News

Zaman Bank, Kazakhstan’s Islamic bank, was the country’s sole financial institution to post a loss in May, reporting a deficit of approximately $2.4 million, according to data from the National Bank of Kazakhstan.

The bank made headlines in November 2024 when a test payment was successfully processed between Zaman Bank and Afghanistan’s Ghazanfar Bank, marking the first financial transaction since Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations in late 2023. Ghazanfar Bank, one of Afghanistan’s largest commercial banks, opened a correspondent account with Zaman Bank to enable direct payments between the two countries.

As...

There’s no need to travel as far as New Zealand to experience the atmosphere of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, as Kazakhstan offers its own magical landscapes. The county is home to many stunning places where you can feel like a character from «The Hobbit» or «The Lord of the Rings.»

Three of these locations are situated near Almaty.

Hobbit’s waterfall in the Ayusay Gorge

The mysterious Ayusay Gorge attracts visitors with its waterfalls and picturesque trails. One of them is Hobbit’s waterfall, dubbed for the surrounding fairytale atmosphere that resembles a place in the Shire, where Bilbo once lived.

The spot...

According to the Azerbaijani media outlet Minval, the Embraer 190 aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), which crashed near Aktau on December 24, 2024, was allegedly shot down on the orders of the Russian Defense Ministry. The outlet based its claim on an explanatory note from a Russian air defense officer, along with several voice messages.

A letter attributed to Russian Captain Dmitry Paladichuk states that he was on combat duty in Grozny from December 24 to 25, 2024, serving as the commander of an air defense combat unit. On December 25 at 5:40 a.m., he reportedly received an order to...

The Freedom Holding Corp. Kazakhstan Manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Managers’ IndexTM) posted 49.7 in June, dipping below the 50.0 no-change mark following a reading of 51.3 in May.

Although signaling the first deterioration in business conditions for 16 months, the index pointed to only a marginal worsening in the health of the sector.

Central to the deterioration in operating conditions was a renewed reduction in manufacturing output, the first since February 2024. Production was down solidly amid softer new order growth and reports of pauses to repair machinery.

Alongside the drop in output, manufacturers also signaled a reduction in employment. The...

Theaters in Almaty are keeping their doors wide open — at least for wealthier visitors. If, for instance, someone wants to rent an entire theater building for a photo shoot, they can do so without any problem.

Almaty Theatre, the city’s first private venue of this kind, is currently offering this new service to anyone interested. The price is quite high, reflecting the theater’s reputation as one of the most exclusive cultural spots in the city.

The venue offers several packages, starting at approximately $200 for a three-hour rental that excludes access to the main stage and auditorium and...

A federation dedicated to togyzqumalaq, an ancient Kazakh strategy board game, has been officially established in South Korea on June 28, according to the press office of the Togyzqumalaq Federation of Kazakhstan.

A game in Seoul

The newly formed organization is led by Mrs. Sanghee Oh, president of the O’Brain Math & Game Academy, a Seoul-based training center.

The launch of the federation coincided with the first international togyzqumalaq tournament in South Korea, held in Seoul from June 24 to 30. Players from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, India and South Korea took part in the event.

The promotion of togyzqumalaq in...

People have always been interested in magic practices, including tarot reading, fortune telling and using talismans. For instance, about 30% of Americans embrace astrology, tarot cards or fortunetellers at least once a year, according to the Associated Press, citing findings from the Pew Research Center. The study also indicates that 20% of the surveyed adults in the U.S. claim to turn to astrology, tarot cards or fortune-telling mostly «just for fun,» 10% say they do so because they «believe the practices give them helpful insights» and only 1% state they have “a lot” of trust in what they learn...

According to a survey of Kazakhstan’s telecommunications market conducted by Telecom Daily and Nexign, a Russian billing solutions provider and developer of the country’s first mobile operator billing system, the industry is projected to grow by an average of 6% annually, reaching the $3 billion mark by 2027.

In 2024, the telecom market expanded by 11%, reaching $2.4 billion. This growth was largely driven by a roughly 20% increase in communication service tariffs. The price hikes stemmed from rising operational costs, as providers invest in modernizing their network infrastructure to handle growing data traffic and roll out 5G services.

Kazakhstan’s new public administration reforms have significantly reshaped the country’s anti-corruption framework. A key change is the reorganization of the Anti-Corruption Agency (Antikor), which has been merged with the National Security Committee (KNB) under a recent decree signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

What’s changing?

The restructuring establishes a new department within the KNB — the Anti-Corruption Service — which will assume core responsibilities in combating corruption. At the same time, some of Antikor’s powers have been transferred to Kazakhstan’s Agency for Civil Service Affairs.

This agency will now be responsible for:

According to the Bureau of National Statistics, the value of IT services provided by Kazakhstanis (both individual specialists and companies) to foreign clients in 2024 reached $647 million, a 16.8% increase year-on-year.

The main sources of this revenue were program code development and testing ($365 million), software product and internet resource support ($145 million) and IT consulting ($57 million). Additionally, Kazakhstani game publishers earned $5.6 million from foreign customers.

By country, the largest buyers of Kazakhstani IT services last year were the U.S. ($199.8 million), Russia ($139 million), Cyprus ($52.1 million) and Ireland ($45.7 million).

As for the total...

Adrian, a young man from France, chose Kostanay as the destination to complete his mandatory overseas internship as part of his university political studies program in 2022. But why Kazakhstan — and specifically, Kostanay? Adrian had his own reasons for the move.

«I studied Russian for two years before coming here. I also took a very interesting course on Central Asia at school, which really motivated me. I had the opportunity to do an internship at the French Cultural Center in Kostanay, and I was really happy to go there.»

He also noted that...

Grenoble INP — Phelma, UGA, one of France’s top engineering schools, will open a branch in Kazakhstan next year, in partnership with Satbayev University in Almaty. The move follows an agreement signed between the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan and the French university, as part of Kazakhstan’s initiative to bring foreign university branches into the country.

The signing ceremony was attended by Minister of Education Sayasat Nurbek and French Ambassador to Kazakhstan Sylvain Guiguet. The agreement was signed by the vice presidents of the two institutions — Gulgen Alpan on behalf of Phelma, UGA, and Samgat Ermekbayev...

From July 14 to 20, Almaty will host an international bar event, the Almaty Bar Shift — a week that will gather industry experts and culinary enthusiasts. Mixologists and bar festival organizers from all over the world, including those from Florence, Athens and Washington, will come to Kazakhstan for the event.

Almaty Bar Shift will unite educational activities during the daytime, including lectures, discussions and workshops, and evening events in the city’s best bars. Within the guest shifts, bartenders featured in the World’s 50 Best Bars, Top 500 Bars and Michelin rankings will serve cocktails from the menus of the...

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a law banning the wearing of clothing in public that obscures a person’s face, except in limited cases defined by law. The legislation does not explicitly mention religious attire but would arguably apply to garments commonly worn by some Muslim women, such as the niqab and burqa.

Under the new regulation, face-covering garments are only allowed in specific cases: when required by law, for official duties, medical reasons, protection from severe weather, for civil defense purposes or for participation in sports and cultural events.

«Wearing items of clothing in public...

Young people are increasingly turning away from traditional dating apps like Tinder and Bumble. According to a BBC article citing Ofcom, usage of the U.K.’s top 10 dating platforms dropped by nearly 16% in 2024. Match Group Inc., the company behind Tinder and Hinge, acknowledged in a January 2024 letter to shareholders that younger users are seeking «a lower-pressure, more authentic way to find connections.» Many are choosing to meet people through shared-interest communities — such as hobby-based platforms or video games. Beyond these trends, other ways are emerging to achieve this objective both in Kazakhstan and around the...

A female team is filming a new TV series about the age-related crisis, friendship and love for life. Unlike «Sex and the City,» which explored the lives of Manhattan fashionistas, «Forever 29» is about young women from Almaty who try to meet society’s expectations — until one day, they decide to simply be themselves.

The TV series, already being called «the women’s melodrama of the year,» is produced by Freedom Media, a Kazakhstani streaming service, and Umai Production. Notably, the project is driven not just by ambitious ideas, but by personal experiences based on real women’s stories. Let’s break this...

A debate is unfolding in Kazakhstan over the future of civilian drones, balancing the goal of nurturing a tech-savvy new generation with rising concerns about the potential for misuse.

While the government plans to introduce formal training in drone design and operation at the college level, lawmakers are simultaneously calling for much stricter regulations on the public’s ability to acquire and use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Tighten regulations

On June 25, MP Yelnur Beissenbayev submitted a parliamentary inquiry to Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and Defense Minister Dauren Kossanov, warning that while modern drones have civilian benefits, they could...

Kazakhstan’s National Bank has welcomed a proposal by MPs to establish a crypto-asset reserve. According to Timur Suleimenov, the bank’s chair, work is underway on the development of its formation and management concept. One option involves creating a reserve within a National Bank subsidiary whose activities are focused on alternative investments.

«International practice shows that the sources for such a reserve may include confiscated crypto-assets, as well as cryptocurrencies mined by a crypto miner partially owned by the government,» Suleimenov said in response to a parliamentary inquiry.

To effectively manage the crypto reserve, the legislation...

Three years after legalizing cannabis, Thai authorities are set to restrict its sale, allowing marijuana purchases only with a doctor’s prescription. The decision comes amid a sharp rise in cannabis-related businesses and addiction rates since the drug was legalized. Authorities have also reported an uptick in tourists attempting to smuggle cannabis across borders, according to the New York Post.

Thailand made headlines in 2022 when it became the first country in Asia to legalize cannabis. However, the move came without the passage of specific laws to regulate its sale, production or consumption, opening the door to a booming...

The beach area of Alakol, a lake situated in a narrow valley that connects the southern uplands of Kazakhstan with the arid northwest of China, has been known since ancient times for its medicinal properties. It is set to follow in the footsteps of Turkey and Egypt. Authorities aim to transform the lake into a high-quality recreational zone, with plans to attract Chinese investors interested in building hotel complexes along the Alakol coast.

The news followed a meeting between Berik Uali, the governor of the Abay region, and the authors of the general plan for developing tourism at Lake Alakol...

A growing number of communities worldwide are choosing to go alcohol-free, reflecting a broader trend toward reduced alcohol consumption and the rise of the «sober curious» movement. From dry counties in the U.S. to temperance-driven towns in India and entire villages in Kazakhstan, communities are opting out of alcohol for a range of social, cultural and public health reasons.

Alcohol-free villages in Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is leading an initiative called «Alcohol-Free Villages,» which bans the sale of alcohol in selected rural areas. The movement is expanding: as of mid-2025, 66 villages in...

If you’ve ever dreamed of receiving a letter from Hogwarts, riding the Hogwarts Express, or sipping butterbeer in a cozy magical coffee shop, these three locations in Kazakhstan might just make your dreams come true.

Hogwarts Express in Karaganda

In the heart of Karaganda, there’s a place that’s sure to take any Potter fan’s breath away — a charming children’s railway designed to resemble the iconic Hogwarts Express. Painted in the familiar deep red, the train cars evoke the magic of the books, and the station even features a Platform 9¾.

The railway runs through picturesque areas of the...

The construction cost of the first nuclear power plant (NPP) with a capacity of 2.4 gigawatts will be at least $14 billion, according to Almassadam Satkaliyev, head of Kazakhstan’s Agency for Atomic Energy (AAE). The statement followed the official bidding process to select a contractor for the project, during which Russia’s Rosatom was chosen as the leader of an international consortium to build the country’s first NPP.  

«The final cost will be specified based on the results of a technical and economic feasibility study. All we have now are indicative values provided by the vendors...

American superstar Jennifer Lopez will perform in Kazakhstan as part of her world tour in early August. Despite the initial frenzy during the first days of ticket sales, tickets are still available on the Freedom Ticketon website for both Almaty and Astana concerts.

According to the seating chart on the website, there are still vacant spots in the VIP and fan zones, the dance floor and lower sections for the Astana concert, scheduled for Aug. 1 at Astana Arena. Ticket prices range from approximately $173 to $346.
 
It’s worth noting that earlier reports claimed the Astana concert had sold...