Articles by Aida Haidar

BAKU — “Start-ups born in Baku can scale to Almaty or Tashkent. Ideas tested in Istanbul can reach Tbilisi or Samarkand. Innovation knows no borders, so should we,” with these words, Jalal Gasimov, CEO of PASHA Holding, set the tone for this year’s INMerge conference in Baku on Sept. 29.  Organized by PASHA Holding, the…

ASTANA – International financial institutions (IFIs) have reduced their real-term investments in Eurasia by 17% over the past 17 years, according to a new report from the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) on non-sovereign financing, released on Sept. 18.  The report draws on the EDB’s proprietary database of more than 2,000 approved projects by 16 IFIs…

ASTANA – Celebrating a decade of storytelling about Kazakhstan, the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the winners of its 10th-anniversary Kazakhstan Through the Eyes of Foreign Media contest, honoring international journalists whose work brings the nation’s culture, economy, and innovations to readers around the world on Sept. 19.  According to the ministry’s press…

ASTANA — Fresh from presenting her credentials to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev this August, the new UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan Sarangoo Radnaaragchaa has quickly immersed herself in the country’s dynamic capital. In an exclusive interview with The Astana Times, she shared her first impressions, outlined her priorities, and reflected on the milestones UN agencies have…

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev underscored the importance of foreign policy as a driver of Kazakhstan’s future progress in his annual state-of-the-nation address on Sept. 8 during a joint session of the parliament’s chambers. At the opening of his speech, President Tokayev noted that the world has entered a new era marked by growing contradictions…

ASTANA — The second day of Astana Finance Days 2025 opened with a plenary session titled The Role of Portfolio Investments in Strengthening Central Asia’s Financial Markets at the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) on Sept. 5. This strategic session focused on the contribution of portfolio investments to accelerating the development of Kazakhstan’s financial market…

ASTANA — The first day of Astana Finance Days 2025 opened on Sept. 4 with a ceremonial program that immersed guests in the spirit and cultural identity of Kazakhstan, setting the tone for the entire event by highlighting the enduring national values of hospitality, fairness, and trust — the very principles at the heart of…

ASTANA — KazMunayGas (KMG) Chairman Askhat Khasenov underscored the company’s growing partnership with China, announcing plans for new joint projects in oil, gas, and petrochemicals during the eighth Kazakhstan–China Business Council in Beijing on Sept. 2, KMG’s press service reported.  With a market capitalization of $22.7 billion, KMG plans to launch a Dim Sum bond…

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described China as Kazakhstan’s destined neighbor, close friend, and long-term strategic partner during the Sept. 2 Eighth Meeting of the Kazakhstan–China Business Council in Beijing, Akorda press service reported.  He noted that bilateral trade reached a record $44 billion last year, and emphasized the two countries’ intention to push this…

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 and Bahá’í communities. This edition turns to the Russian Orthodox Church…

ASTANA — When people voted in the 1995 national referendum (Aug. 30) to adopt a new Constitution, they laid the cornerstone of modern statehood. More than just a legal charter, the Constitution of Kazakhstan is marked by its humanist focus. Article 1 declares the country a democratic, secular, legal, and social state, in which the…

ASTANA — When Dave Miley first set foot in Kazakhstan in 1993, tennis was still a niche sport confined mostly to Almaty. Fast-forward to 2020, when he returned as Executive Director at the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation (KTF), he found a country that had reinvented its approach to the game. In an interview with The Astana…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan is experiencing a rapid increase in temperature, surpassing the global average, with rising annual temperatures accompanied by a growing frequency of extreme natural events, according to the Central Asia Climate Foundation (CACF). The warning comes amid a broader global trend. Records continue to tumble worldwide, as all ten of the warmest years…

ASTANA — Afghanistan has signed $243 million worth of contracts with Uzbekistan to implement four major energy projects aimed at improving the country’s electricity supply, the national power utility Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) announced on Aug. 17 on X, according to Xinhua.  The contracts were signed in Kabul in the presence of Afghanistan’s Acting…

ASTANA — The Kazakh capital will host the 89th World Library and Information Congress of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the largest global event in the field of libraries and information technology, under the theme Connecting Knowledge, Building the Future from Aug. 18 to 22.  The event will gather more than…

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s economic diversification efforts and focus on digital transformation are opening new avenues for growth, particularly in financial services and trade, according to David Livingstone, Citi’s Chief Client Officer. In an interview for The Astana Times YouTube channel, Livingstone reflected on Citi’s 31-year presence in Kazakhstan and how the country’s evolving strategy aligns…

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres signed a host country agreement on Aug. 3 to establish the UN Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty, the Akorda press service reported. The signing ceremony marked a significant milestone in Kazakhstan’s partnership with the…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Halyk Bank has signed a strategic partnership on July 23 with Uzbekistan’s leading fintech company, Click, as part of its plan to grow its presence in Central Asia’s fast-moving digital finance sector. According to Halyk Bank’s press service, under the agreement, Kazakh bank will buy 49% of Click’s shares for $176.4 million.…

ASTANA — HBO Max is set to expand its global reach with upcoming launches in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, as well as other markets such as Albania, Armenia, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Malta, according to Variety.  JB Perrette, the CEO and president of global streaming & games at Warner…

When we think of Astana, the first thing that comes to mind is the high-level visits of politicians and international summits. It’s a city of strategy, diplomacy, and national ambition. But beneath that polished, political surface lies something quieter — yet just as powerful: a city that creates space for dreams. As Astana celebrates its…

ASTANA — What if the key to fighting disease, aging well, and managing the effects of climate change was not a miracle drug, but microbes? At Nazarbayev University’s (NU) Microbiome Laboratory, that idea drives everything. Founded in 2011 and led by Professor Almagul Kushugulova, the lab has grown from a modest research group into a…

ASTANA — The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has raised 200 million UAE dirhams (US$54 million) through a private bond placement in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a new milestone in financial cooperation between the Gulf and Central Asia. The bonds, denominated in dirhams, were arranged by First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s largest…

ASTANA — Islamic finance in Central Asia is set for substantial growth over the next decade, according to a new report, The Future of Islamic Finance in Central Asia, jointly released by the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) and the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), released on May 20.  As of 2023, Islamic finance assets in…

ASTANA — The growing strategic significance of Central Asia in the global critical minerals supply chain was at the center of discussions at the recent United States–Central Asia Forum, hosted by the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center on June 4 in Washington, D.C. With geopolitical tensions and shifting global alliances redrawing the contours of international trade,…

ASTANA — The Astana Opera hosted UnBoring Poetry, a distinguished charity evening co-organized by the LikeMinded Foundation and acclaimed poet Gulnara Shakti, bringing together poetry, music, and diplomacy in a celebration of creative expression, solidarity, and women’s empowerment on May 18. The LikeMinded Foundation, inspired by a spouse of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of…