Articles by Saniya Sakenova

Kazakh Boxer Kyzaibay Secures Bronze in Her Olympic Debut

ASTANA – Nazym Kyzaibay, a 30-year-old Kazakh boxer, won a bronze medal in her first Olympic Games on Aug. 6, reported the National Olympic Committee. Kyzaibay reached the semifinals in the women’s 50-kilogram boxing category, where she faced world champion Yu Wu from China. Despite her efforts, Kyzaibay lost with a score of 4:1. This…

Fifth World Nomad Games Ticket Sales Begin

ASTANA – Tickets are now available for the fifth World Nomad Games, scheduled to take place from Sept. 8 to 13 in Astana. The major event in the world of ethnosport will feature over 2,000 participants from 89 countries, the Directorate for the Preparation and Holding of the World Nomad Games reported on Aug. 6.…

Samruk Kazyna’s $111 Billion Megaprojects Set to Boost Kazakhstan’s Economy

ASTANA – With an investment portfolio of over 130 projects worth 53.5 trillion tenge (US$111.6 billion), Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund anticipates a multiplier effect on Kazakhstan’s economy through its megaprojects in various key industries, the fund’s chairman Nurlan Zhakupov said at an Aug. 5 meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. According to a press statement…

Almaty Hosts Great Steppe Games Fest Ahead of World Nomad Games

ASTANA – The annual festival of national sports Uly Dala Oiyndary (Great Steppe Games) took place at the Almaty Hippodrome on Aug. 4 ahead of the upcoming fifth World Nomad Games, reported the Directorate for the Preparation and Holding of the World Nomad Games. The event brought together the strongest and most skillful horseback riders…

Kazakhstan, Japan Boost Economic Ties Ahead of Japan PM’s Visit

ASTANA — Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Kuantyrov discussed trade and economic cooperation with Japanese Ambassador to Kazakhstan Jun Yamada on Aug. 2 ahead of Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida’s upcoming visit to Astana. According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service, Kuantyrov highlighted Kazakhstan’s significant potential for expanding investment cooperation with Japan in…

Container Train Travels from China to Uzbekistan Via Kazakhstan in Record Five Days

ASTANA – A container train completed the 4,486-kilometer route from China to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan in a record time of just five days, the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) national railway company’s press service reported on Aug. 5. The freight train departed from the Kazakh-Chinese terminal in Xi’an, China. The containers were first transshipped at the…

Kazakh Athletes Reach Olympic Finals, Poised for Gold

ASTANA — Kazakh boxer Nazym Kyzaibay won the Olympics 2024 boxing women’s 50-kilogram quarterfinals, knocking Colombia’s Ingrit Lorena Valencia Victoria from the tournament grid on Aug. 3, reported the National Olympic Committee. Kyzaibay won the first round with a narrow margin of 3:2, followed by a 4:1 win with increased advantage in the second round,…

Kazakhstan’s Manufacturing Industry Grows 5.1% in First Half of 2024

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s manufacturing industry saw a steady growth of 5.1% in the first six months of 2024, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said during his working trip to the Atyrau Region on Aug. 2 to review the progress made on President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s instructions regarding the development of the oil, gas, chemical, and industrial sectors.…

Astana to Host Central Asia’s First Global Library Congress

ASTANA – Netherlands, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) announced on July 31 in the Hague that the Kazakh capital will host the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) on Aug. 18-22, 2025. This will be the first IFLA congress in Central Asia, highlighting the region’s growing importance in the global library…

Almaty Hosts International Exhibition of Electronics and Household Appliances

ASTANA – Almaty hosted the HomeTech & Electra 2024, an international exhibition of electronics and household appliances featuring over 100 factories from Central Asia, China, South Korea, and Türkiye from July 30 to Aug. 1. According to the official press release, entrepreneurs and representatives of trading networks from Kazakhstan and Central Asia also participated in…

Foreign Bloggers Explore Kazakhstan’s National Games Ahead of World Nomad Games

ASTANA – The Directorate for the Preparation and Holding of the Fifth World Nomad Games organized a special presentation for 11 foreign bloggers and influencers at the Qazaqstan Athletics Complex on July 29 to promote the games and introduce the international audience to Kazakhstan’s national games and tourism industry, reported the games’ press service. The…

FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships 2024 Kick Off Today in Astana

ASTANA — The International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships 2024 will start today in the Kazakh capital and last until Aug. 5, according to the FIDE’s press service. The event features 350 players representing 39 teams, including world champion Ding Liren from China, and top-rated player Magnus Carlsen from Norway. The…

Kazakhstan Recovers Assets Worth $684.6 Million in Six Months

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has returned assets totaling 325 billion tenge (US$684.6 million) in 2024, Prosecutor General Berik Asylov reported in an article published in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper on July 31. The Asset Recovery Committee seized 513,000 hectares of illegally acquired land plots. For the first time, the court fully satisfied the committee’s claim for…

Kazakh Ministry of Justice Reports First-Half Year Achievements in National Legislation

ASTANA – The Prime Minister’s press service published the outcomes of the Kazakh Justice Ministry’s work in the first half of 2024 оn July 31, aimed at developing national legislation, protecting citizens’ rights, strengthening international cooperation, as well as digitization and automation of public services. Rule-making The ministry worked on the national legislation, providing legal…

Investments in Kazakhstan’s Tourism Double to $822.6 Million in First Half of 2024

ASTANA – In the first half of 2024, investments in Kazakhstan’s tourism sector doubled to 390.5 billion tenge (US$822.6 million), according to the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s outcomes published by the Prime Minister’s press service on July 30. Tourism development Kazakhstan has 61 infrastructure projects currently in the implementation stage, totaling 399.8 billion tenge (US$842.2…

Comic Con Astana 2024 Awards Grand Prize for Cosplay Contest

ASTANA — The Cosband Siberia team from Russia won the Grand Prix of 3.6 million tenge (US$7,606) for their portrayal of Valkyrie’s Rage Thanatos and Ares from the video game Smite on July 28, the last day of Comic-Con Astana 2024. According to the festival’s press service, 51 participants made it to the finals of…

Astana Hosts Vibrant Horse Parade Ahead of World Nomad Games (Video)

ASTANA – Some 30 horse riders walked along the iconic places of the Kazakh capital on the morning of July 28 in a vibrant performance organized in anticipation of the fifth World Nomad Games, reported the Astana city administration’s press service. Riders gathered in the adjacent area near the Barys Arena Ice Palace and proceeded…

Kazakhstan Bolsters Foreign University Partnerships, Promotes Academic Research

ASTANA – Amendments made to the Concept for the Development of Higher Education and Science in Kazakhstan for 2023-2029 aim to enhance the quality of higher education and the effectiveness of scientific research, according to the report published by the Prime Minister’s press service on July 25. International promotion Kazakhstan is working to open branches…

International Horse Race Marathon to Precede Fifth World Nomad Games

ASTANA – The international horse race (baige) marathon Uly Dala Zhorygy (The Great Steppe Tour in Kazakh) will take place for the first time in Kazakhstan on the eve of the fifth World Nomad Games on Sept. 3-7. According to the National Sports Association’s press service, Uly Dala Zhorygy is a “steppe laboratory” aimed at…

Kazakhstan Discusses Crime-Fighting Priorities at SCO Prosecutors General Meeting

ASTANA – Kazakh Prosecutor General Berik Asylov discussed key aspects and priorities in the fight against crime at the 22nd meeting of the Prosecutors General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states on July 25 in Bishkek. According to the Kazakh Prosecutor’s General press service, heads of prosecutor’s offices in Belarus, India, Iran, China,…

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Trade Exceeds $55 Billion in Five Months of 2024

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s foreign trade surpassed $55 billion in the first five months of 2024, according to the report published by the Prime Minister’s press service on July 26. Priority markets for Kazakh exports Traditionally, the top three trading partners include China, Russia, and the European Union (EU). In January-May, exports from Kazakhstan increased by…

Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan Strengthen Partnership in Oil Industry

ASTANA — CEO of KazMunayGas (KMG) Askhat Khassenov discussed key cooperation issues at a meeting with President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Rovshan Najaf during his visit to Baku on July 24-26. According to the KMG’s press statement, the officials noted a stable supply of Kazakh oil. In 2023, 1.057 million tons…

Kazakh Scientists Discover Genetic Secrets of Tazy Hunting Dog Breed

ASTANA – Tazy hunting dog is an ancient breed that has taken a strong place on the phylogenetic tree after experiencing a genetic bottleneck around 50 generations ago, said Candidate of Biological Sciences, Professor Bakytzhan Bekmanov, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education’s press service reported on July 23. The Tazy, a national treasure of…

Kazakhstan Reaffirms Commitment to Global Nuclear Disarmament

ASTANA – Kazakh First Deputy Foreign Minister Akan Rakhmetullin confirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to global nuclear disarmament at the 2026 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) on July 22 in Geneva. As stated by the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service, the Second Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of…

Astana to Welcome 100,000 Tourists During Fifth World Nomad Games

ASTANA – The Kazakh capital is preparing to host 100,000 tourists from Kazakhstan and around the world for the fifth World Nomad Games, said Ablai Kondybayev, deputy head of the directorate for preparation and hosting, Kazinform reported on July 23. The games will be held in six key venues in Astana: the Astana Arena stadium,…