Our People > Dmitry Pokidaev

Dmitry Pokidaev

Journalist

Dmitry Pokidaev is a journalist based in Astana, Kazakhstan, with experience at some of the country's top media outlets. Before his career in journalism, Pokidaev worked as an academic, teaching Russian language and literature.

Articles

Bank Membership

Oman Set to Join Eurasian Development Bank as First Gulf Shareholder

Oman is set to become the eighth shareholder of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and the first Gulf state to join the institution. An agreement was signed in Astana on October 6 during Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said’s state visit to Kazakhstan. The EDB’s current shareholders are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Oman would become the first member from outside the former Soviet Union. The agreement, signed by Omani Finance Minister Sultan bin Salim Al Habsi and EDB Chairman Nikolai Podguzov, sets out the terms of the EDB’s operations in Oman. “This agreement reflects our shared intention to build a bridge between Central Asia and the Gulf region,” Podguzov said. Russia remains the bank’s largest shareholder, although its stake was reduced from about 66% to 44.8% in 2023. By the end of June 2026, the EDB’s cumulative portfolio comprised 348 projects with total investment of $22.1 billion. The bank finances projects including transport infrastructure, energy, and digital systems. On October 6, Kazakhstan and Oman signed an agreement on the mutual protection of investments, while Samruk-Kazyna and the Oman Investment Authority agreed to establish a joint investment vehicle to finance projects. As a landlocked country, Kazakhstan is seeking additional routes to the Indian Ocean, and the two sides discussed using Omani ports to transport its goods. Oman has proposed developing a trade corridor through its seaports. The talks in Astana also covered direct air links and other logistics projects. Kazakhstan is seeking to increase exports of grain, meat, and other agricultural products to Oman. In 2025, honey from Kazakhstan was exported to the sultanate for the first time. On October 5, the two countries’ chambers of commerce signed a memorandum aimed at expanding business ties, including in agriculture and logistics. Founded by Kazakhstan and Russia in 2006, the EDB has gradually expanded its membership, most recently with Uzbekistan in 2025.

19 hours ago

Nuclear safety

Kazakhstan Nuclear Emergency Center Opens With U.S. Support

Kazakhstan has opened a center to monitor radiation and coordinate responses to nuclear and radiological emergencies, with support from the United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The center opened on October 2 under Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency. It will receive and analyze radiation data, facilitate information exchange between government agencies, and coordinate their actions during emergencies. The authorities also plan to train specialists and conduct practical emergency-response exercises. Kazakhstan is the world’s largest uranium producer and operates nuclear research facilities. The consequences of Soviet nuclear weapons testing at Semipalatinsk continue to require monitoring and remediation. Between 1949 and 1989, 456 nuclear tests were conducted at the site, leaving areas contaminated with radioactive material. Emergency preparedness needs will increase as the country develops nuclear power generation. In an October 2024 referendum, 71.12% of those who voted supported the construction of a nuclear power plant, with turnout at 63.66%. The authorities have since begun preparations for second and third plants. The first new nuclear power plant is planned near the village of Ulken on the shore of Lake Balkhash. A consortium headed by Russia’s Rosatom will lead the project. The site for a second plant has been designated in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region, near the first project, while China National Nuclear Corporation has been selected to lead the second project. Kazakhstan can also exchange urgent information on nuclear and radiological emergencies through the international system of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre is the round-the-clock global focal point for emergency communication and coordinates information exchange and international assistance. Kazakhstan plans to train specialists for its future nuclear power plants both domestically and abroad

20 hours ago

Satellite Development

Kazakhstan Plans Six New Earth Observation Satellites

Kazakhstan plans to build six Earth observation satellites, including three high-resolution and three medium-resolution spacecraft. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev announced the expansion at a government meeting on October 6. The country’s existing system operates three satellites. Their imagery can be used to monitor fires and floods and detect illegal mining, construction, and land use. For Kazakhstan, which covers about 2.7 million square kilometers, satellite imagery makes it possible to monitor large areas regularly without continuous ground inspections. Madiyev put the economic impact of space-based monitoring over the past five years at 977 billion tenge, around $2.14 billion. Kazakhstan is also trying to turn its satellite technology into an export business. It is implementing three projects with Mongolia, the Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria, worth about $70 million in total. These partners are expected to participate in a Kazakhstan-led international Earth observation constellation. Earlier government plans envisaged nine satellites by 2030, comprising six spacecraft from Kazakhstan and one from each partner country, with a possible later expansion to 14. Madiyev said the larger constellation is now expected by that date. Operating the satellites as a shared constellation would allow areas to be photographed more frequently and increase coverage. Kazakhstan has a satellite assembly and testing complex in Astana. The state-owned Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary operates the country’s Earth observation system, while Ghalam, a Kazakh-French joint venture, develops spacecraft and components at the complex. In September, Kazakhstan signed a strategic cooperation agreement with South Korea’s CONTEC Co., Ltd. on satellite manufacturing, ground infrastructure, Earth observation data processing, and commercialization. A separate investment agreement involving CONTEC and Ghalam is intended to expand production and technological capabilities in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan also operates the KazSat-2 and KazSat-3 communications satellites. Madiyev said the system has generated 72 billion tenge, around $158 million, in revenue. KazSat-3 is due to reach the end of its planned service life in 2029 and be replaced by the KazSat-3R system. The government has already allocated 10.4 billion tenge, about $22.3 million, from its reserve toward the project.

2 days ago

Telecommunications

M360 Eurasia Mobile Industry Forum Set for Astana in 2027

M360 Eurasia, a regional mobile-industry forum organized by the GSM Association (GSMA), will be held in Astana in the fall of 2027. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development and the GSMA agreed to bring the event to the capital during AI & Digital Bridge 2026. The GSMA represents mobile operators and companies across the wider mobile ecosystem. It also organizes Mobile World Congress events and the regional M360 series. The forum will address artificial intelligence (AI) and connectivity, including access to digital services and the rules governing them. The memorandum was signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev and Laszlo Toth, the GSMA’s head of Europe and Central Asia. “For our country, hosting M360 Eurasia will serve as an authoritative platform to strengthen international cooperation, attract investment, and advance infrastructure, telecom, and AI initiatives across Central Asia and beyond,” Madiyev said in the announcement. The GSMA said its cooperation with Kazakhstan would include 5G infrastructure and AI tools in local languages. Kazakhstan is expanding its 5G networks and in September launched Starlink Mobile’s direct-to-cell service with Beeline Kazakhstan, allowing compatible smartphones to connect directly to satellites outside terrestrial mobile coverage. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are also building a fiber-optic link across the Caspian Sea intended to provide an additional data route between Asian and European networks. The previous two editions of M360 Eurasia were held in Uzbekistan in partnership with telecommunications group VEON. More than 50 speakers took part in the 2026 forum in Samarkand, which drew representatives from 250 companies in more than 40 countries and territories. Beeline Kazakhstan will serve as host sponsor for the 2027 event.

3 days ago

Oil Refining

Kazakhstan Plans Fourth Major Oil Refinery by 2033

Kazakhstan plans to commission a fourth major oil refinery by 2033 and choose its location by the end of 2026. Daulet Arykbayev, director of the Oil Transportation and Refining Department at Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy, announced the plans at the Kazakhstan International Oil and Gas Exhibition and Conference (KIOGE 2026) in Almaty. The new refinery is expected to process up to 10 million tons of oil per year. Potential sites are being assessed in Ulytau, Atyrau, Mangystau, and Turkestan regions. “We have decided to accelerate the implementation of the new refinery project. By the end of this year, the assessment of four potential regions will be completed, after which the optimal region for construction will be officially selected. The new plant will become the core of a modern petrochemical cluster,” Arykbayev said. In February 2026, the government set a target of increasing the country’s total oil-refining capacity to around 40 million tons per year by 2033. The previous industry plan envisaged construction of the fourth refinery between 2032 and 2040. At KIOGE, the Energy Ministry provided updated capacity figures. The capacity of the three major refineries is expected to rise to a combined 27.7 million tons per year. Including the recently expanded Caspi Bitum plant, Kazakhstan’s existing refining capacity would reach 29.2 million tons. The fourth refinery would add up to another 10 million tons, bringing the national total to around 39 million tons annually. Kazakhstan’s three largest refineries are in Atyrau in the west, Pavlodar in the northeast, and Shymkent in the south. The Shymkent refinery’s capacity is planned to double from 6 million to 12 million tons per year by 2030. The Pavlodar Petrochemical Plant is expected to expand from 5.5 million to 9 million tons by 2031, while the Atyrau refinery’s capacity is planned to rise from 5.5 million to 6.7 million tons by 2028. To supply the expanded Shymkent refinery, Kazakhstan plans to increase the capacity of the Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline system. The project includes five new pumping stations and a 189-kilometer parallel pipeline section. Capacity on the Kenkiyak-Atyrau pipeline is planned to increase to 15 million tons per year, while the Kenkiyak-Kumkol section is expected to reach 20 million tons. The government is also seeking foreign investors to help finance the fourth refinery.

6 days ago

antidoping

WADA Executive Committee to Meet in Astana Ahead of 2027 Anti-Doping Code

The Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will meet in Astana on November 23-27, around five weeks before a revised World Anti-Doping Code comes into force on January 1, 2027. WADA is an independent international organization established in 1999 to coordinate and monitor anti-doping rules and policies across global sport. The meeting also comes ahead of a busy year for international sport in Kazakhstan. Six world championships are scheduled to take place in Astana in 2027: junior short track speed skating, boxing, table tennis, judo, taekwondo, and esports. The packed calendar puts added focus on Kazakhstan’s anti-doping preparations, including testing and coordination with the international federations responsible for each competition. Kazakhstan’s ties with WADA have expanded over the past twelve months. In March, Tourism and Sports Minister Yerbol Myrzabossynov and WADA President Witold Bańka signed a memorandum of understanding in Toruń, Poland, covering cooperation in anti-doping education, prevention, and scientific research. At the time, the two sides also discussed the possibility of holding meetings of WADA’s Executive Committee and Foundation Board in Astana in 2027. Kazakhstan has not been immune to recent high-profile doping cases. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, middleweight boxer Zhanibek Alimkhanuly tested positive for the banned substance meldonium in 2025. The WBO imposed a one-year suspension, while the IBF later stripped him of its middleweight title because the suspension prevented him from meeting his mandatory defense obligation.

6 days ago

Transporter-18 Mission

Two Central Asian Satellites Reach Orbit on SpaceX Rocket

A single SpaceX rocket carried two Central Asian spacecraft into orbit: Kyrgyzstan’s first national satellite and a spacecraft developed with the participation of students in Kazakhstan. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on October 1 as part of the Transporter-18 rideshare mission. The flight carried 130 payloads into low Earth orbit. Kyrgyzstan’s satellite weighs about five kilograms and is designed for Earth observation, with its data intended to help monitor agriculture, water resources, and environmental change. A team of about 10 engineers worked on the spacecraft for roughly two and a half years. Kazakhstan’s NIS PocketQube is a cube measuring just 5 × 5 × 5 centimeters and weighing about 250 grams. The spacecraft was developed at NIS Astana-Nura, part of the Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) network. The satellite project began in 2019, and the school established its NIS Space laboratory and introduced a course in space technology electronics the following year. Seventeen students worked on the satellite’s hardware and software and helped prepare it for testing. In December 2022, the spacecraft underwent thermal-vacuum and mechanical testing at Kazakhstan’s National Space Center. Specialists from Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary, Kazakhstan’s national space company, and Ghalam, a Kazakh-French spacecraft joint venture, also participated in the project. Unlike Kyrgyzstan’s Earth-observation satellite, NIS PocketQube is primarily an educational project. NIS says a ground station will be installed to receive and process telemetry, giving students across Kazakhstan access to the data for research and engineering projects. Kazakhstan already operates communications and Earth-observation satellites. By 2030, the country plans to establish an international Earth-observation constellation of nine satellites: six from Kazakhstan and one each from Mongolia, the Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria.

6 days ago

Trans-Afghan Rail Corridor

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and UAE Study CASA Rail Route to Indian Ocean

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to study a proposed railway corridor through Afghanistan to Pakistan’s seaports. The transport ministries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure signed a memorandum on the Central Asia-South Asia (CASA) project on September 30. They agreed to study its technical and economic feasibility and examine possible financing. The memorandum leaves the route and construction timetable open and provides no cost estimate. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are both landlocked, and Uzbekistan is one of only two countries worldwide that must cross at least two national borders to reach the open sea. Kazakh authorities estimate that CASA could eventually carry up to 10 million tons of freight a year toward Karachi and Gwadar. Uzbekistan is working with Afghanistan and Pakistan on a railway from Termez through central Afghanistan to Kharlachi on the Pakistani border. The three countries agreed in July 2025 to prepare a feasibility study. Estimates put the cost at around $7 billion, although some have been higher. Kazakhstan is involved in a separate proposal from Torghundi on the Turkmen border through Herat and Kandahar to Spin Boldak near Pakistan. In April 2025, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan signed a protocol of intent, with the Torghundi-Herat railway and a logistics center in Herat envisaged as an initial stage. A new 43-kilometer section of the Khaf-Herat railway connecting Afghanistan with Iran was inaugurated on September 28. Kazakhstan’s Integra Construction KZ helped build it, and Afghan authorities say work is under way on further links from Herat toward the Turkmen and Pakistani borders. A study by the Moscow-based Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) found that Afghanistan’s Taliban-led authorities had signed more than 15 railway-related agreements by March 2026. By then, no new mainline track had entered service under those initiatives, and active projects represented less than 1% of the estimated cost of the announced plans. Dauren Ilesaliev, a professor at Tashkent State Transport University, points to the need for steady freight. “Having railway infrastructure does not guarantee that it will work,” Ilesaliev said. Countries along the route would also need to agree on a through-tariff. Kazakhstan’s trade with Afghanistan could provide some of that freight. Bilateral trade reached $581.1 million in January-July 2026, with Kazakh exports accounting for $572.9 million. Flour accounted for $215.6 million and wheat for $122 million of those exports. Kazakhstan has also explored prospective mineral deposits in Afghanistan’s Nuristan Province and is discussing exports of locally assembled vehicles. In an interview with Novastan, Uzbek analyst Aziza Mukhammedova said a corridor’s value to Afghanistan would depend on the jobs and investment it generates there, alongside transit freight. She also cited unresolved financing as a challenge. The UAE sits outside the proposed route, and the memorandum names neither an Emirati company nor a possible investment amount. If a trans-Afghan line is built, Uzbekistan’s China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway could form part of a rail route from China to Pakistan. For Kazakhstan, CASA would provide an Indian Ocean outlet alongside the...

7 days ago

Digital Policy

Central Asia Common Digital Space Proposed at Astana Roundtable

Experts and business representatives from across Central Asia have proposed mutual recognition of electronic documents to make cross-border business easier. Their draft agreement also calls for closer alignment of rules on data and artificial intelligence. The draft Agreement on Cooperation among Central Asian States in Digital Policy and Artificial Intelligence Governance was presented at a regional roundtable in Astana on September 28. The business-led proposal aims to connect the region’s five digital markets, serving more than 80 million people. The initiative is being developed within B5+1, a business cooperation platform linking the United States and the five Central Asian states and designed as a private sector counterpart to the diplomatic C5+1 format. E-commerce and information technology are among its priority areas. Over the past year, the regional IT & AI working group has held consultations with entrepreneurs, industry associations, and experts. In the previous cycle, consultations involved business communities representing more than 60 companies and organizations from Central Asia and the United States, including Meta, Mastercard, and Google. Under the draft, the five countries would retain their own regulations while making their digital systems and laws more compatible. It covers electronic document management, digital identification, personal data protection, cybersecurity, and AI regulation. The proposals would allow electronic documents, electronic signatures, and digital identification tools to be recognized across borders. This could reduce administrative barriers for companies expanding into neighboring markets. “Our task is not to create another layer of regulation. We need to build digital bridges between the countries of Central Asia. If electronic documents, digital identification, data rules, and approaches to AI are mutually compatible, it will become significantly easier for technology companies to scale across the entire region,” said Aziza Shuzheeva, Chair of the Board of the TechnoWomen non-profit organization. A draft Code of Ethics for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in Central Asia was also presented in Astana. The document is advisory and sets out common ethical principles for the use of AI across the five countries. Its authors propose that decisions significantly affecting a person’s rights and interests should not be left solely to algorithms. Practices identified as unacceptable include harmful manipulation, exploitation of the vulnerabilities of children and other groups, discrimination, unlawful use of personal data, and the creation of synthetic content for fraud or other harmful purposes. Another priority is the development of language resources and datasets for Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik, and Turkmen. The aim is to improve the ability of AI systems to work with the region’s languages. Similar forms of digital integration are already being developed elsewhere. In the European Union, the European Digital Identity framework is designed to allow digital identity wallets to be used across borders to access public and private services. ASEAN, meanwhile, concluded negotiations at the end of May 2026 on its Digital Economy Framework Agreement, or DEFA, covering digital trade, data, cybersecurity, AI, and other areas of regional digital integration. The proposals also overlap with efforts to digitize transport and trade. On September 28, the...

1 week ago

Grain Production

Kazakhstan Grain Harvest Nears 20 Million Tons Despite Dry Weather

Kazakhstan had harvested nearly 20 million metric tons of grain by late September, despite periods of dry and hot weather in parts of the country’s grain belt. The Agriculture Ministry expects the final harvest to exceed the long-term average, while disruption to Russian and Ukrainian exports through the Black Sea has added uncertainty to global wheat supplies. By September 29, farmers had harvested 13.5 million hectares, or 83% of Kazakhstan’s grain-growing area, producing 19.9 million metric tons of grain at an average yield of 14.7 centners per hectare, equivalent to 1.47 metric tons per hectare. Weather conditions varied considerably during the growing season. Parts of northern and central Kazakhstan experienced insufficient rainfall, while high temperatures created additional risks in some areas. However, later assessments by Kazhydromet described spring grain crops across much of the north as generally in good or excellent condition. Deputy Agriculture Minister Azat Sultanov said that under comparable dry conditions in previous years, yields had often fallen to 8-9 centners per hectare. The average recorded by September 29 was considerably higher, although harvesting is still underway in several of the country’s main grain-producing regions. From September 2025 through July 30, 2026, exports of grain and flour in grain equivalent reached 13.9 million metric tons, according to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy data cited by the Agriculture Ministry. That was 12.6% higher than during the same period a year earlier. Uzbekistan remained the largest buyer, importing 5.8 million metric tons, while shipments to Afghanistan reached 2.4 million metric tons. Exports to Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan also increased. Attacks on vessels and port infrastructure have severely disrupted Russian and Ukrainian exports through the Black Sea, pushing buyers in parts of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa toward alternative suppliers. That may support demand for grain from other exporters, although Kazakhstan’s landlocked location remains a constraint. Transport costs and the capacity of rail and other export corridors have a direct impact on the competitiveness of Kazakh grain in more distant markets. The structure of Kazakhstan’s agricultural production is changing, with less land devoted to wheat and more acreage allocated to oilseeds and other crops. Farmers had harvested 2.4 million metric tons of oilseeds from 2.4 million hectares by September 29. The Agriculture Ministry forecasts a final crop of more than 5 million metric tons. Official statistics put Kazakhstan’s 2025 oilseed harvest at about 4.95 million metric tons. Cotton harvesting is also continuing in southern Kazakhstan, where water availability remains a major constraint. Sultanov said the area of cotton fields using drip irrigation had increased from about 3,000 hectares to 80,000 hectares over the past two years. By September 29, 70,500 metric tons of raw cotton had been harvested, with an average yield of 32 centners per hectare.

1 week ago

1 2 3 … 62 Next