Articles by Ayana Birbayeva 

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s IT services market reached a historic high in 2025, with the total value of services exceeding 2.9 trillion tenge (US$5.6 billion), according to the Bureau of National Statistics. The figure represents a 70% increase compared to 2024 and marks a 4.6-fold expansion since official statistics on the sector began being published in…

ALMATY – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has established an Operational Committee to enable faster decision-making on the development of Alatau City, as the government moves to implement Kazakhstan’s new special legal regime for the country’s newest city. The announcement came during a July 10 meeting of the Alatau City council, where officials reviewed the implementation…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s top-ranked tennis player Elena Rybakina has been named one of the world’s 10 highest-paid tennis players in 2026, according to the latest annual rankings compiled by the sports business publication Sportico. Rybakina ranked 10th with $16.3 million in total earnings over the 12 months from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s foreign trade turnover reached $44.9 billion in the first four months of 2026, up 7.9% from the same period last year, according to data released by the Kazakh Bureau of National Statistics on June 15.  Between January and April, the country’s exports rose by 5% to $24 billion, while imports increased by…

ALMATY – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov met with a delegation from the Japan Business Federation Keidanren led by Takeshi Hashimoto, chairman of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, on July 9 to discuss expanding trade, investment and technological cooperation between Kazakhstan and Japan. The talks focused on implementing agreements reached during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s official visit to Japan…

ALMATY – International film star Jackie Chan attended the official launch ceremony of the international feature film “Armour of God: Ultimatum” in Almaty on July 9, marking the start of a major Kazakhstan-China cinematic collaboration, according to the Ministry of Culture and Information’s press service.  The ceremony brought together Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev has joined the newly established AI for Good Global Commission, a high-level international body created by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to shape practical approaches to the development and governance of artificial intelligence. Madiyev joined the commission at the…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan has strengthened its cooperation with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to enhance the country’s capacity to investigate aviation accidents and incidents following the signing of a new cooperation agreement in Montreal, reported the Ministry of transport on July 8.  The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Kazakh delegation and…

ALMATY – The Karagandy Zoo has welcomed two new additions to its Amur tiger family. Born on April 30, the cubs have now been officially named Kiara and Mufasa, following a public naming contest that attracted nearly 500 participants. The names, inspired by the beloved characters from The Lion King, were selected by the zoo’s…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan has unveiled its national pavilion at the AI for Good Global Summit 2026, taking place July 7–10 in Geneva, Switzerland, presenting the country as an emerging Eurasian hub for artificial intelligence and digital technologies. Operating under the slogan Kazakhstan – AI and Digital Hub of Eurasia, the pavilion is located at the…

ALMATY – China has become the official partner of the Astana AI Film Festival (AAIFF 2026), marking a new stage in cooperation between Kazakhstan and China in AI-powered filmmaking and digital creative industries. The partnership was announced recently during the festival’s official launch in Beijing at Shougang Park alongside the Kazakhstan-China Forum on Innovation in…

ALMATY – Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a series of bilateral meetings with executives of leading international energy companies and financial institutions on the sidelines of the 38th plenary session of the Foreign Investors’ Council, reaffirming Kazakhstan’s commitment to expanding investment cooperation and advancing major infrastructure and energy projects. During the meetings, Bektenov noted…

ALMATY  — Archaeologists have begun a new excavation season at the medieval settlement of Zhankent in Kazakhstan’s Kyzylorda Region, continuing efforts to uncover the history of one of the most significant cities of the Oghuz state and a key site along the Silk Road, reported Kazinform.  The archaeological works, supported by the regional administration, are…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan is expected to experience another warm summer in 2026, with temperatures reaching up to 45 degrees Celsius in some regions, according to a seasonal forecast released by the national weather service, Kazhydromet, on May 15. The outlook comes just months after 2025 was officially recognized as the hottest year in Kazakhstan since…

ALMATY — A two-year-old Kazakh tazy dog named Akbaqai became one of the stars of the eighth International Ethnosport Culture Festival in Istanbul, drawing attention from thousands of visitors and even attracting purchase offers from admirers of the ancient hunting breed. Kazakhstan was represented by breeders of the national tazy dog breed, as well as…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s AI-powered Crime Threat Forecasting Center has issued 192 risk assessments to state agencies and helped block 38 fraudulent websites as authorities expand the use of digital technologies in law enforcement, reported the Kazakhstan Prosecutor General’s Office.  The center, established under the Committee on Legal Statistics and Special Records of the Prosecutor General’s…

ALMATY – Oil production at Kazakhstan’s Tengiz oil field was temporarily reduced after an operational disruption at one of the facilities operated by Tengizchevroil (TCO) on May 28, the company and Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry confirmed. According to Chevron, Tengizchevroil experienced a “minor operational disruption” at one of its production facilities. The company said oil output…

ALMATY – Luxembourg-based cargo carrier Cargolux, one of the world’s largest freight airlines, will resume operations in Kazakhstan on June 1, with plans to operate up to 14 flights per week through Astana International Airport, reported the Kazakh Embassy to Belgium.  The return of the European cargo giant is a significant step in the country’s…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates are accelerating economic cooperation after Kazakh exports to the Gulf nation jumped 42.1% in the first quarter of 2026 and Emirati investment reached $1.6 billion last year. The growing partnership was highlighted during a meeting between Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev and UAE Minister…

ALMATY – On May 28, Kazakhstan commemorates the birthday of Yestai Berkimbayev — the legendary akyn (improvisational poet), singer and composer whose music became an enduring part of Kazakh cultural heritage and whose song “Korlan” transformed his name into a symbol of lyrical folk music. Born in 1868 in the Akkol area of the current…

ALMATY – Kazakh government has approved the construction of a 32.5 billion tenge (US$71 million) full-cycle biopharmaceutical plant in the Alatau Special Economic Zone as part of broader efforts to expand domestic pharmaceutical production and reduce reliance on imports. The investment agreement between Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry and Steppe Pharmaceuticals was approved by Prime Minister Olzhas…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan is accelerating preparations for its Data Center Valley project aimed at attracting global AI companies, hyperscalers and cloud computing leaders, with the industrial city of Ekibastuz selected as the project’s main site. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov chaired a meeting reviewing the implementation status of the project on May 25. Kazakh Minister of…

ALMATY – Nearly 85% of all overland cargo traffic between China and Europe passes through Kazakhstan, and now Astana is looking further south toward Africa. During the Kazakhstan–Kenya Business Forum on May 20 in Astana, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed linking the Middle Corridor with East Africa’s major maritime routes through Kenya’s ports of Mombasa and…

ALMATY – Central Asian countries recorded a notable growth in renewable energy capacity in 2025, as global installations surged by a record 692 gigawatts (GW), according to a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency. The report, titled Renewable Capacity Statistics 2026, shows that global renewable capacity reached 5,149 GW, marking a 15.5% annual…

ALMATY – The National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) announced the release of a new 2,000-tenge (US$4.25) collectible coin titled ALTYN ORDA, dedicated to the historical legacy of the Golden Horde, one of the largest states in Eurasia during the 13th–15th centuries. The coin is part of the NBK’s Outstanding Events and People series. Information about…