AZAL Crash Near Aktau: One Year On, Investigators Cite Possible External Damage

ASTANA — Damage to an Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) that crashed near Aktau on Dec. 25 last year was likely caused by damaging...


AIFC Wraps Up 2025 with Strong Investment Growth, Market Expansion

ASTANA — The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) wrapped up 2025 with strong investment growth and expanding market activity, raising $6 billion through the center during the...


Kazakh FM Reaffirms Commitment to UN Sustainable Development Goals During Visit to Almaty Center

ASTANA — Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev visited the United Nations Regional Center for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan on Dec. 26 during...


Kazakhstan’s Aviation Sector Soars on Safety, Traffic and Global Links

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s civil aviation sector recorded steady growth in 2025, driven by improvements in safety, passenger traffic and international cooperation, said Chair of the Civil Aviation...


Kazakh Cinema Captures Central Asian Audience

ASTANA – Kazakh films are gaining a growing audience across Central Asia, as the country’s film industry builds on a preserved production base and a new generation...


Kazakh Citizens Choose Beach Getaways and Domestic Resorts for New Year Break

ALMATY — As New Year holidays approach, citizens of Kazakhstan are increasingly choosing a mix of warm seaside destinations abroad and winter resorts at home to celebrate...


Support Women After Maternity Leave in Kazakhstan’s Public Sector

Imagine you are working for a government agency, undergoing training, improving your qualifications, and building a career. Then comes maternity leave — six months, maybe three years....


DNA Research Secures Future of Kazakh Dog Breeds

ASTANA — Kazakhstan has created its first DNA bank for the national dog breeds Tazy and Tobet, following several years of nationwide genetic research aimed at preserving...


Kazakhstan Digitizes Cultural Heritage Through New E-Museum Platform

ASTANA – Kazakhstan unveiled the E-museum digital portal at the National Museum of Kazakhstan on Dec. 24, marking a step toward creating a unified online space for...


Burj Khalifa Architects Unveil Alatau City’s Concept as Future Technology Hub

ASTANA — Two world-renowned architecture firms, Zaha Hadid Architects and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), known for landmark projects such as Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, New York’s...


Kazakh Tennis Player Makhanov Earns Overseas Player of Year Honor

ASTANA – Fourteen-year-old Kazakh tennis player Ahmadi Makhanov has been named Overseas Player of the Year (non-European category) by the Tennis Europe Tour, reported the Kazakhstan Tennis...


Tokayev Calls for Enhanced Investment Attraction Measures, Reviews Economic Diversification Progress

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov on Dec. 26 to review the preliminary results of Kazakhstan’s socio-economic development in 2025 and assess...


Kazakhstan Sees 38% Surge in Tourism Investment as Visitor Numbers Rise

ALMATY — Investment in Kazakhstan’s tourism sector increased by 38.1% to 923 billion tenge (approximately US$2 billion) in the January-October 2025 period, as the country recorded steady...


Kazakhstan’s Economy Grows 6.4% in 2025 as Government Reviews Inflation and Growth Risks

ALMATY — Kazakhstan’s economy expanded by 6.4% in the January-November 2025 period, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said at a Dec. 25 meeting of the Economic Policy Council,...


News Digest: Foreign Media on Kazakhstan’s Education Ambitions, Transit Routes, Regional Diplomacy and Culture

ALMATY – The Astana Times has selected key articles from international media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights Nazarbayev University’s growing global profile, reforms...


Beyond Green Growth: Why Ecological Survival Requires Restoring Nature, Not Exploiting It

Last year, I returned to the Irtysh River in eastern Kazakhstan, a place I knew as a child for its vast, powerful current. Back then, the river...


Weekend Guide: Holiday Runs, Ballet Classics and Winter Festivals

ASTANA — The final days of December bring a full calendar of festive events to Astana and Almaty, from classical ballet and art exhibitions to winter festivals,...


Kyrgyz Republic Opens First Solar Power Plant

ASTANA – The Kyrgyz Republic commissioned its first solar power plant in the Kemin district of the Chui Region on Dec. 24, with President Sadyr Japarov attending...


President Tokayev: Kazakhstan Secures Over $70 Billion in Commercial Agreements in 2025

ASTANA — Kazakhstan has signed more than $70 billion in commercial agreements following international meetings this year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a Dec. 25 visit to...


Ferries Between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to Launch in 2026

ROME — A Georgian company plans to launch ferry services between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan starting in 2026, with the first vessels operating across the Caspian Sea between...


Kazakhstan Ranks Among Georgia’s Key Trading Partners in 2025

ASTANA – Exports of Georgian goods to Kazakhstan reached $849.9 million in January-November, up 6.8% from the same period in 2024, placing Kazakhstan among Georgia’s top three...


Kazakh Foundation Supports Next Generation of Scholars and Intellectuals

ASTANA – For 12 years, Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation, established by entrepreneur and philanthropist Galimzhan Yessenov, has been working to boost the nation’s intellectual development. From its inception,...


Kazakhstan Launches Three New Special Economic Zones in 2025

ASTANA – Kazakhstan established three new special economic zones, including Korkyt Ata, Aktobe and Atyrau in 2025 as part of efforts to strengthen investment attraction, announced QazIndustry,...


EDB: China’s FDI Climbs in Eurasia as Global Investment Slows, Kazakhstan Leads Central Asia

ASTANA — While global foreign direct investment (FDI) fell 11% in 2024, Chinese investment in Eurasia continued to rise, reaching record levels in Central Asia, according to...


Kazakhstan Expands Grain Processing in $2.6 Billion Agriculture Drive

ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to invest $2.6 billion in deep grain processing projects by 2028 as part of a broader effort to shift its agriculture sector toward...


Tickets, Prices, Access: 2026 Winter Olympics Explained

ROME — With less than 50 days remaining until the opening of the 2026 Winter Olympics, spectators planning to attend events in Italy must navigate a fully...


Does the World Still Need Globalization? Look At Distant Past Offers Answer

When headlines feel heavy and the world sees more fragmentation than ever, it’s tempting to believe that a multilateral system is falling apart. Rising geopolitical tensions, eroding...


Kazakhstan Leads Central Asia in Government AI Readiness, Ranks 60th Globally

ALMATY — Kazakhstan has emerged as the leading country in Central Asia in terms of readiness to adopt and govern artificial intelligence (AI), ranking 60th out of...


Mustafa Shokai: Voice of Turkistan and Fighter for Freedom

ASTANA — This year marks the 135th birthday of Mustafa Shokai, one of the most important and inspiring figures in early 20th-century Kazakh politics. He was a...


Tokayev Outlines Astana’s Growth Priorities, Calls for Balanced Urban Development

ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined key priorities for Astana’s economic, technological, and urban development during a meeting on the capital’s future, highlighting that the city’s gross...