Articles by Ayana Birbayeva

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s renewable energy strategy is entering a new phase. After a decade of rapidly expanding wind and solar generation, the government is shifting its focus to hydropower as the missing link needed to stabilize an increasingly renewable electricity system. The shift became clearer on July 31, when the government approved a Hydropower Development…

ALMATY – As more than 500 high school students from 106 countries gathered in Astana for the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev used the event to showcase Kazakhstan’s broader ambition to become one of Eurasia’s leading AI economies. But while hosting global competitions highlights the country’s growing digital profile, experts say…

ALMATY – Central Asia is moving beyond symbolic diplomacy toward a more durable system of regional coordination, according to Filippo Costa Buranelli, an associate professor of international relations at the University of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom. Following last week’s informal summit of Central Asian leaders and Azerbaijan in Cholpon-Ata, Buranelli said in an…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan has unveiled a new phase of its transport infrastructure strategy, launching construction of the Beineu–Saksaulsk highway and announcing the expansion of two additional road corridors as part of a broader effort to reposition the country as a key logistics hub linking Europe and Asia. Speaking at an Aug. 3 ceremony, President Kassym-Jomart…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan exceeded its national target for renewable electricity generation in 2025, marking another milestone in the country’s green energy transition. But while record output underscores the success of years of investment in wind and solar power, the figures also point to the next phase of the transition: integrating a rapidly growing share of…

ALMATY – After years of habitat restoration and careful adaptation, the success of Kazakhstan’s tiger restoration effort will soon depend on whether the animals can survive and coexist with people in the wild. For nearly a decade, Kazakhstan’s effort to restore tigers to the Ili-Balkhash ecosystem has been approaching what conservationists consider its most consequential…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan continues to strengthen its presence on the international festival circuit as “Mūğalım” (Teacher), the feature debut of director Ayana Nurdinova, has been selected for the New Directors competition at the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious Class A festivals in Spain. “Mūğalım” becomes the…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan ranked among the world’s five largest central bank gold buyers in the second quarter of 2026, purchasing 15 tons of the precious metal as monetary authorities worldwide accelerated efforts to strengthen reserves amid persistent geopolitical uncertainty and shifting global financial conditions. According to the latest World Gold Council (WGC) report, the National…

ALMATY – The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is increasingly shifting from a platform centered on political dialogue and regional security toward one that places greater emphasis on economic resilience, trade connectivity and practical cooperation, as member states respond to growing geopolitical and supply-chain disruptions. That transformation was at the center of discussions during the July…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan continued to strengthen its position as Central Asia’s leading higher education hub as Almaty reached its highest-ever position in the QS Best Student Cities 2027 ranking and the country recorded another year of growth in international student enrollment.  Astana also improved its position, rising eight places to 119th, reinforcing Kazakhstan’s growing role…

ALMATY – The National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) cut its base rate to 16.75% on July 24, citing nine consecutive months of slowing inflation, while Governor Timur Suleimenov said policymakers would continue to base future decisions on incoming economic data rather than follow a predetermined easing path. The NBK Monetary Policy Committee lowered the base…

ALMATY – Election campaigning officially began in Kazakhstan at 6:01 p.m. on July 23 ahead of the Aug. 23 elections to the Kurultai, with seven political parties competing for 145 seats in the representative body. The campaign will run until midnight on Aug. 21, while Aug. 22 has been designated as the official day of…

ALMATY – Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev is participating in the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in Cholpon-Ata, the Kyrgyz Republic, on July 24. The meeting is focused on preparations for the upcoming SCO Council of Heads of State Summit, while foreign ministers are also…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan climbed three positions to 67th place among 169 countries in the 2026 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index, while experts say the country’s long-term competitiveness will depend on strengthening resilience in an increasingly volatile global economy. Published by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the annual index evaluates countries’ progress…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan to begin using the digital tenge in public procurement from August after completing the integration of the digital currency platform with the Finance Ministry’s information systems, reported the Prime Minister’s press service on July 22. The announcement followed a government meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik…

ALMATY – The Central Asia Fintech Summit (CAFS) 2026 will take place in Almaty on Sept. 11, bringing together financial institutions, fintech companies, regulators, investors and technology leaders to discuss the future of digital finance in Central Asia. Organized by the National Payment Corporation of Kazakhstan and the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the summit will…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s ice cream production more than doubled in June compared to the same month last year, reaching nearly 20,100 tons, according to new data released by the Bureau of National Statistics. The surge comes as the country’s dairy industry continues to expand, with ice cream among the fastest-growing product categories in the first…

ALMATY – Around half of all tickets for American rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, sold out on the first day of presales for his Aug. 14 concert in Almaty, organizers announced on July 22. The performance at Almaty’s Central Stadium is expected to become the largest music show ever staged in Central Asia…

ALMATY – Kazakh Energy Ministry is closely monitoring operations at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) after another drone strike targeted an oil tanker loading Kazakh crude at the consortium’s Black Sea marine terminal overnight on July 20, reported the Kazinform news agency. The attack came after CPC resumed loading operations following an earlier drone strike…

ALMATY – Production has officially begun on the international feature film “Armour of God: Ultimatum” in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau Region on July 18, with globally renowned actor Jackie Chan and director Robert Kun launching filming during a ceremonial event. Following a long-standing filmmaking tradition, Chan and Kun broke a ceremonial film slate to mark the official…

ALMATY – Oil loading operations at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) marine terminal were suspended after two tankers carrying Kazakh crude came under a drone attack on July 19, prompting authorities to assess the damage before exports can resume. According to the Kazakh Ministry of Energy, the tankers ASIA and NISSOS IOS were loading oil…

ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed the countries’ “eternal comprehensive strategic partnership” during talks in Shanghai on July 16, signing a new roadmap for trade and economic cooperation for 2027-2030 and pledging to deepen collaboration in trade, investment, artificial intelligence and regional security. The meeting took place ahead of the…

ALMATY – The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) has launched Creative Pitch Day 2026 this July, a pilot initiative designed to connect investors with creative businesses and help transform intellectual property into investable assets. The program is open to companies working in movie, music, game development and digital content creation. Applicants must hold registered intellectual…

ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev invited Chinese technology companies to expand their presence in Kazakhstan during a roundtable with Chinese business leaders in Shanghai on July 16, presenting the country as an emerging hub for artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, smart logistics and high-tech manufacturing. Speaking ahead of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), Tokayev said…

ALMATY – Kazakhstan ranked 61st out of 171 assessed countries in the 2026 Global Social Progress Index, scoring 70.85 points in an assessment that measures quality of life and social development independently of economic performance. Published annually by the Social Progress Imperative, the index evaluates countries using 57 indicators across three broad dimensions: Basic Human…