Articles by Nagima Abuova

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s accelerating urbanization is concentrating population growth in its largest cities, while smaller urban centers struggle to retain residents and attract investment. Experts say the challenge is to ensure that expanding cities create productive jobs and accessible public services rather than simply accommodate more people. “Urbanization is taking place in every country, but…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan has proposed establishing a United Nations regional center to combat cybercrime in Astana, as representatives from 27 countries and international organizations gathered in the capital on Nov. 4-5 to discuss cross-border investigations, digital fraud and new tools to counter online criminal networks. According to the Astana office of the United Nations Office…

ASTANA — Air Astana and China Southern Airlines signed a strategic partnership agreement on Oct. 30 to coordinate flight schedules, improve connections and expand travel options between Kazakhstan and China, building on their existing codeshare arrangement. The agreement marks the first strategic partnership of its kind between airlines from the two countries, allowing closer commercial…

ASTANA — As the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) prepares for its Oct. 30 summit in Ankara, experts say its expanding ambitions in trade, transport, energy and security present Kazakhstan with both opportunities and challenges, particularly in turning political commitments into economic gains while preserving its independent foreign policy. For Kazakhstan, translating political commitments into…

ASTANA — Baiterek National Investment Holding has been developing projects involving foreign investors worth approximately $2 billion since the beginning of 2026, as the country works to attract capital for industrial production, infrastructure and technology, said Saken Olzhabayev, the holding’s managing director for international cooperation. In an interview with Zakon.kz, Olzhabayev discussed the financing mechanisms…

ASTANA — French companies operating in Kazakhstan plan to invest 1.5 billion euros (US$1.68 billion) and create more than 1,000 jobs over the next three years, according to a study presented by the French Embassy in Astana on Oct. 22, highlighting the country’s growing role as a regional production and business hub. The planned investments…

ASTANA — International Civil Aviation Organization Security Week 2026 kicked off in Astana on Oct. 20, bringing Kazakhstan’s bid for a seat on the ICAO Council, growing cybersecurity threats, aviation risks in conflict zones and prospects for direct flights between Kazakhstan and the United States into focus. The three-day event has brought together more than…

ASTANA — Protecting teenagers online requires more than privacy settings and messaging restrictions, as ensuring that recommended content is age-appropriate remains a challenge, said Philip Chua, Director of Public Policy, Products (APAC) at Meta, in an exclusive interview with The Astana Times. Chua said Meta is extending its approach to online safety from protective account…

ASTANA — Glacier-covered peaks, alpine lakes, thermal springs and ancient burial grounds lie scattered across the East Kazakhstan Region’s Altai Mountains, where reaching some of the most remarkable destinations has long been an adventure in itself. A newly repaired 13-kilometer road section leading to Rakhmanov Springs is easing access to the region’s mountain landscapes and…

ASTANA — In falconry, even the master has lessons to learn from the bird he trains. That understanding of an ancient hunting tradition emerged at this year’s Shygys Salburyny festival in the East Kazakhstan Region, where 176 falconers from 10 countries competed in the first Open Asian Cup in traditional falconry. The annual festival drew…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s development of the North-South transport corridor could open new export markets, diversify trade routes and strengthen the country’s position as a regional transit hub, according to Kazakh experts. They say realizing these opportunities will depend on infrastructure improvements, competitive tariffs and closer coordination among participating countries. The corridor gained fresh attention on…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan built, reconstructed and repaired more than 19,000 kilometers of roads between 2023 and 2025, while expanding railway infrastructure and domestic flight connections to improve regional connectivity and strengthen its transit capacity. The modernization program includes major infrastructure projects and digital technologies aimed at reducing travel times, improving passenger mobility and accelerating freight…

ASTANA — Leaders of the five Caspian states are set to meet Oct. 9 in Turkmenistan’s Avaza National Tourist Zone for a summit focused on the sea’s mounting environmental challenges, as declining water levels increasingly intersect with transport, infrastructure and regional economic interests. The Caspian Environmental Summit comes amid efforts to turn years of scientific…

ASTANA — A premature baby flown more than 4,000 kilometers from Thailand to Kazakhstan for emergency medical care was discharged from an Almaty hospital on July 21 after two months of treatment. Aslan Aliyev was just one month and 18 days old when a medical aviation team transported him from Phuket to Almaty with severe…

ASTANA — Cave sediments may help identify ancient human populations in Kazakhstan even where no skeletal remains survive, as new methods allow archaeologists to reconstruct how people lived and adapted to environmental change tens of thousands of years ago.  Researchers are turning their attention to Tuttybulaq 1 and Aqtogai, two cave sites in the Karatau…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s first MICHELIN Keys, awarded on Sept. 22, place the country inside a global system of trust familiar to international travelers, potentially unlocking wider recognition for a destination many are still discovering, said Shyryn Mussina, managing director at Kazakh Tourism national company.  She said the recognition can influence not only where travelers stay,…

On summer weekends, stand-up paddleboards have become an increasingly familiar sight on the Yessil River and waterways beyond the capital. Some people come for an easy evening paddle, while others plan 20-kilometer routes, weekend excursions and trips in search of new places to explore.  More people are also moving beyond occasional rentals and buying boards…

ASTANA — Thirty-five years after Kazakhstan closed the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, researchers and community advocates say its legacy still shapes health, science and policy. As evidence becomes more precise, experts say the focus is shifting toward how that knowledge can better support affected communities.  The Aug. 29, 1991, closure ended more than four decades…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s first Kurultai election has shifted the focus from winning votes to how effectively political parties can represent voters, develop clear political agendas and deliver results in parliament, experts said following the Aug. 23 vote. The Central Election Commission (СEC) confirmed final results on Aug. 25. Five parties entered the 145-seat Kurultai after…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s first election to the new unicameral Kurultai marked a significant stage in the country’s constitutional reform, according to international assessments released after the Aug. 23 vote. An OSCE-led mission found the process technically well prepared but said political competition remained limited. The International Election Observation Mission presented its preliminary findings in Astana…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s citizens will elect the members of the Kurultai, a new unicameral Parliament, on Aug. 23, putting a redesigned parliamentary and electoral system into practice for the first time. Beyond determining who receives the 145 seats, the vote will offer an early indication of how the new rules affect party competition, political representation…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s economy grew 4.1% in the first seven months of 2026, maintaining the pace recorded in the first half of the year despite an 8.9% decline in oil production, reported the Ministry of National Economy on Aug.11. According to preliminary data from the Bureau of National Statistics (BNS), oil production totaled 53.2 million…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan is considering additional oil export routes through Azerbaijan and Georgia, including Baku-Supsa, after temporary restrictions on crude intake by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in July prompted the diversion of some volumes to alternative routes.  During the restrictions, some Kazakh oil was redirected through the Aktau port, the Atasu-Alashankou pipeline toward China…

ASTANA —Kazakhstan recorded nearly 150,000 births in the first half of 2026, down approximately 7% year on year, while neonatal mortality fell to 3.9 per 1,000 live births in 2025, the lowest rate in Central Asia, according to the Bureau of National Statistics and the Ministry of Healthcare. The decline in births follows a broader…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan plans to expand its AI-powered eGov GPT assistant so that services available through it account for approximately 70% of citizen requests by the end of 2026, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev said at an Aug. 11 government meeting. The assistant currently provides access to…