Almaty Airport Secures $362 Million Boost from Private Investors

ASTANA – TAV Holding, a Turkish airport operations firm, will invest an additional $362 million in the new 53,500-square-meter terminal commissioned in June 2024 at Almaty International...


Kazakhstan Launches Door-to-Door Delivery to Belgium

ASTANA – A subsidiary of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) national railway company, KTZ Express, has launched a new international delivery service from the first to the last...


Kazakhstan Rises to 44th Place in Global Open Data Inventory Ranking

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has climbed to 44th place out of 198 countries in the Open Data Inventory (ODIN) ranking by Open Data Watch, the Bureau of National...


South Korean Model Inspires Kazakhstan’s New Tech University

ASTANA — Qazaqstan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (QAIST), a new research university, is set to open in Almaty next year, marking a significant milestone. The...


How Kazakhstan Regulates and Sustains Expanding Tourism Sector

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s growing appeal as a travel destination is supported by a comprehensive framework of policies, programs, and partnerships designed to ensure safe, high-quality and sustainable...


Kazakhstan Achieves Record at Asia-Pacific Linguistics Olympiad

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Ramazan Butantayev, a student of the specialized IT lyceum of the Mangystau Region, won the gold medal at the Asia-Pacific Linguistic Olympiad APLO-2025. The...


Kazakhstan Unveils Digital Future for Subsoil Management

ASTANA – In a significant leap toward transparency and innovation, Kazakhstan has made its natural resources more accessible to global investors by removing intermediaries and digitizing subsoil...


Kazakhstan Eyes Fertilizer Independence with Expanding Chemical Output

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is intensifying efforts to develop its chemical industry, aiming to diversify its economy and enhance self-sufficiency in agricultural and industrial sectors, said Minister of...


Survey Shows More Than 60% Confident in Kazakhstan’s Future Over Five Years

ASTANA – A new nationwide public opinion survey, commissioned by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) on May 5, reveals high optimism among citizens regarding the...


Kazakhstan Accelerates Petrochemical Development with $15 Billion Investment Plan

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is shifting its oil and gas sector toward high-value-added production, focusing on petrochemicals as a strategic national priority. Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov has introduced...


Caspian-Black Sea Tunnel Proposal by Azerbaijan Aims to Tackle Water Crisis

ASTANA – Azerbaijan has proposed a bold project to connect the Caspian and Black Seas via an underground water tunnel — a move that could offer Kazakhstan...


Top Five Summer Destinations in Kazakhstan: Nature, Culture and Adventure

ASTANA – As summer approaches, more tourists are seeking destinations that offer a blend of nature, culture, and modern infrastructure. The Kazakh Ministry of Tourism and Sports...


Kazakhstan and OPEC+ Partners to Raise Oil Output in June

ASTANA – The eight OPEC+ countries, which previously announced additional voluntary adjustments in April and November 2023, namely Algeria, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and...


Kazakhstan-Vietnam Ties: Trade, Connectivity and Strategic Cooperation

ASTANA – General Secretary of the 13th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam will pay a state visit to Kazakhstan from May 5...


Kazakhstan to Tackle Gaps in Waste Management with Strategy Due by September

ASTANA – The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources will prepare a dedicated strategy on waste management by September. It will offer a holistic approach to managing...


Kazakhstan’s Youngest Rector Shares Journey in Education Leadership

ASTANA –  At 34, Laura Karabassova has shattered glass ceilings to lead the Aktobe Regional University and become the youngest rector in the country. Beyond the title,...


Two Polish Bikers Find Bliss Cycling on Frozen Balkhash Lake

ASTANA – Clear ice that stretches as far as the eyes can see, a vast horizon, and the feeling of complete freedom — what more could you...


Uzbek Airline My Freighter Expands Into Kazakhstan

ASTANA — Uzbekistan’s My Freighter airline will launch flights from Tashkent to Almaty starting May 5, reports the Kazakh Transport Ministry on May 2. The airline, which...


Syganak: Ancient City with Layers of Steppe History

Editor’s Note: The Astana Times introduces a new series, Forgotten Cities of the Silk Road. We are setting out to explore tentative UNESCO sites in Kazakhstan. Many...


Royal Danish Theater Brings Kazakh Soloist Meirambek Nazargozhayev Home for June Performance

ASTANA – The Steppe media outlet recently shared the inspiring journey of Meirambek Nazargozhayev, a Kazakh native whose talent and determination led him from the village of...


Sensory Symphony: Bukhara Biennial in Uzbekistan to Serve Arts, Heart and Healing on Cultural Platter

ASTANA– The inaugural Bukhara Biennial, titled Recipes for Broken Hearts, will open on Sept. 5, 2025, in historic Bukhara, a UNESCO Creative City of Craft & Folk...


Kazakhstan, UK Deepen Strategic Partnership in Key Sectors

ASTANA – The partnership and cooperation agreement between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom has opened new prospects for deepening cooperation in critical minerals, green energy and climate,...


Kazakhstan to Build Ferroalloy-Gas Utilization Facility 

ASTANA – Global metals and mining company Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with China Tianchen Engineering Corporation to build...


QazaqAir Launches Astana-Turkistan-Samarkand Flights on Unity Day

ASTANA – QazaqAir hosted a ceremony of launching a new international flight on the Astana-Turkistan-Samarkand route at the Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport on May 1, the Day...


News Digest: Foreign Media on New Investor Visa, Investment in Critical Minerals, Relations with Europe and More

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers Central Asia’s relations with the European Union,...


Renowned Romanian Choir to Perform in Kazakhstan for First Time

ASTANA – The renowned Romanian national chamber choir, Madrigal – Marin Constantin, a hallmark of Romanian culture, will perform for the first time in Kazakhstan with a...


Kazakhstan Stresses Global South Solidarity Amid Growing Tensions

ASTANA – Kazakh First Deputy Foreign Minister Akan Rakhmetullin stressed the importance of collective decisions and solidarity of Global South countries amid growing geopolitical tensions and economic...


Vietnam’s Leader to Visit Kazakhstan Next Week

ASTANA – At the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Tô Lâm will pay a state visit to...


Kazakhstan Introduces Investor Visa in Bid for Foreign Investment

ASTANA – Kazakhstan approved new regulations for obtaining an investor visa to enhance its investment appeal and support long-term business partnerships on April 30, reported the Foreign...


Riding Creative Wave: What India Taught Me About Kazakhstan’s Untapped Power

MUMBAI — As I attended the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in the early days of May, I found myself not just a journalist covering...