Petroleum continues to be a primary driver of international economic stability and political influence. A recent ranking by World Population Review highlights how various nations manage this finite resource, ranging from absolute reliance to strategic diversification. The Middle East powerhouses Saudi Arabia remains a central figure, controlling nearly 17 percent…
Chinese investors planning to build a locomotive plant in Atbasar, northern Kazakhstan, have failed to secure the necessary funding, prompting the government to search for a new investor. According to Deputy Transport Minister Maksat Kaliakparov, construction of the plant in the Akmola region has been delayed due to the investor’s…
Kazakhstan increased exports to France, Turkey and the United Kingdom early this year, while its trade share with Italy and Russia declined, economist Ruslan Sultanov said on his Tengenomika channel. At the same time, the country is becoming increasingly dependent on industrial imports from China and Russia, he noted. Strategic…
A waste incineration project by Junxin Environmental Protection is moving forward in Almaty, with construction planned in the city’s Alatau district. Project scope and capacity The facility is designed to process up to 2,000 tons of waste per day and generate as much as 60 megawatts of electricity, which will…
Two IT hubs with a combined floor area of approximately 80,000 square meters are set to be launched in Almaty. The first is expected to open later this year, while the second — roughly the size of 10 football fields — will be built from scratch, according to Almaty Deputy…
The rise of remote work has fundamentally altered how American households consume and spend, according to a new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Researchers utilized data from the Nielsen Consumer panel to track how the shift to working from home (WFH) has influenced shopping modalities,…
Despite a broader global trend toward easing monetary policy, the start of 2026 introduced new uncertainty tied to the conflict in the Middle East. In response, central banks in the world’s largest economies have avoided firm forward guidance, preserving flexibility to react quickly to potential inflation shocks. Against this backdrop,…
Platform workers should be guaranteed basic labor benefits — including the right to paid vacation and sick leave — according to Kazakh lawmaker Bibigul Zheksenbai. She has also proposed introducing a minimum hourly wage for platform workers. Proposal targets drivers and couriers The initiative would apply to taxi drivers and…
Kazakhmys Copper, which consolidates the copper assets of Vladimir Kim, will not delist from the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange. The decision was made by the company’s sole shareholder. The shareholder reversed an earlier decision, announced April 14, to voluntarily delist the company’s shares from KASE. As a result, the shares will…
The Kaspi.kz app has introduced a new «split bill» feature that allows users to divide payments among multiple people after a shared order at a café or restaurant, according to Finratings. How it works The process is straightforward: one person pays the full bill using Kaspi QR. After the transaction,…
The escalation of conflict in the Middle East, along with the risk of a closure of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, is putting significant pressure not only on global energy markets but also on the economic stability of countries across the region. Amid rising geopolitical uncertainty and the potential…
Despite the continued dominance of the state in Uzbekistan’s banking sector, private players — particularly young digital banks — are expanding more rapidly. The gradual denationalization of the economy is also expected to revive the local stock market, which currently lacks attractive instruments for investors. Assets of Uzbekistan’s credit institutions…
The price of Kazakhstan’s CPC Blend crude has been declining on global markets. According to the latest data, the benchmark traded at $114.47 on Friday but fell to $112.23 on Monday, April 20. The drop suggests shifting supply-and-demand dynamics and increased investor caution. Middle East tensions weigh on market Ongoing…
The administration of the Pavlodar region signed a memorandum with China’s Snow Valley Agricultural Group Co. Ltd. to launch a large agro-industrial project with total investments of up to $200 million. Under the agreement signed by Gov. Assain Baikhanov, Snow Valley Agricultural Group Chairman Wang Dengshe, and CEO Zhang Fan,…
Kazakhtelecom, Kazakhstan’s largest telecommunications operator and part of the Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund, plans to replace some employees with artificial intelligence as early as 2026. The changes will primarily affect call center staff, whose functions will be partially automated, CEO Bagdat Mussin said during a meeting of Samruk-Kazyna’s public council,…
Tau-Ken Samruk, Kazakhstan’s national mining company and a subsidiary of sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna, has agreed to sell a 70% stake in the North Katpar tungsten deposit to U.S.-based Cove Kaz Capital Group LLC. The company said it approved the transaction on April 16. The share purchase agreement for a…
Kaspi.kz, Kazakhstan’s leading fintech company, said it has completed the purchase of 6 million American depositary receipts (ADRs) from Baring Fintech Venture Funds. Tencent is among the buyers. Following the transaction, Tencent has become one of Kaspi.kz’s largest shareholders, according to company disclosures. New investors and deal advisers In addition…
Tajikistan is interested in importing Kazakh grain, flour and sunflower oil, said Nurmahmad Akhmadzoda, director of the Agency for State Material Reserves of Tajikistan. The Ministry of Agriculture quoted him following a meeting with the leadership of Kazakhstan’s Food Contract Corporation (FCC), a state-owned company that regulates the grain market.…
In March 2025, Kazakhstani banks reported a combined profit of $432.5 million, while the sector’s total profit for the first quarter reached $1.2 billion. Monthly profit fell by 5.8% year-on-year, while cumulative profit for the entire first quarter declined by 12%, according to the National Bank. The decline in profit…
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology said a court in Astana has upheld a 2.4 trillion tenge environmental fine imposed on a consortium of major international oil companies. The entities, which are part of the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC), are continuing to appeal the ruling, Bloomberg reported. Supreme Court rejects appeal…
A Chinese mining company has established a new subsidiary in Kazakhstan with a registered capital of $150 million at the Astana International Financial Centre, according to a report by Finmentor. The company, Beijing Huaxia Jianlong Mining Science & Technology Co., Ltd., registered its local entity under the name Tianlong Mining…
Global tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google may be considering Kazakhstan as a location for data centers, amid rising geopolitical risks in other regions. Shifting focus after Middle East disruptions Speaking at the Kursiv Ecosystems Forum on April 17, Vladislav Minkevich, head of the AKASHI Data Center project…
Kazakhstan has seen an increase in the number of legal entities with foreign capital, rising 10% year over year to 65,952 companies, according to the Bureau of National Statistics. Regional neighbors drive growth The main drivers of this growth over the past year have not been Western countries, but Kazakhstan’s…
According to Kazakh economist Ruslan Sultanov, the structure of foreign investment in Kazakhstan has shifted. By the end of 2025, the manufacturing sector attracted more investment than mining for the first time. Gross foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows reached $20.4 billion, up 14.4% from $17.9 billion in 2024. The growth…
