Hong Kong to Host Major Electronics Fairs in October
ASTANA – The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will host the Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) and electronicAsia from Oct. 13-16, bringing together more than 3,200 exhibitors to showcase the latest consumer electronics, smart products, electronic components and technology solutions. The fairs will take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center,…
Kazakhstan Expects Above-Average Grain Harvest as 83% of Crops Collected
ASTANA – Kazakhstan expects this year’s grain harvest to exceed the long-term average, with farmers having already harvested around 20 million tons of grain from 83% of planted areas, Deputy Agriculture Minister Nazgul Khatepova said at a Sept. 29 government press conference on the harvest campaign. Kazakhstan’s grain harvest has typically stood at around 18-19…
Tokayev, Merz Take Kazakhstan-Germany Partnership Forward as 30+ Deals Reach $2 Billion
ASTANA – More than 30 commercial agreements worth around $2 billion are expected to give new impetus to Kazakhstan-Germany relations, as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed expanding cooperation in industry, critical minerals, technology, transport and other strategic sectors on Sept. 29 in Berlin. Expanding trade and investment Germany is one of Kazakhstan’s…
Kazakhstan Rises Eight Places in Global Innovation Index, Posts Best Result in Decade
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has climbed eight places to 73rd among 139 economies in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026, marking the country’s best result in the past decade. Kazakhstan ranked first among Central Asian countries and second among 11 economies in Central and Southern Asia. Among 35 upper-middle-income economies, it…
Kazakhstan Returns to Asian Games Show Jumping After 20-Year Absence
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national equestrian team is completing final preparations in Tokyo ahead of its return to show jumping at the Asian Games after a 20-year absence, with four riders set to compete in the team and individual events at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. The Kazakhstan team includes Oleg Sokolenko, Raisa Sokolenko, Nurila Turisbekova and Ksenia Batalova.…
Kazakh President Honors Rybakina for Historic Tennis Achievements
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Elena Rybakina on Sept. 28 to congratulate her on winning the US Open and becoming the first Kazakh tennis player to reach the top of the WTA rankings. He also awarded her the Barys Order, third degree, for outstanding sporting achievements and her contribution to the development and…
Kazakhstan Jet Fuel Production on Track to Exceed Annual Target
ASTANA – Kazakhstan expects to produce 825,000 tons of jet fuel this year, exceeding its annual target of 750,000 tons and increasing output by 13% from 2025. The country produced 591,000 tons of jet fuel in January-August. Production is expected to reach 825,000 tons by the end of the year, compared with 726,000 tons in…
Nine Servicemen Die in Incident During Caspian Sea Military Exercise
ASTANA – Nine servicemen have died after 19 Kazakhstan Armed Forces personnel were swept into the Caspian Sea during a naval exercise in the Mangystau Region on Sept. 24 amid a sharp deterioration in weather conditions and strong winds, the Ministry of Defense reported. Rescuers rescued three servicemen, including one who was hospitalized. Search operations…
Tokayev: Kazakhstan People’s Council to Strengthen State-Society Dialogue
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called on the newly established Kazakhstan People’s Council to become a practical platform for dialogue between the state and society, saying its constitutional status opens new opportunities to address national and regional problems. New platform for public dialogue Speaking at the first session of the Kazakhstan People’s Council, Tokayev…
Astana Brings in Singapore’s Changi for New Airport Development
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is stepping up efforts to develop Astana as an international aviation hub and strengthen its transit potential through a new partnership with Singapore-based Changi Airports International (CAI), a global airport investor, manager and consultant. The Astana akimat (administration), Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport and CAI, a subsidiary of Changi Airport Group (CAG), have…
Kazakhstan, China Push for Greater Middle Corridor Connectivity
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and China reaffirmed their commitment to expanding the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), or Middle Corridor, as a safe, efficient and competitive link between Asia and Europe during a high-level meeting in Beijing. First Deputy Prime Minister Nurlybek Nalibayev made the remarks while participating in the Global Sustainable Transport Forum and a…
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Expands Bilateral Ties at UN General Assembly
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has launched an active diplomatic agenda at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, with Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi holding talks with counterparts from several countries and discussing global peace, security and humanitarian law on Sept. 23 in New York. Expanding bilateral partnerships On the first day of the General…
Kazakhstan to Auction Rights to 56 Hydrocarbon Subsoil Blocks
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry will hold an electronic auction for the right to use 56 hydrocarbon subsoil blocks, with most lots offered for exploration and production as the country seeks to attract investment into its oil and gas resource base. The auction is scheduled for Dec. 25 on the e-Qazyna platform. Applications to participate…
Kazakhstan Hotels Receive MICHELIN Keys for First Time
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has been included in the MICHELIN Guide’s global hotel selection for the first time, with five hotels receiving the prestigious One MICHELIN Key distinction and nine others entering the guide’s recommended hotel selection. The MICHELIN Guide has unveiled its MICHELIN Key Selection 2026, a global selection of outstanding hotels assessed through independent…
Kazakhstan Expands Digital Road Safety Measures as Astana Traffic Grows
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is expanding artificial intelligence, automated traffic enforcement and average-speed monitoring as road safety indicators improve, while rapidly growing vehicle numbers are driving the development of smart transport systems in Astana. Road safety indicators improve At a Sept. 22 government meeting, Minister of Internal Affairs Yerzhan Sadenov reported a 5% decline in road…
Astana and Almaty Enter Global Top 300 Cities, Stand Out for Human Capital
ASTANA – Astana and Almaty have placed among the world’s 300 highest-ranked cities in the 2026 Global Cities Index by Oxford Economics, with both Kazakhstan’s major urban centers showing their strongest performance in human capital. Almaty ranked 265th globally and Astana 281st among 1,000 cities assessed by the international economic research firm. Kazakhstan’s cities in…
Dimash Qudaibergen Joins Kazakhstan’s Reading Nation Marathon
ASTANA – Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen has joined the nationwide Reading Nation marathon in its Parasat category, a non-competitive initiative that promotes reading through the personal example of public figures. Unlike participants in the competitive stages, those in Parasat do not compete for cash prizes; the category focuses instead on promoting a culture of reading…
Kazakhstan Plans to Launch Driverless Taxi Service in 2027
ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to introduce a driverless taxi service in 2027, with an autonomous vehicle already undergoing testing in Almaty and a pilot project underway in three cities. The first driverless vehicle is currently being tested in Almaty, where it is collecting data and creating a digital map of the city, Yandex Qazaqstan CEO…
News Digest: Rybakina’s US Open Triumph, Kazakhstan-South Korea Ties and Oil Export Strategy
ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights Elena Rybakina’s U.S. Open victory, strengthened Kazakhstan-South Korea cooperation, Astana Arena’s selection to host the 2028 UEFA Super Cup, and Kazakhstan’s efforts to diversify its oil export routes. S. Korea, Kazakhstan sign MOU on preservation…
Expert: Astana’s Financial Center Rating Rises 18 Points on Structural Progress
ASTANA – Astana’s eight-place rise in the Global Financial Centers Index 40 (GFCI 40) should ultimately be measured by whether growing international confidence translates into more investment, deeper capital markets and greater cross-border financial activity, Bakhtiyar Tleubekov, chairman of the Management Board of Astana International Financial Centre, told The Astana Times on Sept. 18. In…
Kazakhstan Initiates Trade Push With Canada as Global Supply Chains Shift
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s proposal to expand exports to Canada across 45 product categories worth approximately $255 million comes as global trade relationships are being reshaped by growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty. Financial analyst Andrei Chebotaryov told The Astana Times that while the proposed figure is relatively modest, Kazakhstan’s initiative could lay the groundwork for a…
Kazakhstan Reshapes Investment Model to Attract More Private Capital
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is restructuring its investment policy to increase private and foreign capital, strengthen domestic production and infrastructure, and shift state support toward mobilizing additional business investment. The Investment Policy Concept until 2030 was adopted in December 2025, while Baiterek Holding was transformed into a national investment holding. Through its instruments, the government plans…
Turkic States Discuss Strengthening Cooperation in Digital Security
ASTANA – Turkic states discussed ways to strengthen cooperation on digital security, including developing artificial intelligence capabilities and coordinating more closely among relevant agencies. Kazakhstan’s Deputy Chairperson of the Security Council Aida Balayeva highlighted the importance of closer cooperation among Turkic states amid growing geopolitical instability and emerging international security challenges during the fifth meeting…
Expert: Investment Headquarters Highlights Gaps in Kazakhstan’s Investment Infrastructure
ASTANA – The Investment Headquarters is an important mechanism for resolving investors’ problems, but its continued role also shows where Kazakhstan’s investment infrastructure still has “rough edges,” financial analyst Rassul Rysmambetov told The Astana Times. He described the Investment Headquarters as a useful “diagnostic” tool, saying that its cases could provide insight into which regions…
Experts Explore Health, Energy Security Challenges of Kazakhstan’s Coal Dependence
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s continued reliance on coal is creating challenges that extend beyond decarbonization, affecting the flexibility of the power system, public health and the way households consume energy, experts said at a panel session titled The Role of Coal in Kazakhstan’s Decarbonization during the third Regional Central Asian and European Decarbonization Forum on Sept.…
