New regional projects to upgrade Shchuchinsk-Borovoye resort, Nur-Sultan outskirts
NUR-SULTAN – Prime Minister Askar Mamin reviewed the Akmola region’s socio-economic development during a June 15 working trip, finding that the region had seen a steady increase in economic development since the beginning of the year. The next round of improvements will include infrastructure development in Shchuchinsk-Borovoye resort and the capital’s suburban areas. Akmola…
Uralsk hopes technopark projects will improve quality of life, transparency in state services
NUR-SULTAN – The IT HUB technopark opened in Uralsk, West Kazakhstan Region, June 7, as a part of the nationwide Digital Kazakhstan programme. The technopark is intended to create opportunities for young people to implement their ideas for service optimisation, thereby improving the region’s economy and quality of life. “Our goal is to create a…
Turkish company to invest nearly $286 million to build two multi-regional hospitals in Kazakhstan
NUR-SULTAN – Turkish YDA Holding company will invest 110 billion tenge (US$286.24 million) in the construction and equipment of two medical facilities in Petropavlovsk and Turkestan. The construction is to be completed by 2022. North Kazakhstan Region Akim (Governor) Kumar Aksakalov and YDA Company Holding Chair Arslan Hussein signed June 12 a document on the…
ICD seeks to increase Central Asian participation in Islamic finance through developing local SMEs, says company chair
NUR-SULTAN – Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) seeks to advance the private sector in Central Asia through funding agricultural and transport infrastructure projects, thus hoping to include them in the Islamic Finance market, ICD CEO and General Manager Ayman Sejiny told The Astana Times. Founded in November 1999, ICD is…
Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture upgrades equipment, increases crop variety
NUR-SULTAN – The Ministry of Agriculture has upgraded spring sowing and harvesting equipment with new investment subsidies and introduced the Northern Soya programme to diversify crop production, according to information provided at the June 7 press conference on spring sowing results. In 2019, the government allocated 65 billion tenge (US$169.64 million) to purchase spring sowing…
Kazakh tennis player Bublik loses to Lopez in Mercedes Cup main draw
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh professional tennis player Alexander Bublik lost to Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez June 10 for a spot in the men’s single main draw of the Mercedes Cup Stuttgart Open in Germany. The first set of the qualifying match started June 9. Lopez led 7-5, 6-4 when the second set was suspended the following day…
Candidates vote for next Kazakh president, expect elections to be fair
NUR-SULTAN – The seven people who sought to become the next president of Kazakhstan came to vote to exercise their constitutional right during election day June 9. Among the candidates, Zhambyl Akhmetbekov of the Communist People’s Party came to a polling station first at around 8 a.m. in Nur-Sultan. “Our agitators and volunteers did everything…
New job market looks for creativity and soft skills, say EHELF participants
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh capital hosted the eighth annual Eurasian Higher Education Leaders’ Forum (EHELF) June 6-7 to discuss the changing job market, the new skills it requires and how to maximise the value of higher education institutions in preparing their students for the future. The EHELF 2019-themed Future Ready Graduates attracted approximately 300 delegates…
Tourcenter booking service aims to curate Central Asia to any taste, budget
NUR-SULTAN – Online booking services have advanced to such a level that fully personalised travel to almost any point on Earth is possible – except, that is, to Central Asia. It can still be difficult for foreign visitors to plan their journeys in the region, but the new Tourcenter booking service plans to change all…
Kazakhstan seeks to increase regional trade, PM tells CIS heads of government meeting
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin told the May 31 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Council of Heads of Government meeting in Ashgabat that CIS markets are a priority for Kazakhstan. “We see great importance in deepening trade and economic ties. Given the availability of transport infrastructure and a common border, there is a…
Altyn Emel National Park amazes tourists with its singing sand dunes, picturesque sites, millions of years of history
NUR-SULTAN – While the Kazakh wilderness is usually associated with horses and steppes, it is also the land of the famous singing sand dunes, forests, mountains and rare animals on land almost twice the size of Luxemburg. Altyn Emel National Park is an expanse approximately 260 kilometres north of Almaty. The government made the land…
Nur-Sultan hosts First Contact exhibition featuring artists born after Kazakh independence
NUR-SULTAN – In the Year of Youth, the Astana Art Show is supporting young Kazakh artists by encouraging them to explore experimental approaches in contemporary art. The show opened the First Contact exhibition June 2 displaying their artwork at the Palace of Independence in the capital. The show will run through Aug. 10. “The focus…
Kazakh mortgage companies set lending record in first quarter
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh mortgage companies doubled their assets over the last year, reaching 546.3 billion tenge (US$1.43 billion) at the end of April. Approximately 50.8 percent of that total is the share of the loan portfolio in assets in the first quarter of this year. That number is a first quarter record, reports finprom.kz. Mortgage…
Annual BI Marathon grows from corporate race to international charity event
NUR-SULTAN – The annual BI Marathon, which has been promoting healthy lifestyles, charitable giving and social responsibility in the Kazakh capital since 2016, was in late April certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distant Races (AIMS/IAAF). This year’s race, on May 26, with its new status, drew 250 foreign guests from 26 countries,…
Nearly 10,000 polling stations to be available for voters in June 9 Kazakh presidential election
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will elect one of seven candidates for the country’s highest office June 9. Citizens will be able to vote in the presidential election at 9,970 polling stations, including 65 stations in 51 foreign countries. Each polling place will be open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. without lunch breaks. According to the Central Election Commission…
Kazakh NGO, UAE Embassy organise iftar for mothers with many children, Paralympic athletes
NUR-SULTAN – The International Global Women’s Leadership Association and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Embassy in Kazakhstan organised an iftar (evening meal Muslims use to end their daily Ramadan fast) May 20 for 100 mothers with many children and 40 Paralympic athletes living in the capital. The iftar provided a space and kind gesture of support…
Saumal to make fresh Kazakh mare’s milk widely available
NUR-SULTAN – Saumal dry mare’s milk, a brand based in the Karaganda Region, has caught the interest of the world’s largest markets such as China, the European Union, Russia and the United States. The company offers urban citizens the opportunity to enjoy the natural, nutrient-rich product of Kazakhstan’s Jabra horses. Saumal is just a four-year-old…
Kazakh business has potential to open three-billion-person market, says Belgian honorary consul
NUR-SULTAN – Belgian companies should leave their fears and biases behind and start investing in Kazakhstan, as it will open a huge consumer market of roughly three billion people, said the country’s Honorary Consul Denis Van den Weghe in an exclusive interview with The Astana Times. Belgian companies have approximately 20 representative offices, the majority…
Trade Unions Federation presidential candidate focuses on protecting workers rights
NUR-SULTAN – Presidential candidate Amangeldy Taspikhov, running on behalf of the Kazakh Federation of Trade Unions (FPRK), presented May 13 his election campaign platform under the slogan “It’s time to work!” on the website of the federation. Taspikhov’s campaign reflects the ideals of the FPRK and pledges to protect the interests and rights of workers.…
Kazakh 5G, next generation of wireless, is closer than it seems
NUR-SULTAN – Introducing 5G will be a key driver of productivity in Kazakhstan and other marketplaces, said Mikko Lavanti, Nokia vice president for the Central East Europe and Central Asia market unit, in an exclusive interview with The Astana Times. Nokia and Kazakhtelecom hosted a 5G demonstration corner at the May 16-17 Astana Economic Forum…
Kazakh National Museum participates in a ‘Night at the Museum’ May 18
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh National Museum marked International Museums Day and its fifth anniversary joining worldwide event Nights at the Museum May 18. In addition to the museum’s displays, the museum organised activities for its visitors to immerse them in Kazakh history, culture, traditions and customs. The night included workshops, expert talks, a book fair, quizzes…
Astana Economic Forum discusses urbanisation trends
NUR-SULTAN – Almost 5,500 delegates from 74 countries gathered May 16 for the first day of the two-day 12th Astana Economic Forum (AEF). The annual forum is considered a key economic event in Eurasia and the theme of this year’s forum was “Inspiring growth: people, cities, economies.” “By 2030, 5.1 billion people, or 60 percent…
Tonyukuk inscriptions to celebrate 1,300th anniversary next year
NUR-SULTAN – The Turkic world will mark the 1,300th anniversary next year of the Tonyukuk monument, a stone with zhyr (folk musical story-telling genre) engraved in Orkhon-Yenisei script. “Suiinshi (a Kazakh saying used when a person expects a reward for sharing joyful news) news from UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation): next…
Kazakhstan hosts IIHF 2019 Ice Hockey World Championship for first time, national team qualifies for top league next year
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh capital hosted the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) 2019 Ice Hockey World Championship for the first time April 29-May 5, with teams from Division I, Group A vying at Barys Arena. The Kazakh team earned its promotion to 2020 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland. Kazakhstan took the lead in the standings…
Astana Pro Team’s Jacob Fuglsang wins men’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège
NUR-SULTAN – Jacob Fuglsang, 34, closed the spring classic season by taking the Astana Pro Team’s blue jersey to his first monumental victory April 28 at the men’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The 256-kilometre trek through the Belgian Ardennes is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious one-day bike races. With 13 kilometres remaining, Fuglsang’s well-timed attack…
