Our Scans · Almaty · Weekly Summary

• Early domestic harvesting is expected to yield 216,700 tons in May, including 186,200 tons in Turkistan region, 17,700 tons in Almaty region and 12,800 tons in Zhambyl region. En.tengrinews.kz
• Thai AirAsia X is planning to open routes from Bangkok and Phuket to Almaty during the 2025-2026 fall-summer travel season, further strengthening Kazakhstan's ties with Southeast Asia. The Astana Times
• Other priority projects for Kazakhstan include the urban railway bypass for Almaty, a railway connection between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which will increase regional trade, and modernization of the Port of Aktau, which will help bolster Kazakhstan's role in Caspian Sea transport. The Astana Times
• Astana and Almaty have the potential to create a regional weightlifting hub for Central Asian countries. The Astana Times
• As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan is accelerating the construction timeline for the NPP, located in the Almaty region, and plans to select a contractor in the first half of 2025. Kazinform
• Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city and a key economic center in Central Asia, will be a significant location for engineering conferences in 2025. Conference Alerts Blog
• CITIC Construction and its partners plan to build a plant for advanced grain processing in the Almaty Region. The Astana Times
• Under the agreement signed with the Kazakh National Center for Technology Forecasting, it will invest 10 billion won (US$ 7.2 million) in an elevator research and development plant in Almaty. The Astana Times
• In 2024, a minimum of 4,000 new graduates will be job hunting in Almaty (Kazakhstan) and other major cities of Central Asia, such as Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) and Tashkent (Uzbekistan). Payoneer
• Air Astana plans to increase weekly flights from Almaty to Beijing from six to seven, from Astana to Beijing from one to three, and from Almaty to Urumqi from two to seven during the upcoming fall-winter season. The Astana Times
• Almaty city anticipates the commissioning of a new passenger terminal in 2024, while Astana projects its airport to double annual passenger capacity up to ten million people in the near future. The Astana Times
• Ericsson will supply 5G RAN technology in areas encompassing 50% of Kazakhstan's territory, including the cities of Almaty and Shymkent, which have been identified as key locations. Mobile World Live
• IndiGo will further ramp up its Central Asia expansion with flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Aviation Week
• Qatar Airways, a flag carrier of Qatar, plans to double the number of flights a day on the Almaty-Doha route from seven to 14 flights per week. The Astana Times
• The road will integrate Almaty City and its surrounding region with international transport arteries, as well as establish a bypass for commercial vehicles along the Western China-Western Europe transnational highway. Islamic Finance News
• The NPP with two reactors for $ 10-12 billion was supposed to be built in the Ulken village on the shore of Lake Balkhash in the Almaty Region in 2034-2035. The Astana Times
• As part of Tokayev's instruction to build 100 modern schoolchildren's palaces, the Almaty administration plans to increase the coverage of children with free additional education by up to 25% by the end of 2025. The Astana Times
• In 2023 Kazakhstan plans to start using natural gas instead of coal to provide power and heating for Almaty, its biggest city. Observer Research Foundation
• Kazakh airline SCAT is launching direct flights between Almaty-Lahore and Almaty-Karachi in April 2023, which will boost bilateral trade, economy, investment, and tourism. The Astana Times

Last updated: 26 June 2025