Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has replaced his transport minister and given the incoming officeholder the rank of deputy prime minister. The November 3 appointment puts Asel Zhanassova in charge of the ministry as Kazakhstan prepares a major infrastructure expansion.
Zhanassova, previously deputy head of the Presidential Administration, succeeds Nurlan Sauranbayev. Her appointment decree formally combines the positions of deputy prime minister and transport minister, raising the portfolio’s standing within the government. Zhanassova becomes one of six deputy prime ministers, including First Deputy Prime Minister Nurlybek Nalibayev.
The change comes less than a week after Tokayev announced plans to accelerate construction and expand freight routes linking China and Europe. Several major transport projects face deadlines in 2027, giving the new minister an immediate delivery agenda.
Akorda gave no reason for Sauranbayev’s dismissal and announced no new appointment for him. His departure came six days after Tokayev criticized road quality and officials passing responsibility between central and local government.
A New Minister with a Digital Background
Zhanassova brings experience in digital technology and the management of Kazakhstan’s national postal operator. Born in Almaty in 1987, she graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2010 with a computer science degree. She studied under Kazakhstan’s Bolashak scholarship program.
According to her published biography, her early career included technology and cybersecurity positions at an international company in London. She subsequently worked at Kazakhstan’s central bank and headed the state technology holding Zerde.
She later held senior digital roles at the Astana International Financial Centre before becoming vice minister of trade and integration. From 2022 to 2025, she chaired Kazpost, a position that gave her experience managing a nationwide delivery network.
Zhanassova became an adviser to Tokayev in June 2025 and deputy head of the Presidential Administration in December of that year. Her latest promotion moves her into a cabinet role combining transport management with deputy prime minister responsibilities.
Sauranbayev had been appointed transport minister on June 30, 2025. His departure marks another leadership change in a ministry already subject to presidential scrutiny. His predecessor, Marat Karabayev, was dismissed in June 2025, following criticism of transport infrastructure and delays affecting transit development.
An Extensive Construction Agenda
In his October 28 State of the Nation Address, Tokayev outlined plans to allocate 6.5 trillion tenge, approximately $14.3 billion, from the National Fund to infrastructure by 2029. He also proposed designating 2027 as a year of large-scale construction.
Transport forms a substantial part of that agenda. The 272-kilometer Bakhty–Ayagoz railway is scheduled to open in 2027, adding a border crossing with China. The project is expected to increase annual rail freight capacity between the two countries by 20 million metric tons.
The Aral–Caspian Highway is another major undertaking. The approximately 800-kilometer route will connect Beineu in western Kazakhstan with Saksaulsk, near the Aral Sea. Construction began in August, with Tokayev saying the highway would shorten the freight route between China and Europe by approximately 1,000 kilometers and cut delivery times by three days.
The government’s summary of the address set out responsibilities extending beyond new construction. Tokayev called for the Transport Ministry to take responsibility for road quality at both national and local levels, with reconstruction of road border crossings due to be completed in 2027. The president also called for fully digital transport documentation and stronger air cargo infrastructure. Construction of a new airport in Astana is scheduled to begin next year.
Turning Transit Investment into Reliable Services
Kazakhstan’s transport expansion is closely tied to the Middle Corridor, which connects Asian and European markets through the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus. Its development requires coordination across national borders, alongside investment within Kazakhstan.
In February, the World Bank approved an $846 million guarantee to help mobilize $1.41 billion in commercial financing for Kazakhstan’s railway network. The project includes a 322.3-kilometer railway between Mointy and Kyzylzhar, designed to remove a lengthy detour and ease congestion. The package also supports reforms at national railway operator Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, including preparations for a future initial public offering.
“Beyond enabling critical infrastructure investments, this project supports important reforms that will strengthen Kazakhstan Temir Zholy’s financial sustainability and long-term competitiveness,” World Bank country manager Andrei Mikhnev said when the financing was approved.
The bank’s wider assessment of the corridor identifies coordination and logistics services as essential to improving its performance. New infrastructure must work alongside more efficient border procedures if operators are to offer predictable delivery times.
Zhanassova takes over a portfolio with substantial financing commitments and approaching construction deadlines. Her appointment places responsibility for delivering Kazakhstan’s transport program at deputy prime minister level, with the first major tests arriving in 2027.
