Articles by Zhanna Shayakhmetova 

2023 Is Most Profitable Year in Kazakhstan, Says CEO of Al Hilal Islamic Bank

ASTANA – In a recent interview, Gordon Haskins, the CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of Al Hilal Islamic Bank, provided insights into the bank’s activities and the country’s economic landscape.  Lucrative opportunities for Islamic banking Al Hilal Bank in Kazakhstan, operating as part of the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Group (ADCB Group) focuses…

Kazakh President Posthumously Awards Law Enforcement Officers on National Day of Mourning 

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev awarded posthumous medals to 16 law enforcement and armed forces officers for their courage and dedication in service to the country, reports Akorda. The decree was published on the official website of the President. Tokayev expressed his condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their…

Kazakh Officials Present  Roadmap For Modernization of Kazakhstan’s Identity Program 2021

NUR-SULTAN – The new Roadmap of the 2021 Ruhani Zhangyru (Modernization of Kazakhstan’s Identity) program was presented Feb. 11 at the meeting of the national commission, according to the Akorda press service.  In 2017, Kazakhstan’s First President Nursultan Nazarbayev presented the “Course towards the future: Modernization of Kazakhstan’s identity” policy article outlining steps for modernization…

One-day Tours Out of Nur-Sultan Allow Tourists to Relive Day in Live of a Nomad

Summer is the best time to enjoy hiking and to discover new spots outside the city. This year, domestic tourism will experience a boom since pandemic measures have shut down international tourism. Head of Aktivnye Toury (Active Tours) KZ company Galiya Mensiitova believes that it is important to focus on the history of the area…

Turkestan Region initiated 49 investment projects in 2019

NUR-SULTAN – Turkestan, Kazakhstan’s youngest region, launched 49 projects worth $195 million last year, including seven foreign investment projects worth $96 million, reported the Turkistan Invest press service. The ventures created approximately 2,000 jobs. The major investors include Nepal’s CG Foods Central Asia, which opened a $15-million noodle plant in the Kazygurt District, and China’s…

City administration accepts applications for targeted social assistance in new format 

NUR-SULTAN – The Nur-Sultan city administration is accepting applications for targeted social assistance at the city’s family support institute, its employment centre and four district administration offices. People can get more information at the Yessil District akimat, reports Elorda.info. Starting in January, targeted social assistance in the new format will be assigned quarterly. The assistance…

Shymkent to launch third industrial zone next year

NUR-SULTAN – Zhuldyz, Shymkent’s third, 306-hectare industrial zone, will be launched next year, reported Akim (Mayor) Yerlan Aitakhanov at a Dec. 25 press conference in the city. A 136-hectare agro-industrial zone will also be opened.  Investors intend to implement 20 nutrition, construction, metallurgy, medicine and engineering projects in the industrial zone worth more than 20…

Ring road opens around Nur-Sultan, car engine heating project launches 

NUR-SULTAN – The 87-kilometre ring road opened around the capital Nov. 29  will increase transport system efficiency, reduce travel time by raising the speed limit and improve the city’s environment. Prime Minister Askar Mamin, who attended the opening ceremony, noted safe and high-quality road projects are being implemented in the centre-south, centre-east and centre-west directions.…

Almaty region leads Kazakhstan in investment projects

NUR-SULTAN – The Almaty region is implementing the most investment projects in the country, with 34 projects worth $3.8 billion planned for the next few years, the Kazakh Invest company reports. Ten projects are expected to launch at the end of this year. Overall, 168 projects are registered in the Kazakh Invest monitoring system nationwide. …

First eight months of Tokayev’s presidency put spotlight on gradual civil society, business support and public engagement reforms

NUR-SULTAN – The first eight months of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s term have been marked by developing and implementing new approaches and solutions towards strengthening a socially oriented and business friendly state. He announced plans at the June 12 inauguration ceremony to continue the strategies developed by Kazakhstan’s First President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, including the Modernisation…

UNICEF analysis of Kazakhstan’s children finds progress in child mortality, education, gaps in inclusion, nutrition

NUR-SULTAN – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) presented its analysis of the situation of Kazakhstan’s children Nov. 19 in Nur-Sultan. The analysis observes the country’s achievements, including progress in reducing child and maternal mortality; increasing enrolment in education, including preschool; and creating conditions for inclusive education. It also reveals gaps and issues that require…

Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Theatre to perform for first time in Kazakhstan 

NUR-SULTAN – The Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre will present Alexander Borodin’s opera “Prince Igor” Nov. 29 and Alexander Glazunov’s ballet “Raymonda” Dec. 1 at the Astana Opera House, reported the theatre press service.  “Borodin’s monumental classical opera ‘Prince Igor’ is a major production for the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. The theatre…

Almaty hosts fourth European Film Festival 

NUR-SULTAN – The European Union Delegation to Kazakhstan presented the fourth European Film Festival Nov. 5-7 in Almaty. The programme included 16 films produced by European Union (EU) member states. Special guests included directors Caroline Thirion (Belgium) and Renars Vimba (Latvia), who taught master classes on pitching ideas and producing films and documentaries, and Anne…

Astana Pro Team prepares for next season 

NUR-SULTAN – Astana Pro Team has completed its roster for the 2020 season, reported general manager Alexandre Vinokurov. The team now has 27 athletes, according to the National Olympic Committee press service. The club has started preliminary preparations for the new season and plans to begin its first training camp Dec. 5 in Calpe, Spain.…

Eighty-seven renewable energy facilities to operate in Kazakhstan by end of 2019 

NUR-SULTAN – Eighty-seven renewable energy facilities with a capacity of 1,042 megawatts will be operating in Kazakhstan by the end of this year, announced Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin at the Oct. 29 government meeting. The investment in the facilities was 406 billion tenge (US$1 billion). The Almaty, Zhambyl and East Kazakhstan Regions lead in…

Air Astana unveils first Airbus A321LR aircraft

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh national air carrier Air Astana unveiled Oct. 9 its first Airbus A321 Long Range (LR) aircraft at the Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport in the Kazakh capital.  According to a company release, Air Astana is the first operator of such aircraft in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the company plans to…

Courses on learning process from renowned US author, professor are available in Kazakh 

NUR-SULTAN – More than 1,000 people in Almaty and the capital attended public lectures and participated in training on the way neurobiology is changing the learning process conducted last month by Oakland University Professor of Engineering and New York Times bestselling author Barbara Oakley. In a recent interview with The Astana Times, she spoke about…

More than 500 cross-country runners compete in Race Nation Burabay

NUR-SULTAN – More than 500 cross-country runners from Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey and Tajikistan participated Sept. 29 in the Race Nation Burabay at the ski-jumping complex in Shchuchinsk, in the Akmola Region.  Race Nation Burabay or the so-called Race of the Nation is a cross-country race with man-made obstacles. This year, the event was part of…

Kazakh National Museum to present masterpieces of ancient and medieval art in Kuala Lumpur 

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh National Museum will present “The Great Steppe: History and Culture” exhibition at the Department of Museums of Malaysia Oct. 1-31 in Kuala Lumpur. The presentation is part of the Altyn Adam (Golden Man) Procession through the World’s Museums project. The mission of the exhibition is to present the rich historical and…

Kazakh President reaffirms commitment to nuclear-weapons-free world, international dialogue at UNGA

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reaffirmed his country’s commitment to seeking a nuclear-weapons-free world in his address to the Sept. 24 74th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. Tokayev, who delivered remarks for the first time as President, said nuclear disarmament has become “an essential part of the…

Fund of First President to explore increasing Kazakhstan’s economic competitiveness

NUR-SULTAN – The Fund of the First President of Kazakhstan plans to start scientific and practical research and find ways to improve competitiveness, said Executive Director of the Fund Asset Issekeshev at the recent tenth Global Innovation Summit 2019 in Nur-Sultan. The study is set to improve the country’s competitiveness and develop proposals on the…

Kazakhstan seeks high-tech, agricultural cooperation with China, says Tokayev during Beijing Business Council meeting 

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will develop its high-tech sector and elements of Industry 4.0 to increase the degree to which its economy is based on innovation and new technologies, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during the Sept. 11 sixth meeting of the Kazakhstan-China Business Council in Beijing. China has become a world leader in the new…

Ecological tourism planned for Charyn, Ile-Alatau and Kolsai Lakes national parks

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources and Ministry of Culture and Sports are planning ecological tourism projects in Charyn, Ile-Alatau and Kolsai Lakes national parks. The programme will increase the annual tourist flow from 1.3 million to 3.4 million by 2025 and ensure the quality of services provided, the Ministry…

Meat processing plant opens in Akmola Region

NUR-SULTAN – KazBeef Group opened a meat processing plant July 11 in Schuchinsk in the Akmola Region, reported the Kazakh Invest press service.   The company is the country’s only producer of marbled beef using U.S. technologies, with a full production cycle of high-quality meat products from feed cultivation to packaging finished products. Dozens of…