From Grain to Value Chains: Kazakhstan Seeks to Transform Its Agricultural Export Model

ALMATY – Kazakhstan has nearly doubled its agricultural exports over the past five years, reaching $7 billion in 2025 from $3.8 billion, according to an analysis published...


This Week’s Highlights: Astana and Almaty Events You Can’t Miss

ASTANA – As the weekend approaches, it is the perfect opportunity to unwind and enjoy a variety of cultural and entertainment activities. From captivating art exhibitions to...


Experts: As Inflation Falls, Kazakhstan Faces New Monetary Policy Trade-Off

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s annual inflation slowed to 10.2% in July, extending its decline for a tenth consecutive month, while lending is increasingly shifting from consumer borrowing toward...


Kazakhstan’s Higher Education Drive: From Importing Universities to Producing Knowledge at Home

At a July 1 government session, Science and Higher Education Minister Sayasat Nurbek laid out a reform model built around five priorities: human capital, educational quality, science,...


UAE Coal Deal Highlights Why Foreign Investors Are Betting on Kazakh Coal Industry

ASTANA – A United Arab Emirates company has secured a 25-year license to develop the Kenderlyk coal deposit in eastern Kazakhstan, expanding foreign investment in the country’s...


Tokayev’s G20 Invitation Reflects Broader U.S.-Kazakhstan Strategic Momentum

ASTANA – Kazakhstan confirmed that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in the United States (US) in December, following a meeting on Aug. 12...


Two Giant Tungsten Deposits Could Test Kazakhstan’s Push Beyond Raw-Material Exports

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to turn two of the world’s largest undeveloped tungsten deposits into the country’s first full-cycle tungsten operation, requiring ore to be processed domestically...


Investment Outlook for Kazakhstan Equities: Strategic Allocation to Eurasia’s Hidden Blue-Chip Market

In life and on the investment journey, it is often said that it is the journey that counts, or it is the “journey” that is the reward....


Kazakhstan Powers Central Asia’s Economy, But Can Its Weight Drive Regional Growth?

ALMATY – Central Asia’s combined economy has surpassed half a trillion US dollars, reaching an estimated $543 billion, with Kazakhstan accounting for more than half of the...


One Sea, Five Countries, Two Futures: Caspian Sea’s Next Test

ALMATY – Caspian Sea Day is being marked on Aug. 12, the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Tehran Convention, the main regional agreement...


Can Science Replace Commodities? Kazakhstan Wants Universities to Drive Innovation

ALMATY – Kazakhstan has more than doubled its research and development spending since 2023, expanded international university partnerships and increased support for young scientists as it seeks...


Kazakhstan Updates Astana Master Plan to Meet Demands of Fast-Growing Capital

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s government has approved an updated master plan for Astana through 2035, effective Aug. 8, setting out how the capital will accommodate a population projected...


Kazakhstan Economy Grows 4.1% as Non-Oil Sectors Expand 

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s economy grew 4.1% in the first seven months of 2026, maintaining the pace recorded in the first half of the year despite an 8.9%...


Kazakhstan Considers Baku-Supsa Oil Route Amid CPC Disruptions 

ASTANA — Kazakhstan is considering additional oil export routes through Azerbaijan and Georgia, including Baku-Supsa, after temporary restrictions on crude intake by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC)...


Fewer Births, Better Chances: Kazakhstan Advances in Newborn Care

ASTANA —Kazakhstan recorded nearly 150,000 births in the first half of 2026, down approximately 7% year on year, while neonatal mortality fell to 3.9 per 1,000 live...


eGov GPT Expansion Advances Kazakhstan’s Digital Government Push

ASTANA — Kazakhstan plans to expand its AI-powered eGov GPT assistant so that services available through it account for approximately 70% of citizen requests by the end...


What Lies Behind Kazakhstan’s External Debt

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s external debt rose 7.5% year on year to $182.8 billion as of April 1. External liabilities of the government and state-controlled institutions jumped 39%,...


New Security Architecture: Future of Abraham Accords and Emerging Strategic Landscape for Kazakhstan

On July 22, Washington hosted an important hearing of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, titled “Building a New Regional...


Sport’s Next Generation Won’t Choose Sides, Says Phygital International CEO

ASTANA — Phygital sport’s future will depend on building lasting local ecosystems, developing a new generation of athletes skilled in both physical and digital competition, and establishing...


Campaign Week in Review: Education Debate Leads Kazakhstan’s Election Race

ASTANA – A nationally televised debate on education dominated Kazakhstan’s election campaign during the week of Aug. 3-9. Representatives of the country’s seven political parties outlined their...


Kazakhstan Household Deposits Near $54 Billion as Savings Rise 20.9%

ALMATY – Household deposits in Kazakhstan’s banks approached nearly 25 trillion tenge (US$53.5 billion) by the end of June 2026, increasing by 20.9% over the year, reported...


Comic Con Astana 2026: How Kazakhstan Turns Pop Culture into Creative Industries

ASTANA — Comic Con Astana 2026 drew more than 76,000 visitors from 40 countries over four days, underscoring the growing popularity of pop culture in Kazakhstan and...


Abai’s Legacy Endures as Nearly 19,000 Kazakh Citizens Carry His Name

ALMATY – Nearly 19,000 people in Kazakhstan bear the name Abai, according to the Bureau of National Statistics, as the country marks Abai Day on Aug. 10,...


Kazakhstan Emerges as Firebird AI Market With Data Center Valley Project in Ekibastuz

ALMATY – Kazakhstan has emerged as the second market for US-based AI infrastructure company Firebird, which is developing a 125-megawatt computing facility in Ekibastuz as part of...


AIFC Governor Renat Bekturov on How AIFC is Preparing for Next Era of Finance

ASTANA — When Renat Bekturov first joined what would become the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), the institution existed only as an idea. There were no success...


How PSG Academy’s Arrival Reflects Kazakhstan’s Rise as Football Talent Hub

ALMATY – Paris Saint-Germain’s decision to open its first football academy in Kazakhstan this September is more than another international expansion for the French club. It reflects...


Back Where They Belong: Mangystau Helps Wild Birds Take Flight Again

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s first temporary rehabilitation center for injured birds of prey and endangered wild birds has opened in the Mangystau Region, providing veterinary treatment and rehabilitation...


Kazakhstan Expands Efforts to Revive Iconic Aport Apple

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has launched a new phase of its effort to revive the iconic aport apple, a variety once renowned worldwide but now considered at risk...


Five Doctors, One Race and Life Beyond the Hospital

ASTANA — When former patients line up for the Jüregımnıñ Jeñımpazy (a champion of my heart) charity run in Astana on Aug. 9, some of the doctors...


Is Kazakhstan’s Middle Class Expanding? New Survey Reveals More Than Just Income Trends

ASTANA — More than 93% of Kazakh citizens describe their household’s financial position as middle income or above, according to a survey by the Bureau of National...