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 has over 9 years of experience as a reporter in media (translator, editor of Qazaq TV, intern reporter of Eurasia Pervyi Kanal TV, press officer of the Astana Opera House). She joined The Astana Times in 2016.
Awards in professional field: Certificate of appreciation for participation in the media coverage of the 2010 OSCE Summit in Astana; Certificate of appreciation for participation in the International Monetary Fund’s financial journalism training in Vienna in 2017; Certificate of appreciation for media coverage of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in Kazakhstan in 2020. The winner of the UN change for climate media contest among journalists in Kazakhstan (2021).
In 2024, Zhanna was nominated by the German Embassy as a candidate for the fellowship program of the German Foreign Office to attend the 17th edition of Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum, in Bonn, Germany.
Under Zhanna’s guidance, The AT team launched the Kazakhstan region profile section to cover the regional news, a series of stories dedicated to start-ups and volunteer activities. In 2024, The AT launched its YouTube channel featuring interviews with experts on politics and social sector as well as weekly digest news and a series of videos about Kazakh language and culture.
She joined The AT in 2016.
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.
Aida Haidar, news editor
Aida Haidar is the Head of the News Department at The Astana Times and a YouTube host and producer of special projects, including the Astana International Forum (AIF), the Central Asia Trade Forum, Connected, the Annual Meetings of the IMF 2023, and a series of interviews with prominent experts and politicians.
As the news editor at The Astana Times, Aida covers news related to the current affairs of the Kazakh government and the President, society, economics, and the country’s investment climate.
With ten years of experience in Kazakhstan’s media, she has worked as a TV producer and journalist at Qazaq TV and Atameken Business.
Aida joined The Astana Times in 2022.
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.
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.
