Articles by Nagima Abuova

ASTANA — Almaty hosted the first United Nations Tourism Regional Conference on the Empowerment of Women in Tourism in Europe on Oct. 22-23, providing a platform for nearly 400 participants from international organizations, government, business, and the expert community. The conference, organized by the Almaty Tourism Bureau, Kazakh Tourism, UN Tourism, and the Kazakh Ministry…

ASTANA – Astana Art Fair, an international contemporary art exhibition, opened on Oct. 24 at the Congress Center in Astana, presenting more than 200 works under the Future Roots theme. The three-day fair will run through Oct. 26 and feature artists and galleries from Central Asia, Russia, and China. This year’s theme explores cultural origins…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan solidified their economic partnership with 16 agreements signed at a business forum in Astana on Oct. 21, advancing cooperation in artificial intelligence, industry, logistics, and regional connectivity. The forum brought together officials and businesses to chart long-term trade and investment priorities. During the forum, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed agreements and…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan joined more than 150 countries at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 9-15, where over 10,000 participants explored global conservation and sustainable development solutions.  The congress is held once every four years. This year’s program cut across five key topics: scaling up…

ASTANA — Strengthening trade and investment across priority sectors with Kazakhstan is among the United Kingdom’s main objectives in the region, said Lord John Alderdice, U.K. Trade Envoy to Azerbaijan and Central Asia and Member of the House of Lords, in an interview with The Astana Times. His visit to Almaty and Astana on Oct.10-13…

OSKEMEN — The sacred land of the East Kazakhstan Region’s Ulan district hosted the Shygys Salburyny international festival on Oct. 8-11, bringing together 148 participants from seven countries. The event, which marked its fifth anniversary this year, celebrates falconry as a living national tradition and growing symbol of Kazakhstan’s cultural identity. Over three days, hunters…

ASTANA — Beyond their stone walls and ancient carvings, Kazakhstan’s heritage sites tell stories of trade, faith, conquest, and resilience, offering travelers more than just destinations to visit – narratives that connect the country’s nomadic past with its evolving identity today. The Astana Times highlights some of the country’s most remarkable and relatively easy to…

ASTANA – International humanitarian law (IHL) should be reinforced to protect civilians and ensure accountability in war, said government officials, humanitarian organizations, and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representatives at a conference titled the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment to IHL in Astana on Oct. 7. “As the 21st century enters its…

ASTANA —  Seven startups from Central Eurasia secured $25,000 prizes each at the Astana Hub Battle, the region’s largest startup competition, held during the Digital Bridge 2025 technology forum in Astana on Oct. 2-4. The contest gathered 180 information technology (IT) companies competing for recognition and funding. The competition drew applications from across Central Eurasia,…

ASTANA — Once the world’s fourth-largest inland sea, the Aral Sea has become a global symbol of ecological disaster, said Dr. Sarah Cameron, associate professor of history at the University of Maryland, speaking at Nazarbayev University on Sept. 24.  Visiting Astana to exchange views and engage with students, she said that the sea’s collapse left…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted an award ceremony in Astana on Oct. 2 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Kazakhstan Through the Eyes of Foreign Media contest. The competition recognized international journalists whose work promotes the country’s culture, economy, and modern development to global audiences. The winners were Muhammad Ali Pasha…

ASTANA —  Young people in Kazakhstan remain optimistic about their future while holding fast to family values and cultural traditions, according to a Next Generation Kazakhstan report released by the British Council on Sept. 25. The research, part of a global program that examines youth perspectives, surveyed people aged 18 to 35 across the country…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan is set to become one of Carlsberg Group’s five largest global markets, said Carlsberg Group CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen in an interview with The Astana Times.  He said that the company’s new $344 million soft drink plant in the Almaty Region will position the country as a hub for Central Asia. Carlsberg and…

ASTANA — Religious leaders have the power to calm conflicts swiftly and lay the groundwork for lasting peace when they choose to unite across communities and promote the peaceful values of their faiths, said Laila Sheikh, director of the House of Religions – Dialogue of Cultures in Bern, Switzerland, in an interview with The Astana…

ASTANA — Green hydrogen, renewable integration and tighter European Union-Central Asia cooperation are pivotal to a just energy transition, said energy and foreign policy leaders during the second Central Asian Regional Forum on Decarbonization Diplomacy on Sept. 16 in Astana. The event gathered more than 150 participants from government, international organizations, business, academia, and civil…

ASTANA — Interfaith dialogue remains essential for lasting peace, said Yoshiyuki Nagaoka, an international affairs executive director at Soka Gakkai, in an interview with The Astana Times. Ahead of the eighth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana on Sept. 17–18, he reflected on Soka Gakkai’s congress experience, Kazakhstan’s peace efforts, and…

Editor’s Note: In the run-up to the eighth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, scheduled for Sept. 17–18 in Astana, The Astana Times has launched a special series exploring the diversity of spiritual life in Kazakhstan. The first articles highlighted the Jewish, Bahá’í, Russian Orthodox, Pentecostal church and Muslim communities.  ASTANA — When…

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described high inflation as the country’s most pressing challenge in his Sept. 8 address and urged the government and the National Bank to act as one team, a call that underscores the need for balanced coordination, economist Eldar Shamsutdinov told The Astana Times. “Today, the main problem is high inflation,…

ASTANA — Burning Man in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, became the stage for Tengri Camp, Kazakhstan’s first-ever contribution to the radical art festival from Aug. 25 to Sept. 2. The Astana Times spoke with organizers and participants who brought a traditional yurt to the desert, recounting how it endured the fiercest sandstorm in a decade…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will deliver his annual state-of-the-nation address on Sept. 8 during a joint session of the parliament’s chambers, reported the Akorda press service. The event will be attended by members of the senate and mazhilis (lower chamber), heads of central government bodies, members of the national kurultai (congress), as well as…

ASTANA – President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Félix Tshisekedi will visit Kazakhstan on Sept. 9-10, at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The visit will feature high-level talks focused on prospects for expanding bilateral cooperation between the two countries, reported the Akorda press service.

ASTANA — Kazakhstan launched Central Asia’s most powerful supercomputer in July,  marking a milestone in the region’s technological development. The Astana Times examines what this means for the country’s digital landscape, who the key stakeholders are, and how such computing power can impact the economy. What is a supercomputer? Supercomputers are machines capable of processing…

I recently came across the news that Almaty’s akimat (city administration) is planning a new international stadium with a capacity of 35,000. Naturally, I scrolled straight into the comment section. Some said it was a waste of money, others cheered it on. But a few, including me, wondered: isn’t 35,000 already a compromise before the…

ASTANA — Aug. 29, designated as the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, carries special weight in Kazakhstan, where the Soviet Union once detonated more than 450 bombs at the Semipalatinsk test site. Born from Kazakhstan’s initiative at the United Nations, the date stands as both a warning and a call for global nuclear disarmament. On…

ASTANA — S&P Global Ratings revised Kazakhstan’s credit rating outlook from stable to positive, affirming the sovereign rating at BBB-. According to the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the positive outlook reflects favorable progress in liberalizing and diversifying the economy, improving public administration, and reducing the budget deficit.  The S&P noted moderate external debt and a…