Kazakhstan Eyes Sustainable Aviation Fuel Industry With Alatau Pilot Project
ALMATY – Kazakhstan took a step toward entering the emerging market for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) after signing a memorandum with Hong Kong-based Full Vision Capital to explore building an integrated production ecosystem in Alatau, a project that could position the country within the global aviation industry’s decarbonization efforts. The memorandum, signed on Aug.4 following…
Dimash Qudaibergen Launches New World Tour
ALMATY – Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen has announced a new world tour titled DiMENSIONS, presenting the project as his most personal stage production to date and the latest step in an international career that has steadily expanded beyond music. According to the artist’s official website, the new program is designed not as a journey through…
Kazakhstan Completes Key Stage of Trans-Caspian Fiber Optic Cable Project
ALMATY – Kazakhstan has completed the most technically challenging stage of the Trans-Caspian Fiber Optic Cable project after an undersea cable reached the country’s Caspian coast on Aug. 5, marking a milestone in efforts to establish a new high-speed digital corridor linking Asia and Europe. The submarine cable, laid along the Caspian Sea floor between…
Kazakhstan Moves to Build Nationwide Flood and Drought Early Warning System
ALMATY – Kazakhstan signed an agreement on Aug. 4 to develop a nationwide flood and drought early warning system, signaling a broader shift from responding to water emergencies toward anticipating them. The project, developed jointly by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation’s Information and Analytical Center and Agip Karachaganak, will integrate data on the…
Kazakhstan Leads Central Asia in 2026 Legatum Prosperity Index
ALMATY – Kazakhstan ranked first among Central Asian countries in the 2026 Legatum Prosperity Index, placing 66th out of 161 economies worldwide, according to the latest report published by the Prosperity Institute. The annual index assesses countries across more than 130 indicators grouped into three broad pillars: prosperity, freedom and society. The 2026 edition introduced…
Will Kazakhstan Turn Migration Into Economic Advantage?
ALMATY – Kazakhstan is reshaping its migration policy around attracting the people its economy needs while strengthening digital oversight of migration flows. As the government advances its Migration Policy Concept through 2030 and proposes an electronic entry permit for foreign nationals that is expected to be implemented gradually between August and December 2026, officials say…
Hosting Global AI Olympiad, Kazakhstan Looks Beyond Competition
ALMATY – As more than 500 high school students from 106 countries gathered in Astana for the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev used the event to showcase Kazakhstan’s broader ambition to become one of Eurasia’s leading AI economies. But while hosting global competitions highlights the country’s growing digital profile, experts say…
Can Central Asia Turn Political Trust Into Lasting Regional Cooperation?
ALMATY – Central Asia is moving beyond symbolic diplomacy toward a more durable system of regional coordination, according to Filippo Costa Buranelli, an associate professor of international relations at the University of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom. Following last week’s informal summit of Central Asian leaders and Azerbaijan in Cholpon-Ata, Buranelli said in an…
Kazakhstan to Become One of Eurasia’s Leading Logistics Hubs, Tokayev Says
ALMATY – Kazakhstan has unveiled a new phase of its transport infrastructure strategy, launching construction of the Beineu–Saksaulsk highway and announcing the expansion of two additional road corridors as part of a broader effort to reposition the country as a key logistics hub linking Europe and Asia. Speaking at an Aug. 3 ceremony, President Kassym-Jomart…
Kazakhstan Meets Renewable Energy Goal Ahead of Schedule. What Comes Next?
ALMATY – Kazakhstan exceeded its national target for renewable electricity generation in 2025, marking another milestone in the country’s green energy transition. But while record output underscores the success of years of investment in wind and solar power, the figures also point to the next phase of the transition: integrating a rapidly growing share of…
Kazakhstan Prepares for First Wild Tiger Release as Reintroduction Project Enters Defining Stage
ALMATY – After years of habitat restoration and careful adaptation, the success of Kazakhstan’s tiger restoration effort will soon depend on whether the animals can survive and coexist with people in the wild. For nearly a decade, Kazakhstan’s effort to restore tigers to the Ili-Balkhash ecosystem has been approaching what conservationists consider its most consequential…
Kazakh Cinema Expands International Festival Presence With San Sebastián Selection
ALMATY – Kazakhstan continues to strengthen its presence on the international festival circuit as “Mūğalım” (Teacher), the feature debut of director Ayana Nurdinova, has been selected for the New Directors competition at the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious Class A festivals in Spain. “Mūğalım” becomes the…
Kazakhstan Joins Top Five Gold Buyers Amid Reserve Strategy Shift
ALMATY – Kazakhstan ranked among the world’s five largest central bank gold buyers in the second quarter of 2026, purchasing 15 tons of the precious metal as monetary authorities worldwide accelerated efforts to strengthen reserves amid persistent geopolitical uncertainty and shifting global financial conditions. According to the latest World Gold Council (WGC) report, the National…
Kazakh FM Urges More Practical SCO as Global Turbulence Reshapes Regional Priorities
ALMATY – The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is increasingly shifting from a platform centered on political dialogue and regional security toward one that places greater emphasis on economic resilience, trade connectivity and practical cooperation, as member states respond to growing geopolitical and supply-chain disruptions. That transformation was at the center of discussions during the July…
Kazakhstan Advances as Regional Education Hub With Rise in Student Cities Ranking
ALMATY – Kazakhstan continued to strengthen its position as Central Asia’s leading higher education hub as Almaty reached its highest-ever position in the QS Best Student Cities 2027 ranking and the country recorded another year of growth in international student enrollment. Astana also improved its position, rising eight places to 119th, reinforcing Kazakhstan’s growing role…
Kazakh National Bank Lowers Base Rate as Inflation Continues to Ease
ALMATY – The National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) cut its base rate to 16.75% on July 24, citing nine consecutive months of slowing inflation, while Governor Timur Suleimenov said policymakers would continue to base future decisions on incoming economic data rather than follow a predetermined easing path. The NBK Monetary Policy Committee lowered the base…
Election Campaigning Begins Ahead of Kazakhstan’s Kurultai Vote
ALMATY – Election campaigning officially began in Kazakhstan at 6:01 p.m. on July 23 ahead of the Aug. 23 elections to the Kurultai, with seven political parties competing for 145 seats in the representative body. The campaign will run until midnight on Aug. 21, while Aug. 22 has been designated as the official day of…
Kazakh Foreign Minister Joins SCO Talks Ahead of Leaders’ Summit
ALMATY – Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev is participating in the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in Cholpon-Ata, the Kyrgyz Republic, on July 24. The meeting is focused on preparations for the upcoming SCO Council of Heads of State Summit, while foreign ministers are also…
Kazakhstan Improves SDG Ranking as Experts Urge Greater Focus on Resilience
ALMATY – Kazakhstan climbed three positions to 67th place among 169 countries in the 2026 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index, while experts say the country’s long-term competitiveness will depend on strengthening resilience in an increasingly volatile global economy. Published by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the annual index evaluates countries’ progress…
Kazakhstan to Use Digital Tenge Across Government Spending This August
ALMATY – Kazakhstan to begin using the digital tenge in public procurement from August after completing the integration of the digital currency platform with the Finance Ministry’s information systems, reported the Prime Minister’s press service on July 22. The announcement followed a government meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik…
Almaty to Host Central Asia Fintech Summit 2026 in September
ALMATY – The Central Asia Fintech Summit (CAFS) 2026 will take place in Almaty on Sept. 11, bringing together financial institutions, fintech companies, regulators, investors and technology leaders to discuss the future of digital finance in Central Asia. Organized by the National Payment Corporation of Kazakhstan and the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the summit will…
Kazakhstan Reports Record Ice Cream Production in June
ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s ice cream production more than doubled in June compared to the same month last year, reaching nearly 20,100 tons, according to new data released by the Bureau of National Statistics. The surge comes as the country’s dairy industry continues to expand, with ice cream among the fastest-growing product categories in the first…
Ye’s Almaty Concert Sells Half of Available Tickets During Presales
ALMATY – Around half of all tickets for American rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, sold out on the first day of presales for his Aug. 14 concert in Almaty, organizers announced on July 22. The performance at Almaty’s Central Stadium is expected to become the largest music show ever staged in Central Asia…
Kazakhstan Monitors CPC Exports After New Drone Attack on Oil Tanker
ALMATY – Kazakh Energy Ministry is closely monitoring operations at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) after another drone strike targeted an oil tanker loading Kazakh crude at the consortium’s Black Sea marine terminal overnight on July 20, reported the Kazinform news agency. The attack came after CPC resumed loading operations following an earlier drone strike…
Jackie Chan’s ‘Armour of God: Ultimatum’ Begins Filming in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau Region
ALMATY – Production has officially begun on the international feature film “Armour of God: Ultimatum” in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau Region on July 18, with globally renowned actor Jackie Chan and director Robert Kun launching filming during a ceremonial event. Following a long-standing filmmaking tradition, Chan and Kun broke a ceremonial film slate to mark the official…
