Articles by Aida Haidar 

I grew up devouring Ray Bradbury. I don’t know why my childhood mind was so fascinated by the future. At the time, I never imagined that humans would one day be living a version of the future he wrote: not in the rocket ships or Mars missions he imagined, but in the quiet, insidious ways…

Editor’s Note: To mark the 15th anniversary of The Astana Times, we are launching a special series of columns written by our newsroom. Over the days, members of our team reflect on their journeys, the stories that shaped them, and the evolution of The Astana Times. We began with a column by our editor-in-chief Zhanna…

ASTANA — The Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center convened visiting policymakers and regional experts on Nov. 7, following the C5+1 Presidential Summit, to discuss the future of United States–Central Asia relations and practical steps to deepen engagement. Moderated by the Atlantic Council’s Associate Director of the Eurasia Center Andrew D’Anieri, the discussion emphasized that, on the…

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with the founders of Kazakh IT startups expanding into international markets during his visit to Washington, DC, on Nov. 6, expressing support for the startups, Akorda press service reported.  “As President of the country, I support you. Your work is vital for the future of our nation. Digitalization and…

ASTANA — Artificial intelligence is scaling at a pace no economic model can match, and it’s already outpacing human control. When I spoke with futurist and bestselling author Brett King for The Astana Times YouTube channel, he warned that AI’s capabilities are growing tenfold every two years, while our policies and institutions are barely keeping…

ASTANA — The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Regional Economic Outlook, released on Oct. 21, showed that Central Asian economies continue to outperform expectations, with growth projected at 5.6% in 2025 before easing to around 4% in the medium term. To understand what lies behind this resilience and how the region can turn it into lasting…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan to remain Central Asia’s fastest-growing economy in 2025, expanding by 5.9%, well above the global average of 3.2%, according to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Regional Economic Outlook, released on Oct. 21. The IMF revised its forecast for the broader Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA) region upward to 5.6%, citing Kazakhstan’s strong…

Can you imagine being a Netflix subscriber for almost 17 years back when it was just mail-order DVDs in Northern California where I lived in my 20s and then meeting its cofounder Marc Randolph in person? The feeling is hard to put into words. At the InMerge Summit, organized by PASHA Holding, in Baku on…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan has been rebranding its universities to enhance educational standards and position the country as a hub for learning in Eurasia. In today’s turbulent world, it aims to provide students with a safe and stable environment to study. One example is Shokan Ualikhanov Kokshetau University, located in my hometown. I spoke with Zhailagul…

ASTANA — As Kazakhstan marks the 30th anniversary of its Constitution, we turned to those who came of age alongside the country’s most important legal document — its contemporaries. For them, the Constitution is not a relic of statehood or a distant text, but a framework that has shaped their lives, careers, and sense of…

ASTANA — The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has unveiled its Transport Projects Observatory, a powerful new tool designed to monitor and coordinate over $234 billion in infrastructure investments across 13 countries participating in the Eurasian Transport Network (ETN). As of July 1, 2025, the Observatory is tracking 325 development projects aimed at enhancing transport connectivity…

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has set an ambitious national goal: to bring the level of Kazakhstan’s subsoil exploration to 2.2 million square kilometers. To put that in perspective, this is larger than the entire area of Saudi Arabia. One of the key players embracing this challenge is Kazakhmys Barlau, a company rapidly becoming a…

When we think of Astana, the first thing that comes to mind is high-level visits of politicians and international summits. It’s a city of strategy, diplomacy, and national ambition. But beneath that polished, political surface lies something quieter — yet just as powerful: a city that creates space for dreams. As Astana celebrates its birthday…

When we think of Astana, the first thing that comes to mind is high-level visits of politicians and international summits. It’s a city of strategy, diplomacy, and national ambition. But beneath that polished, political surface lies something quieter — yet just as powerful: a city that creates space for dreams. As Astana celebrates its birthday…

ALMATY – A shift is underway in the Caspian region. Innovation is no longer seen as a buzzword but a homegrown necessity. During a high-level session on corporates, startups, and the future of innovation in the Caspian Region at INMerge Almaty 2025 on June 17, regional voices mapped out both the momentum gained and the…

ASTANA — What does it mean to carry the Kazakh spirit into fashion? For designers like Aigul Kuandykova from Mechanical Piano and Zhanar Shuraeva from Quraq Korpe (Quilt mattress), it is not about looking to the past for nostalgia’s sake, but rather about embracing an identity forged by freedom, disruption, and reinvention. It’s a spirit…

ASTANA — As we were walking towards the shooting area where The Astana Times YouTube channel’s cameras were ready to roll, Daniel F. Runde Senior, Vice President at the Center for Strategic and International Studies based in Washington, D.C., United States (US), reiterated to me that this is not a phenomenon of the last decade…

ASTANA — As the race for critical minerals intensifies globally, the United Kingdom (UK) and Kazakhstan are doubling down on collaboration, betting on a partnership that spans from geology to green innovation. At a dedicated session on the sidelines of the Astana Mining and Metallurgy Congress on June 4, hosted by the British Embassy’s Department…

ASTANA — Over the course of my not-so-long but eventful career in media as a TV producer, PR consultant, and now reporter for The Astana Times, I’ve covered more major events than I can count. The Astana International Forum (AIF) is one of them. I’ll be candid: at some point, these grand gatherings began to…

ASTANA — The National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) officially launched the crypto card project during a June 3 meeting in Almaty with representatives of banks, crypto exchanges, and fintech companies. This initiative is part of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s directive to accelerate the development of the country’s digital asset ecosystem. The crypto card is a payment…

ASTANA —What role will middle powers play in a multipolar world? What exactly defines a middle power? How do we identify them — by geography, diplomatic reach, economic size? These questions were at the heart of a session on May 30 at the Astana International Forum (AIF) 2025, dedicated to exploring the growing importance of…

ASTANA — The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) held a session entitled Eurasia: Unlocking Growth, Embracing Global Trends at the Astana International Forum (AIF) 2025 on May 29. The session was held as part of the largest international event in the Central Asian region, chaired by the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The session was moderated…

ASTANA — President of North Macedonia Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova issued a powerful call for gender-balanced leadership on the world stage — beginning with the United Nations during a plenary session at the Astana International Forum (AIF) 2025 on May 29. With the UN’s 80th anniversary fast approaching, she called on member states not only to pursue…

ASTANA — The Astana-Istanbul flight operated by Turkish Airlines celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Just two decades ago, the route operated only twice a week. Today, it has grown to 11 weekly flights, and Turkish Airlines has no plans to stop there. In an interview with The Astana Times, Engin Akbaş, Turkish Airlines General…

ASTANA — Globally, education trends have been evolving rapidly. Rita Almeida, manager of the Education Global Practice for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank, shared in an interview with The Astana Times YouTube channel how these global trends, often referred to as “megatrends,” translate into regional dynamics, particularly in Central Asia and Kazakhstan. …