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Kazakhstan Kurultai Election: Can a Third Party Break Through?

With only weeks remaining before Kazakhstan elects its new 145-member Kurultai on August 23, three national surveys point to a commanding victory for Adilet and place Auyl in second. The less certain question is whether Ak Zhol, Respublica, or another smaller party can clear the 5% electoral threshold and join them in the new legislature. Seven political parties have been registered to contest the vote. All 145 seats will be allocated through nationwide party lists, so small changes around the threshold could have a large effect on the composition of Kazakhstan's first Kurultai. The election is the first under Kazakhstan's new constitutional framework, which replaced the former bicameral parliament with a single-chamber Kurultai. The constitutional reform represents the most significant redesign of the country's political institutions in decades and places greater weight on political parties in the legislative process. The available polls differ in timing, method, sample size, and the proportion of undecided voters. Their exact figures are therefore not directly comparable. However, they agree on the broad shape of the race: Adilet leads by a wide margin, Auyl holds second place, and several parties remain close to or below the threshold. The latest Institute of Eurasian Integration survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 4,000 respondents in all 17 regions, as well as Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent, from July 16 to 26. Its stated margin of error was no more than 1.54%. That poll put Adilet on 65.1% and Auyl on 5.9%. Ak Zhol stood at 4.7%, marginally ahead of Respublica on 4.6%. The Nationwide Social Democratic Party, or NSDP, received 4.2%, the People's Party of Kazakhstan 4.1%, and the Baytaq Green Party 0.5%. An earlier DATAmetrics poll, commissioned by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, interviewed 8,000 people face-to-face from June 13 to July 2. It gave Adilet 54.2%, Auyl 7.3%, Ak Zhol 4.6%, and Respublica 3.4%. One in five respondents had not chosen a party. A telephone survey by the Kazakhstan Institute of Public Development covered 1,200 respondents from July 8 to 20. It put Adilet on 64.8%, Auyl on 5.4%, Respublica on 4.8%, and Ak Zhol on 4.7%, with 10.9% undecided. Taken together, the surveys do not identify a clear third-place party. They do show that Ak Zhol and Respublica are the most consistent contenders for an additional place in the Kurultai. The latest Institute of Eurasian Integration poll also places the NSDP and the People's Party within striking distance, although the other surveys put both further behind. Adilet's lead is unsurprising. Although the Adilet Party was officially registered only this year, it is not starting from scratch. Amanat, formerly known as Nur Otan, merged into Adilet in June, transferring the organization and political network that dominated Kazakhstan throughout most of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev's rule. The merger also placed the former ruling party inside a new organization led by allies of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. It completed a change of political branding while preserving a strong pro-presidential electoral machine. The sharper contest is therefore not for...

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Central Asia Tourism Growth Outpaces Other Regions

Central Asia emerged as one of the world's fastest-growing tourism regions in 2025, with travel and tourism contributing $20.1 billion to the regional economy. According to an analysis based on World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) data, the sector's economic contribution grew by 17.7% during the year, the highest rate among the regions covered. By comparison, tourism GDP grew by 8.7% in Northeast Asia and 7.6% in Southeast Asia. The number of jobs supported by tourism grew by 9.5%, while spending by international visitors increased by 26.4%. Despite this rapid expansion, tourism remains a relatively small part of Central Asia's economy. It accounted for 4.3% of regional GDP in 2025, slightly below its pre-pandemic share of 4.5% in 2019. The slight fall in its share reflects the wider growth of the region's economies. The increase is being driven primarily by travel within Central Asia and from neighboring Russia. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan together accounted for 90% of the region's recorded inbound arrivals in 2025. Uzbekistan's official statistics, for example, show that visits to relatives accounted for most foreign visits recorded for tourism purposes during the first eight months of 2025. Comparisons between countries require caution because governments use different statistical methods, including whether they count border crossings or unique visitors. Uzbekistan remains the regional leader in terms of tourism's importance to the national economy. The sector accounted for 6% of GDP in 2025 and contributed $8.3 billion. Even there, however, tourism is considerably less economically important than in established destinations such as Spain, where WTTC forecast that it would account for almost 16% of GDP in 2025. Kazakhstan has the region's largest tourism economy in absolute terms, contributing $9.3 billion in 2025. Tourism nevertheless represented only 3.2% of the country's GDP, reflecting the larger role of industry and trade. The upward trend has continued into 2026. According to the Bureau of National Statistics, Kazakhstan welcomed three million foreign travelers in the first quarter. Uzbekistan was the largest source, accounting for 1.1 million travelers. Kyrgyzstan and Russia were the next largest sources. Revenue generated by accommodation providers rose by 13.9% compared with the same period a year earlier. WTTC forecasts almost 13% growth in the sector's economic contribution in Kazakhstan in 2026. Tourism in Central Asia is expanding and generating substantially more revenue. However, visitors from neighboring countries and Russia still dominate the regional market, leaving longer-haul tourism to grow from a comparatively low base.

Business & Economy Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Business & Economy

After Wildberries Drone Attacks, Kazakhstan Minister Urges Support for Local Marketplaces

Kazakhstan's Trade and Integration Minister Arman Shakkaliyev has encouraged consumers to shop on domestic online marketplaces, urging them not to base their purchases solely on the lowest prices offered by foreign platforms and invoking what he called “economic patriotism.” Speaking to reporters, Shakkaliyev advised consumers to use marketplaces they trust, saying that domestic platforms offered greater assurance that purchases would be delivered. He was responding to questions about the disruption affecting Wildberries after drone attacks on its Russian facilities. On August 2, Ukrainian drones struck a Wildberries warehouse in Novosemeykino, in the Samara region, causing a fire. The following day, Wildberries said a separate logistics facility in the Vladimir region had also caught fire following an attack. No casualties were initially reported at either site. Shakkaliyev's remarks come amid reports that Wildberries is seeking additional warehouse capacity in Kazakhstan. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the company is looking for approximately 100,000 square meters of warehouse space in Kazakhstan, although no single vacant facility of that size is currently available on the local market. The issue has also drawn attention in Moscow. Speaking on the sidelines of the Third Russia-Kazakhstan Media Forum, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said efforts to integrate Russian and Kazakhstan-based online marketplaces had begun well before the recent attacks on logistics infrastructure and were continuing. He noted that more than 100,000 suppliers from Kazakhstan were registered on the Russian marketplaces Wildberries and Ozon, another e-commerce giant. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Trade and Integration has previously stated that it has not yet received an official request from Wildberries to establish additional warehouse facilities in the country. The ministry said that any such proposal would be reviewed in accordance with Kazakhstan's legislation and national interests. It added that all market participants would be subject to the same rules, without special preferences or exemptions.

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Uzbekistan Turns to Georgia and Iraq as Jet Fuel Demand Rises 27%

Uzbekistan says it has arranged aviation fuel imports from Georgia, Iraq, and other countries as changes in regional air traffic drive up demand. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's office said on August 3 that demand for aviation fuel will reach an estimated 375,000 metric tons from July through December, 27% higher than in the same period in 2025. The government linked the increase to more flights through Central Asia and a rise in services to Uzbekistan, according to an official statement. “Most of this demand will be met by domestic oil refineries,” the president’s office said, adding that alternative import channels, including supplies from Georgia and Iraq, had been established in response to export restrictions imposed by certain partner countries. The statement did not identify the countries imposing the restrictions. It also gave no details about suppliers, import volumes, prices, delivery routes, or whether shipments from Georgia and Iraq have begun. Batumi Oil Terminal resumed handling European-produced aviation fuel in July, while Georgia’s Kulevi refinery does not plan to begin producing aviation kerosene until 2027. Uzbekistan has not said whether the supplies listed as coming from Georgia are produced there or re-exported through the country. State-owned Uzbekneftegaz aims to produce 310,000 tons of aviation fuel in 2026. This is only the company’s production target, not Uzbekistan’s total domestic output. The government has not said how much of the country’s aviation fuel demand will be met by Uzbekneftegaz, other domestic producers, or imports. Uzbekistan's airports handled 64,831 flights during the first half of 2026, up 8% from a year earlier. Passenger traffic rose 16% to more than 8.15 million, according to Uzbekistan Airports data. International services accounted for 47,371 flights and nearly 6.7 million passengers, with Tashkent International Airport handling 40,283 flights, up 7%, while passenger traffic increased 17% to 5.36 million. Tourism is also adding to passenger demand. Uzbekistan recorded 6,565,410 foreign visits for tourism purposes in January-June, up 24.9% from a year earlier, according to the National Statistics Committee. The increase forms part of a wider regional travel boom. However, almost three-quarters of those came from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, which together accounted for 4.9 million arrivals. The total therefore includes substantial land-border traffic and cannot be read solely as an air-passenger figure. Geopolitical disruption is another factor driving demand. The war involving Iran has constricted a main Europe-Asia aviation corridor and forced airlines away from high-risk airspace. Some services are now using a northern arc through the Caucasus and Central Asia, increasing the value of the region’s airspace. Pressure from the north predates the Iran conflict. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many Western carriers have avoided Russian airspace. Uzbekistan Airways began routing Europe services around Russia and Belarus in January 2025. Its Tashkent-Munich route grew by 307 kilometers, adding 30 to 40 minutes to the journey time. Uzbekistan already had a growing air transit base. Uzaeronavigation served 188,000 flights in 2023, including 143,000 by foreign airlines. More than 74,000 flights were handled in Uzbek airspace during January-April...

Life & Culture Kazakhstan Life & Culture

China’s 17 Gaming Wins PUBG: Battlegrounds Title at Kazakhstan’s Games of the Future

China’s 17 Gaming became the first champion crowned at the Games of the Future 2026 in Astana after winning the three-day PUBG: Battlegrounds competition. Sixteen teams played 15 matches for shares of a $1 million prize fund. 17 Gaming received $300,000 for first place. This was DIGA Esports’ first tournament of this scale. The Kazakhstani team finished 14th with 59 points and received $15,000. It won the eighth match in front of the home crowd at Beeline Arena. “The first day was about adapting to the tournament. It became easier on the second day, and I think we performed well on the third,” DIGA Esports player Sanzhar Kaliyev said in comments published by the Games of the Future. “Some of our players had never even competed in major European tournaments before, while here we were facing world champions. So finishing 14th against teams of this caliber is not a bad result for newcomers.” Kazakhstan approved a government esports development strategy in June 2025. The document estimated that around 3.5 million people in the country were interested in esports and online gaming in 2024. The strategy calls for leagues in schools and universities. It also proposes regional competitions and at least one national or international esports tournament each year. A Central Asian esports hub is listed as a long-term goal. Kazakhstan has also hosted other major competitions. In 2025, Astana staged PGL Astana 2025, a Counter-Strike 2 tournament organized by the Bucharest-based esports company PGL. Almaty hosted the PUBG Mobile Super League Central & South Asia. The sector has also received increased government support and investment. Phygital basketball is the next discipline to conclude, with its champion due to be decided on August 3. Running until August 9, the tournament features more than 800 competitors representing over 50 nationalities across eight disciplines and has a total prize fund of $4.65 million. Competitions include esports and phygital disciplines held in both digital and physical stages.

Business & Economy Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Kazakhstan Tests Yandex Robot Couriers in Astana

Astana has begun testing robot couriers for grocery deliveries in selected areas of the capital, allowing some residents to receive orders from Yandex Lavka without a human courier. Under the pilot project, customers within the service zone can select robot delivery when ordering through the Yandex Go app. The small autonomous vehicles travel along pavements before stopping outside the customer’s address, where the storage compartment can be opened using the app. The project is being run by Yandex Qazaqstan with the Astana city administration, the city police department and the municipal technology company Astana Innovations, according to an announcement by the Astana authorities. The robots use cameras and other sensors to identify pedestrians and obstacles, and travel at around 6 kilometers per hour. Initial street testing began on July 15, before the service was opened to regular Yandex Lavka customers later in the month. In a statement issued by the Astana city administration, Gizat Amirgali, chairman of Astana Innovations, said the trial would be used to assess the safety and reliability of autonomous deliveries in ordinary urban conditions, as well as customer responses to the service. Yandex has operated robot couriers in Russian cities for several years and is expanding their use. In March, the company said its robots had completed more than one million deliveries and traveled over two million kilometers in Russia, although the Astana project remains a small and geographically limited trial. The launch comes as Kazakhstan experiments with several forms of automated delivery and transport. A separate drone-delivery pilot, planned for Almaty, is intended to test the transport of food, medicines and everyday goods over short urban routes.