- Sunday, 26 July, 2026
- Almaty 80 °F / 27 °C
- Astana 74 °F / 23 °C
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Russian President Vladimir Putin met ahead of the XXII Kazakhstan-Russia Interregional Cooperation Forum, focused on transport, logistics and regional economic ties,...
ASTANA — Five rock-cut mosques in Kazakhstan’s western Mangystau Region have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, marking the country’s first addition to the prestigious...
ASTANA – From soaring modern landmarks to centuries-old sanctuaries carved into rock, Kazakhstan’s mosques reflect the country’s rich spiritual heritage and architectural diversity. While modern mosques attract...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is intensifying efforts to raise public awareness of organ donation and improve its transplant system as 4,739 patients, including 126 children, remain on the...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan signed regional and commercial agreements worth more than 80 billion tenge (US$146 million) on July 24 as the two countries advanced cooperation...
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...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan ranked 53rd out of 150 countries in the May 2026 Special Edition of the Global Investment Risk and Resilience Index (GIRRI), improving from 70th...
ASTANA – After a busy working week, take time to recharge with live music, sporting action and memorable performances. From concerts and football matches to outdoor adventures,...
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...
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...
ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest features Kazakhstan’s AI ambitions, ties with Belgium, preparations...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry has opened accreditation on July 23 for foreign journalists planning to cover the election of deputies to the Kurultai of Kazakhstan, scheduled...
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...
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...
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...
ASTANA — Kazakhstan has temporarily reduced oil production following the suspension of loading operations at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) marine terminal in the Black Sea, the...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s government has allocated 10.4 billion tenge (US$22.3 million) to begin developing the KazSat-3R communications satellite, which will replace the existing KazSat-3 spacecraft and ensure...
ASTANA – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recognized the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Kazakhstan’s system for preparing Olympic delegations as a Best Practice and recommended...
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry has announced on July 22 the composition of election commissions established at the country’s diplomatic missions abroad to organize voting in the...
ASTANA – Central Asia’s foreign direct investment (FDI) stock rose 3.6% to $235.5 billion in 2025, with Kazakhstan retaining roughly two thirds of the region’s total, according...
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...
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...
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...
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....
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s dairy manufacturing output rose 11.9% in the first half of 2026. The growth is concentrated in cheese, butter and ice cream while production of...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is accelerating restoration of the North Aral Sea while advancing large-scale water management reforms, including new reservoirs, irrigation modernization, water-saving technologies and industrial water...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan will begin serial production of domestically branded buses under the Astana name in November, marking a major step in expanding the country’s automotive manufacturing,...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports has released the competition schedule for the international Phygital Games of the Future 2026, scheduled for July 29-Aug. 9,...
Kazakhstan’s largest Chinese business round in years put data, computing and digital logistics at the center. The measure of it will be deployment. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s working...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Austria officially launched the Austrian-Kazakh Connectivity Platform at the Austrian Parliament on July 15 to strengthen bilateral cooperation in transport, logistics, infrastructure, energy...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to launch production of Li Auto, Omoda, and Jaecoo vehicles by 2028 as part of a broader effort to expand its automotive industry,...
ASTANA – The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has begun reviewing Kazakhstan’s nomination of the Rock Mosques of Mangystau and Associated Sacred Sites for inscription on the World...
ASTANA — Kazakhstan is set to expand its air connectivity with China as China Eastern Airlines plans to launch direct flights between Astana and Shanghai this autumn,...
ASTANA – As fertility rates continue to fall across much of the world, Kazakhstan is among the countries where births are still above the population replacement level....
ASTANA — Chinese business publication All China Review on July 16 placed Kazakhstan at the center of Central Asia’s economic growth, citing its output, investment stock, banking...
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...
ALMATY – Four of the seven political parties approved to contest Kazakhstan’s Aug. 23 Kurultai elections have officially registered their candidate lists with the Central Election Commission...
ASTANA — Raising incomes and curbing inflation were priorities for 62.3% and 48.9% of 1,200 respondents, respectively, according to the findings presented at the July 17 Sapar...
ALMATY – Kazakh chess player Bibisara Assaubayeva has been shortlisted for the inaugural FIDE Excellence Awards, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) announced on July 16, as Kazakhstan...
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...
The war that opened on Feb. 28, with joint American and Israeli strikes on Iran taught the Arab monarchies of the Gulf a lesson about geography. Iranian...
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...
ASTANA — Kazakhstan strongly condemned drone attacks on July 17 and 19 against civilian vessels transporting oil through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) infrastructure in the Black...
ALMATY – We often believe we understand a culture through its symbols. But can traditions truly be known without living them? Seeking answers beyond archives and history...
ASTANA – Hidden in the foothills of the Kyrgyz Alatau in the Zhambyl Region, the village of Merke is far more than a stop along the highway...
ASTANA – Long before climate change and water scarcity became global concerns, the nomads of the Kazakh steppe built a way of life around mobility, restraint and...
ASTANA – Archaeologists in Kazakhstan’s Kostanai Region have uncovered three Neolithic burials in the Auliekol district, a rare discovery that researchers say could rank among the country’s...
ASTANA – What began as a small family horse farm in northern Kazakhstan has evolved into an inclusive social initiative that combines traditional kumys production with opportunities...
ASTANA – An exhibition showcasing nearly 100 rare silk textiles, archaeological artifacts and contemporary design works celebrating China’s centuries-old silk-making traditions opened at the National Museum of...
From Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to rural Somerset, festivals have long shown how a temporary event can place an overlooked destination on the global map. A recent...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan will launch its nationwide Interbank Mobile Payment System (IMPS) on July 19, enabling customers to make instant transfers by phone number and QR-code payments...
ASTANA – Tarlan, Astana’s light rail transit (LRT) system, carried 2,076,980 passengers in June, its first full month of operation, according to Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics....
ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global and regional media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to...
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for fair, inclusive and human-centered global governance of artificial intelligence at the opening of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference...
ASTANA – Spend your evening discovering art, live music and adrenaline-filled entertainment, from exhibitions and concerts to thrilling drift shows. The Astana Times has curated a guide...
Kazakhstan’s national carrier Air Astana announced plans to suspend flights to Dubai from July 21 to Aug. 31 due to the further deterioration of the situation in...
ASTANA – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has instructed government agencies to finalize an investment agreement with China Tianying Inc. within two weeks to support the construction of...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) reviewed preparations for the launch of the QaJET National Investment Platform for a Just Energy...
ASTANA – The 120th anniversary of the birth of composer, educator and public figure Latif Khamidi (1906-1976) is being marked on July 17. One of the leading...
Starting in the final weeks of May 2026, and lasting until mid-July, the Schools of Policy for civil servants and members of the Academies of Public Administrations...
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...
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...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan could become home to Central Asia’s first electric vehicle battery plant as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discussed the project with Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) during...
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,...
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...
ALMATY – Rail freight traffic between Kazakhstan and China reached 18.7 million tons in the first half of 2026, up 9% from the same period last year,...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan will officially put the digital tenge into circulation on July 18, marking the next stage in the country’s central bank digital currency project that...
ASTANA – The Almaty Zoo has welcomed a Przewalski’s horse foal, marking another milestone in its efforts to conserve one of the world’s rarest wild horse species....
ASTANA – Eleven service members of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan have arrived in Lebanon to serve with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), where...
ASTANA – Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan plan to establish a joint fleet on the Caspian Sea and launch a joint venture between their national freight operators to improve...
ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed the decree on measures to stimulate and develop the digital assets industry, establishing a comprehensive framework to accelerate the...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is expanding its international air connectivity by launching a new route to Georgia and reaching an agreement with China to increase the number of...
ASTANA — Global pop star Enrique Iglesias shared a video by Kazakh artist and blogger Assel Sabyrzhankyzy on his official Facebook and X accounts, writing, “See you...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s zoos generated a record 2.6 billion tenge (US$5 million) in revenue in 2025 as visitor spending continued to rise despite a slight decline in...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan and NASA have agreed to develop a practical roadmap for expanding cooperation in space science, satellite technologies and research following July 13 talks at...
ALMATY – Martial arts icon and international film star Jackie Chan arrived in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau Region on July 13 to begin filming “Armour of God: Ultimatum,” the...
ALMATY – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev praised Kazakhstan’s growing strategic role in regional transport, energy and digital connectivity projects, saying close cooperation between the two countries is...
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev traveled to Doha to personally offer his condolences to Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the ruling Al Thani...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan formally joined the newly established International Organization for Mediation after Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev signed the organization’s convention during his official visit to...
ASTANA – As global businesses navigate geopolitical shifts and supply chain disruptions, globalization is entering a fundamental “rewiring” that positions Kazakhstan as a critical strategic hub, said...
KATON-KARAGAI — Thundering hooves, improvised verse and Dimash Qudaibergen’s voice carried across the Altai mountains as the Altai – Golden Cradle of the Turkic World festival drew...
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reviewed Kazakhstan’s socio-economic performance for the first half of the year at a July 13 meeting with Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and...
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s ice cream exports surged 77% in value in January-April, driven by strong production and growing demand across neighboring markets. Kazakhstan produced 35,100 tons of...
ASTANA — Kazakhstan has launched its first pilot project using cloud seeding technology in the drought-prone Turkistan Region to increase rainfall, replenish reservoirs and improve water supplies...
Nearly 10 years after launching one of the most ambitious economic reform programs in the post-Soviet space, Uzbekistan stands at another crossroads. Having largely dismantled the inward-looking...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan celebrated its nomadic heritage and set a new national record during the BaiQymyz 2026 international gastronomic festival on July 11-12, where organizers presented 56...
ASTANA — Air Astana has suspended flights to Dubai due to the escalating situation in the Middle East, while Turkish carrier AJET is set to increase flights...
ASTANA – Nestled in the heart of Kazakhstan’s vast Saryarka steppe, Karkaraly State National Nature Park offers visitors a unique combination of rugged granite mountains, pristine lakes,...
ASTANA — Archaeologists working at the Kultobe settlement in southern Kazakhstan have uncovered new inscriptions and rare artifacts linked to the ancient Kangju state, offering fresh insights...
ASTANA – Bananas are not a crop typically associated with Kazakhstan’s vast steppe, but in the country’s south, a greenhouse complex is proving otherwise. Central Asia’s only...
ASTANA – Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways plans to launch regular cargo flights to Astana from Aug. 1 and passenger flights between Hong Kong and Almaty from...
ALMATY – The Almaty Museum of Arts has opened “Bill Viola: The Space of Time,” the first major exhibition in Central Asia dedicated to the late American...
ASTANA – Scientists have sequenced the first genome-wide DNA of Kazakhstan’s famed Golden Man, confirming the iconic Iron Age figure was genetically male and providing new evidence...
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev invited United States President Donald Trump to visit Kazakhstan during a phone call on July 10 that focused on bilateral economic cooperation,...
ASTANA – This weekend’s lineup offers a mix of cultural traditions, live performances, sports and visual art, with events ranging from a celebration of Kazakh heritage to...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s IT services market reached a historic high in 2025, with the total value of services exceeding 2.9 trillion tenge (US$5.6 billion), according to the...
ALMATY – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has established an Operational Committee to enable faster decision-making on the development of Alatau City, as the government moves to implement...
ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected a range of articles on Kazakhstan featured in international media worldwide this week. Today’s foreign media digest covers the country’s...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s top-ranked tennis player Elena Rybakina has been named one of the world’s 10 highest-paid tennis players in 2026, according to the latest annual rankings...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s foreign trade turnover reached $44.9 billion in the first four months of 2026, up 7.9% from the same period last year, according to data...
