Tigress Umit Shows Signs of Successful Adaptation in Kazakhstan’s Ile-Balkhash Reserve
ASTANA – Tigress Umit, released into Kazakhstan’s Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve on July 31 as part of the country’s tiger reintroduction program, is showing positive signs of adapting to the wild, Anuarbek Bermagambetov, head of the Department of Hunting Management and Wildlife, said on the Jibek Joly TV channel on Aug. 24.

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State Visit of King Philippe to Kazakhstan: Historic First and Mirror of Strategic Partnership between Brussels and Astana
This fall, King Philippe of Belgium will pay his first-ever state visit to Kazakhstan, at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. It will be the first time in history that a Belgian sovereign travels on an official visit to the Central Asian country since diplomatic relations were established in 1992.

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Kazakhstan Aims for 5% Growth, Expert Says Productive Capacity Is Key
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s government has approved the Forecast of Socio-Economic Development and draft national budget for 2027-2029, targeting annual economic growth of more than 5% through 2029 while reducing the budget deficit to 0.4% of GDP. Financial analyst Rassul Rysmambetov says the targets are achievable, but only if Kazakhstan expands its productive capacity through…
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Why Kazakhstan’s Aviation Hub Ambitions Could Generate More Than Transit Revenue
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is investing heavily in airports, cargo infrastructure and international connectivity. But the bigger economic question is whether a growing aviation network can generate more than transit income – and become a platform for logistics, exports and higher-value economic activity.

Photo credit: Air Astana.

Building the infrastructure for a regional hub…
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Payment Without Plastic: How Smartphones Are Reshaping Kazakhstan’s Cashless Economy
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s cashless economy is entering a new stage as virtual cards become more common among active users and QR payments overtake bank cards at point-of-sale terminals. The shift suggests that digitalization is no longer simply about replacing cash with cards, but increasingly about replacing the physical card itself with a smartphone-based payment…
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Why Kazakhstan’s Power Expansion Matters Beyond Ending Electricity Shortages
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is expanding power generation, gasification and oil refining as Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov presented the latest measures to develop the country’s energy sector at a government press conference on Aug. 25. The measures focus on increasing generating capacity, expanding gas access and refinery output, and preparing the energy system for the…
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Tokayev to Convene First Session of Kazakhstan’s Kurultai on Aug. 28
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree convening the first session of Kazakhstan’s elected Kurultai, the country’s new unicameral legislature, for Aug. 28 at 11 a.m., according to the Akorda press service.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree convening the first session of Kazakhstan’s elected Kurultai on Aug. 28 Photo credit:…
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Experts: Kurultai Results Put Political Parties’ Ability to Deliver to Test
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s first Kurultai election has shifted the focus from winning votes to how effectively political parties can represent voters, develop clear political agendas and deliver results in parliament, experts said following the Aug. 23 vote.

Experts at Sarap meeting on Aug.25. Photo credit: Nagima Abuova

The Central Election Commission (СEC) confirmed final…
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Tokayev Meets US Congressional Delegation in Astana: What Deeper US Engagement Means for Kazakhstan?
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is becoming increasingly important to Washington not only as a source of energy and critical minerals, but also as a key partner in developing alternative trade routes and strengthening U.S. engagement across Central Asia. A meeting between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and a delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives on Aug.…
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Kazakhstan’s Transport Sector Is Diversifying as Growth Moderates, Experts Say
ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s transport sector maintained positive growth in January-July 2026, with the physical volume of transport and warehousing services increasing 7.4% year on year, down from 22.5% a year earlier. The slower pace of expansion, alongside diverging trends across transport modes, may signal a gradual shift in the structure of the country’s logistics…
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What Will Drive Next Wave of Investment in Central Asia
TASHKENT – Investors increasingly want predictable policies, credible financial regulation, functioning capital markets, digital infrastructure, a talent pool and transparent governance, as Central Asia seeks to strengthen its position as an attractive and resilient investment destination. According to experts, Central Asia now has an opportunity to attract a larger share of global investment flows,…
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AqylSu: Turning Kazakhstan’s Shanghai AI Vision Into Working Water Platform
Kazakhstan boasts to have an AI diplomacy and a digital-government track record. What it is missing is a platform that turns both into water reaching the people who need it.

Photo credit: worldenergynews

During President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to Shanghai this July, he addressed the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, describing AI as an industry…
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Experts: Kazakhstan’s Oil Export Strategy Faces Growing Need for Diversification
ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s decision to cut its 2026 oil production target from 98 million tonnes to 96 million tonnes after disruptions affecting the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) has highlighted the country’s continued dependence on a major export route and the need to strengthen alternatives, experts say.

Photo credit: KazMunaiGaz

Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said…
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Central Asia Explores Islamic Finance as Path to Greater Financial Connectivity
TASHKENT – Islamic finance is emerging as a potential new channel for connecting Central Asia with global capital, as Uzbekistan works to build regulatory and market infrastructure for Sharia-compliant investment. Speaking at the Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum in Tashkent on Aug. 26, Central Bank of Uzbekistan Governor Timur Ishmetov outlined Uzbekistan’s efforts…
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262 Foreign IT Specialists Receive Digital Nomad Status in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – A total of 262 foreign IT specialists have received residency or visa statuses in Kazakhstan under the Digital Nomad Residency and Digital Nomad Visa programs, according to updated figures from Astana Hub.

Photo credit: gov.kz

As of August 2026, 250 foreign IT specialists have obtained permanent residence permits under the Digital Nomad…
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Can Kazakhstan’s AI Strategy Deliver Both Growth and Smarter Governance?
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is moving toward a broader AI-driven transformation of the economy and public services under a government action plan that sets measurable digitalization targets through 2029, with artificial intelligence increasingly integrated into education, healthcare, transport, finance and industrial management.

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov approved the action plan on Aug. 26 as part…
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Kazakhstan’s First Kurultai: New Chapter for Parliamentary Institutions
The election of August 23 should be understood as more than just the beginning of a new parliamentary term. It represents an important institutional founding moment. The transition from a bicameral Parliament to the new unicameral Kurultai under the Constitution that entered into force on July 1 creates not only a different institutional structure,…
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Resources Are Not Enough: How Energy Routes Are Becoming Geopolitical Battleground in Eurasia
ASTANA — For decades, the geopolitics of energy was largely understood through a familiar map of resource abundance: the Persian Gulf held vast oil and gas reserves, Russia was a major supplier to Europe, and countries such as Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan were important producers whose influence depended largely on how much they could extract…
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Kazakhstan Makes 50 Government Services Available Through eGov GPT
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has made 50 government services available through eGov GPT, allowing citizens to access them through a chat-based interface without visiting a Public Service Center (PSC), First Vice Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Rostislav Konyashkin said on Aug. 26.

Photo credit: digitalbusiness.kz

The service was presented during the unveiling of…
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Experts: Political Trust Sets Stage for Next Phase of Kazakhstan-Singapore Partnership
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Singapore need to translate strong political ties and mutual trust into tangible economic outcomes, including more investment, joint projects and technology exchange, as cooperation expands into transport, artificial intelligence, digitalization and other strategic sectors, according to experts.

Singapore Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Photo credit: Akorda…
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