handle four million metric tons of ore annually. The facility would require a substantial water supply, with a pumping station designed to circulate up to 2,400 cubic meters of water per hour. However, the plant would still need additional fresh water, raising questions about its impact on local agriculture.
Minbayev noted that Kazakhstan has been seeking to increase domestic mineral processing to retain more skilled jobs and export earnings. However, he stressed that industrial projects must account for the availability of water before construction begins.
