Kazakhstan to adopt Baku and Dubai development models for its sole port city

Authorities cherish ambitious plans for tourism development in the Mangystau region of Kazakhstan / Collage: Kursiv.media, photo editor: Arthur Aleskerov

Aktau will be developed following the models of Baku and Dubai. As part of this initiative, the site plan has been revised to include the construction of a 10,000-seat stadium, a maritime passenger terminal, new beaches and an architectural structure called Musical Dombra. These plans were announced by Nurdaulet Kilybai, governor of the Mangystau region, during a press conference at the Central Communications Service in Astana.

The region will receive $317 million in investments to implement 14 major projects as part of its tourism development plan through 2027.

The number of domestic and international routes operated by Aktau Airport is set to increase to 28 destinations. A new airport is planned for construction in the Kenderli settlement. The Mangystau railway station is also scheduled for an upgrade, which is expected to boost its daily capacity to 2,500 passengers. Over the next five years, the regional administration plans to upgrade 250 passenger trains and establish a ferry fleet in the Kuryk port.

Additionally, new hotel complexes with a capacity of 150 guests each will be built in the Bozzhyra Gorge and Airakty Valley. A new recreation facility for 500 people and children’s camps are also planned for construction along the Caspian coast.

Two modern drama theaters are planned for construction in Aktau and Zhanaozen. Additionally, the region’s first-ever sports boarding school for gifted children is expected to open its doors in the near future.

Furthermore, the Warm Beach resort will host 11 projects worth approximately $189.87 million. Three of these projects, valued at $16.14 million, have already been commissioned.

«In his state-of-the-nation address, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the importance of developing the Kenderli resort. A general layout for the settlement’s development has already been prepared. We believe that to effectively boost Kenderli’s growth, attention must be given not only to traditional beach and ecological tourism but also to entertainment tourism. We are actively working in this direction with interested parties,» Kilybai said.

Over the first six months of 2024, 367,000 tourists visited the Mangystau region, spending approximately $28.95 million, marking a 20% increase over the same period last year.