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

Development Finance

Kazakhstan Invites Islamic Development Bank to Open New Astana Office

Kazakhstan has proposed that the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) open an additional office in Astana as the country seeks to deepen cooperation on infrastructure, Islamic finance, and green technologies. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin made the proposal during a meeting with Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group Chairman Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser ahead of the next meeting of Kazakhstan’s Council of Foreign Investors. According to Kazakhstan’s government, Zhumangarin said the bank’s regional office in Almaty has coordinated operations across Eastern Europe, the CIS, Mongolia, and China since opening in 1997. He said closer engagement with Kazakhstan’s central government institutions is now needed to expand cooperation. Kazakhstan has been a member of the IsDB since 1995. Between 1997 and 2026, total financing and technical assistance provided by the bank to Kazakhstan exceeded $4.2 billion. Current joint projects cover water management, transport infrastructure, and industrial development, while a new partnership strategy between Kazakhstan and the IsDB for 2027-2032 is now being drafted. Zhumangarin said Kazakhstan expects the bank’s expertise to support projects aimed at infrastructure development, food security, natural resource management, and the introduction of modern and green technologies. He noted that cooperation has accelerated significantly over the past three years. In 2024, the two sides launched a large-scale water infrastructure construction and reconstruction program worth $1.1 billion. Since February this year, Kazakhstan has also begun implementing a framework agreement worth $1.3 billion to develop infrastructure in special economic and industrial zones. In addition, the sides are discussing financing for transport projects, including the Kyzylorda-Saksaulsk railway and a bypass road around Kyzylorda. Al Jasser said the potential for cooperation goes beyond the current project portfolio. “Over the years, our specialists have built effective cooperation that allows us to expand the portfolio of projects. The Islamic Development Bank has sufficient flexibility to find solutions for many challenges facing member states,” he said. Al Jasser added that the bank prioritizes building national capacity by relying on domestic systems to prepare and implement projects. Following the meeting, the parties exchanged signed copies of a forward leasing agreement aimed at developing infrastructure in Kazakhstan’s special economic and industrial zones. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the IsDB is also active elsewhere in the region. In February last year, Uzbekistan signed two agreements with the bank worth a combined $299 million to improve its education system and modernize road infrastructure.

1 month ago

Digital Platforms

Kazakhstan Plans to Introduce AI Tools in Sports and Tourism

Kazakhstan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence in its sports and tourism sectors after Tourism and Sports Minister Yerbol Myrzabosynov held talks with leading AI expert Kai-Fu Lee, CEO of 01.AI and chairman of Sinovation Ventures. According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the meeting in Astana focused on the introduction of AI technologies in sports and tourism, as well as the exchange of experience in digital transformation. Myrzabosynov said AI development is one of Kazakhstan’s strategic priorities and that digitalization could significantly improve efficiency in both sectors. A key topic was the creation of a unified digital platform, e-Sport, which will consolidate data on athletes, coaches, referees, sports organizations, and competitions. The ministry said future AI integration will include tools to analyze training processes, develop personalized recovery and nutrition recommendations, prevent injuries, and improve athletes’ techniques and tactics through video analysis. Kazakhstan began rolling out its Digital Platform for Physical Culture and Sports, known as e-Sport, at the end of last year. In addition to maintaining registries of athletes, teams, coaches, and referees, the platform allows for electronic confirmation of sports qualifications and memberships, while also containing a database of sports facilities across the country. The ministry said the system is being developed jointly with sports federations and regional authorities, and that by the end of 2025 it was already being used by 83 federations and 50 organizations. A similar digital platform is now planned for tourism. According to Myrzabosynov, the system will combine information on tourist sites, travel routes, hotels, national parks, and visitor flows. The next stage will involve the introduction of an intelligent digital assistant capable of building personalized travel routes, providing multilingual information, and accompanying tourists throughout their journeys. Lee said Kazakhstan has strong tourism potential and noted that AI could significantly improve service quality. He also said AI could be used to create digital assistants with translation and navigation functions for foreign visitors, as well as to analyze tourist flows, forecast demand, and produce analytics to support management decisions. The ministry said the talks also covered possible joint work on AI tools for sports and tourism. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan’s former world boxing champion Gennady Golovkin, who was named president of World Boxing last year, has also pledged to use AI in boxing governance. His plans include AI-assisted judging oversight and the development of the Digital Ringside platform, which would publish fight data, athlete profiles, and real-time explanations of judges’ decisions.

1 month ago

Aviation Infrastructure

Tokayev Urges Faster Start of Construction on New Airport in Astana

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for construction of a new airport in Astana to begin as soon as possible, citing growing regional competition for transport and passenger traffic. In 2025, the domestic terminal at Astana International Airport handled 6.3 million passengers, more than twice its annual design capacity of 3 million. The overload prompted city authorities to first consider expanding the existing airport and later to discuss building a second air hub. The idea was also backed by an earlier instruction from Tokayev to assess the feasibility of a second airport in the capital and determine a possible location. In early June, media reports suggested that the new airport could be built in the northwest of Astana, while the existing airport is located in the southeast. The city administration denied that a site had been selected, saying only that potential locations were being considered as part of adjustments to the capital’s master plan. Speaking at a joint session of parliament on June 30, Tokayev said the project should now move faster. “In aviation, there is accelerated expansion of route networks and the formation of full-fledged air hubs. From this point of view, the construction of a new airport in Astana is a task that cannot be delayed. Construction must begin as soon as possible,” Tokayev said. The president also said Kazakhstan should create a national cargo airline to enhance its position in international logistics. “As the leading oil and gas country in the region, we must create a strong aviation fuel supply infrastructure. This is a very important task that cannot be delayed,” he said. Tokayev also highlighted the need to improve Kazakhstan’s road network. He said repair work began last year on 13,000 kilometers of roads, 6,000 kilometers of which have been put into operation. Tokayev described it as the largest road infrastructure effort in the country’s history. He said modernization of several road border checkpoints should be completed next year. “As a result of these efforts, transit freight by road has doubled over the past five years and reached 6 million tons,” Tokayev said. He added that road carriers in Kazakhstan generated about $3.12 billion in revenue last year, nearly matching revenue from rail transport and showing the sector’s growth potential. Tokayev also pointed to ongoing railway modernization. Last year, traffic was launched on the second tracks of the Dostyk-Moyynty section and on the Almaty bypass railway line. This year, construction is expected to be completed on the Moyynty-Kyzylzhar and Darbaza-Maktaaral railway lines, while the Bakhty-Ayagoz line is due to be commissioned next year. “We need to focus on the most important element of the country’s infrastructure framework, the transport and logistics sector. This sector is of strategic importance. All countries in our region are paying attention to it, so competition is intensifying,” Tokayev said. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan’s aviation authorities plan to double the country’s domestic aircraft fleet by 2030 and are seeking foreign investors to build new cargo and...

1 month ago

Wind power

Masdar Launches Construction of $1.4 Billion Wind Farm in Southern Kazakhstan

Construction has begun on one of Kazakhstan’s largest renewable energy projects, a 1-gigawatt wind power plant in the southern Zhambyl Region, as the country moves to address energy shortages and expand green generation capacity. The $1.4 billion project is being developed by a consortium of Kazakhstani companies and investors from the United Arab Emirates. The shareholders include Abu Dhabi-based clean energy company Masdar with a 40% stake, W Solar with 40%, Kazakhstan’s Qazaq Green Power, part of the Samruk-Kazyna fund, with 18%, and the Kazakhstan Investment Development Fund with 2%. The official groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 29 in a teleconference format, with the launch signal given from Astana by Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Energy Sungat Yessimkhanov, Samruk-Kazyna CEO Nurlan Zhakupov, and Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi. Commercial operations are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2029. “Partnership with Masdar contributes to the development of renewable energy and Kazakhstan’s progress toward carbon neutrality,” Yessimkhanov said. “This project will strengthen regional energy security and bring advanced technologies into the renewable energy sector.” The project’s key technical feature is its integration of wind generation with battery energy storage. The facility will include an energy storage system with a capacity of 300 MW and storage volume of 600 MWh. Officials say the battery system will help address one of the main challenges of renewable energy by stabilizing electricity supply during fluctuating weather conditions and peak evening demand. The wind farm is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2.5 million tons annually, supporting Kazakhstan’s national climate targets. Masdar has been expanding its presence across Central Asia. In 2024, Uzbekistan signed an agreement with the UAE company to build Central Asia’s first solar power plant with battery storage in the Bukhara region. In 2022, Masdar also reached an agreement with Turkmenistan to build the country’s first utility-scale solar plant, with a planned capacity of 100 MW. The company faces growing competition from Chinese firms in the region. In May, China Energy International Group launched construction of a 500-MW wind farm in central Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan aims to generate 15% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 as part of its broader strategy to reduce dependence on coal and improve long-term energy security.

1 month ago

Artificial intelligence

Kazakhstan Data Center Valley Attracts Firebird and NVIDIA Partnership

U.S.-based cloud and infrastructure technology company Firebird is set to take part in the construction of Kazakhstan’s planned “data center valley” in Pavlodar Region, as Astana seeks to expand the computing capacity needed for domestic artificial intelligence projects. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov outlined the plans during a joint session of parliament last week, saying Kazakhstan needed its own large-scale computing infrastructure rather than relying on foreign platforms. Bektenov said all government data is currently stored in a 6-megawatt data center in Astana. The next step, he said, is a sharp increase in capacity at Ekibastuz, an energy hub in Pavlodar Region. “We will launch a 125-megawatt data center in Ekibastuz in the first half of next year, and in 2028 we will commission another identical 125-megawatt facility,” Bektenov said. He added that international technology companies had already shown interest in the project and confirmed that Firebird had agreed to participate in the development of the so-called data center valley. According to Bektenov, Firebird, which specializes in AI infrastructure and high-performance computing systems, plans to participate in a project valued at about $10 billion. “The main partner of this company is NVIDIA, and we view these companies as reliable strategic partners. A $10 billion investment from Firebird alone is highly significant,” Bektenov said. NVIDIA’s involvement gives the project much of its weight. It is the world’s leading supplier of advanced chips used to train and run AI models. The company’s graphics processing units have become central to the global AI boom. In October 2025, it became the first publicly traded company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. Kazakhstan’s government said in a statement that partnerships with companies such as Firebird and NVIDIA would strengthen the country’s "digital sovereignty" and create a foundation for AI computing. Officials have also presented the project as a future source of export revenue, with computing power sold to international clients. Power supply will be central to the project's viability. The government has said 300 MW of power capacity is already available for the Ekibastuz project, with phased expansion planned to 1 GW. That gives the site an obvious advantage, but it also ties Kazakhstan’s AI ambitions to one of the country’s main coal-power centers. Kazakhstan has also secured agreements with other foreign investors as it expands its data center ambitions. Singapore’s GK Hyperscale Ltd is building two data centers in the Akmola and Karaganda regions, while China’s SuperX AI Technology Limited is considering a 1-gigawatt AI data center cluster in Kazakhstan. The projects are part of Kazakhstan’s broader strategy to position itself as a regional hub for digital infrastructure and AI computing in Central Asia. For now, much of the ambition remains at the agreement and construction stage.

1 month ago

Kazakhstan-China Economic Cooperation

Kazakhstan and China Aim to Double Bilateral Trade to $100 Billion

Kazakhstan and China plan to increase bilateral trade to $100 billion in the coming years, nearly doubling the expected volume for 2026, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin said. According to Kazakhstan’s government press service, Zhumangarin held talks with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on the sidelines of the 9th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi. The talks focused on expanding strategic partnership, joint investment projects, transport and logistics infrastructure, and broader trade cooperation. Kazakhstan said bilateral trade reached a record $48.7 billion in 2025. In the first five months of 2026, trade volume totaled $22 billion, up 27% compared with the same period a year earlier. Officials expect trade to exceed $50 billion by the end of this year, with more than half of total turnover linked to China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which remains the key hub of economic interaction between the two countries. “Our main task is to achieve $100 billion in mutual trade in the near future. To do this, we need to accelerate the approval of the Kazakhstan-China Trade and Economic Cooperation Program and Roadmap for 2027-2030,” Zhumangarin said. China has invested around $30 billion in Kazakhstan since independence, making it one of the country’s largest foreign investors, he added. Kazakhstan has invited Chinese businesses to expand participation in high value-added projects, including deep agricultural processing, full-cycle metallurgical production, agrochemicals, and drone manufacturing. Zhumangarin also praised the technological level of the China-Eurasia Expo and called on Chinese manufacturers and investors to localize production in Kazakhstan. Agricultural trade was another priority in the talks. Bilateral trade in agricultural products has already reached $2 billion, while China has approved imports of 34 categories of Kazakhstan's agricultural goods. Another nine categories, including chilled meat, are still under review. Zhumangarin said around 85% of all overland freight traffic between China and Europe currently passes through Kazakhstan. Following the completion of the new Bakhty-Ayagoz rail crossing, the combined capacity of border checkpoints between the two countries is expected to reach 100 million tons annually. China also confirmed its readiness to jointly implement the construction of the new railway crossing, which officials say will improve the resilience and security of international transport routes. Ding said Beijing was interested in expanding cooperation with Kazakhstan in the digital economy, artificial intelligence, energy, and navigation technologies, and encouraged Kazakhstani companies to use the China-Eurasia Expo as a platform to expand their presence in the Chinese market. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, China now accounts for nearly a quarter of Kazakhstan’s total foreign trade turnover. However, the growth of Chinese imports continues to outpace the increase in Kazakhstani exports.

1 month ago

World Cup 2026

World Cup: Ronaldo Makes History as Portugal Rout Uzbekistan 5-0

The Group K match between Uzbekistan and Portugal in Houston turned into a record-breaking night for Cristiano Ronaldo, as the European side coasted to a 5-0 victory. Portugal and Uzbekistan had both made unconvincing starts to the tournament. Uzbekistan, playing at the World Cup finals for the first time, lost 3-1 to Colombia. Portugal, meanwhile, dominated their match against DR Congo but failed to hold on to their lead and drew 1-1. They were in no mood to drop more points against the World Cup debutants. Before the match, Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez made it clear that he did not regard his team’s opening result as a setback. “After the draw with DR Congo, nothing changed for us: there are three matches in the group stage, and the first one is part of the process,” the Portugal coach said. Uzbekistan head coach Fabio Cannavaro, for his part, said his players would try to minimize the mistakes that led to their defeat against Colombia. “Our only way to achieve a positive result is through tactics, discipline, and hard work on the pitch,” Cannavaro said. In practice, however, Cannavaro’s tactics did not work, and it was a case of “Houston, we have a problem” as Portugal pinned their opponents back from the kick-off. It took only six minutes for Ronaldo to score the first goal against Uzbekistan, finishing a cross into the penalty area. With that goal, Ronaldo became the second-oldest goalscorer in World Cup history, behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who scored his final World Cup goal at the age of 42. The Portugal captain, 41, became the first player to score at six World Cups and moved past Eusebio as Portugal’s all-time leading World Cup scorer. Ten minutes later, Portugal doubled their lead with a cleverly worked free kick. At first, it looked as though Ronaldo was taking an age to prepare to shoot, but Nuno Mendes instead struck the ball, catching Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov by surprise. After that, Uzbekistan became slightly more active in attack. Midway through the first half, Azizjon Ganiev tried his luck from long range, sending the ball into the top corner of Portugal’s goal. But Uzbekistan’s celebrations did not last long: after a VAR review, the referee disallowed the goal for a foul by Abbosbek Fayzullaev on João Cancelo in the build-up. Portugal then quickly took the game beyond Uzbekistan’s reach, and near the end of the first half Bruno Fernandes delivered a precise pass to Ronaldo, who was left unmarked in the penalty area and calmly shot into the bottom corner. Portugal eased the pace slightly in the second half but still managed to score twice more. Portugal’s fourth came on the hour, when a Bruno Fernandes corner was diverted in for an Abduvohid Nematov own goal. Late in the match, substitute Rafael Leao picked up a loose ball near the edge of the penalty area and, without hesitation, struck a powerful and accurate shot into the top corner to make it 5-0....

1 month ago

AI Data Center

SuperX Considers 1 GW AI Data Center in Kazakhstan

Nasdaq-listed SuperX AI Technology Limited is considering the construction of a large-scale AI data center cluster in Kazakhstan with planned power capacity of up to 1 gigawatt (GW). The company’s chairman and CEO, Dr. Chenhong Huang, discussed the proposal with Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, known as Summer Davos, in Dalian, China. SuperX develops AI infrastructure solutions and high-density data centers. The company has expressed interest in launching the project in stages between 2026 and 2029. The project provides for a full-scale AI campus and power supply infrastructure. It also includes digital systems and server equipment for the data centers in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan’s authorities have repeatedly described digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence across the economy as strategic priorities. The country is also expanding data center capacity through foreign investment and domestic resources. Singapore-based GK Hyperscale Ltd is participating in the construction of two data centers in the Akmola and Karaganda regions. Work has also begun on the Data Center Valley project in the Pavlodar Region. Bektenov also discussed a possible battery and energy-storage production facility with Zeng Yuqun, founder and chairman of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL). The meeting focused on joint high value-added projects, including raw material processing and finished-battery production. Energy storage systems and used-battery recycling were also discussed. CATL is the world’s largest electric vehicle battery maker and also leads global energy storage battery shipments, with about 40% of the global power battery market. A separate discussion covered the modernization of Kazakhstan’s metallurgical sector. During a meeting with CISDI Engineering Vice President Yong Liu, the sides discussed the company’s possible participation in the construction of a new casting and rolling complex in Kazakhstan. CISDI is considered one of the global leaders in metallurgical engineering and comprehensive design for large-scale industrial facilities. Kazakhstan’s prime minister also held talks with Feng Xingya, chairman of Guangzhou Automobile Group. The sides discussed prospects for localizing automobile production in Kazakhstan. The project envisions a transition from the current distribution model for GAC vehicles in Kazakhstan to local manufacturing. Between 2026 and 2028, the plan is to produce 17,000 vehicles, including models with internal combustion engines and hybrid powertrains. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan’s automotive industry reached record production volumes last year, manufacturing more than 171,000 vehicles in 2025.

1 month ago

figure skating

Astana to Host Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in 2027

Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, will host the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in 2027, one of figure skating’s major international competitions and the main ISU championship for skaters from Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Oceania. The International Skating Union announced that the event will take place from February 9-14, 2027. It will be the first ISU Figure Skating Championship held in Kazakhstan, and the first Four Continents Championships staged in Central Asia. The competition traditionally includes men’s singles, women’s singles, pairs, and ice dance. The ISU said the event would bring “the world’s best Figure Skaters” from the four regions to the Kazakh capital. The governing body said the decision builds on rising interest in the sport after Mikhail Shaidorov won men’s singles Olympic gold at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The championship is expected to be the largest figure skating event ever held in Kazakhstan. The country has previously hosted major multisport competitions that included figure skating, including the 2011 Asian Winter Games and the 2017 Winter Universiade. ISU President Jae Youl Kim said the event would give figure skating fans across Central Asia a chance to see “world-class competition firsthand” and their “heroes and role models” on the ice. He said Astana would provide an “outstanding stage” for athletes, fans, and stakeholders. The Kazakhstan Figure Skating Union said it was “very pleased and honored” to host the championship and would work to ensure it was held “at the highest level.” Shaidorov welcomed the decision, saying he had long dreamed of an ISU championship being held in Kazakhstan. “This is a huge victory for me and for all of Kazakhstan,” he said in the ISU announcement. He added that figure skating’s popularity in Kazakhstan had grown since his Olympic victory and said he hoped the Astana championship would give fans “unforgettable moments.” Shaidorov also won the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul in February 2025, becoming the second Kazakh skater to win the men’s singles title at the event. Denis Ten won the same title in Seoul in 2015. Ten later became an important figure in Kazakhstan’s sporting history after winning bronze at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, the country’s first Olympic figure skating medal.

2 months ago

Minerals

Kazakhstan Afghanistan Mining Talks Focus on Aquamarine and Zinc

Kazakhstan is interested in processing Afghan technical aquamarine and zinc ore at its own facilities, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin has said. He spoke during talks in Kabul with Afghanistan’s acting Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund and acting Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar. Kazakhstan holds a key position in Central Asia’s mining and metallurgical sector as an industrial and technological hub. According to Kazakhstan’s government, the country is among the few in the world with expertise in processing technical aquamarine, a beryllium-bearing mineral. Against this backdrop, Kazakh companies are showing growing interest in Afghanistan’s mineral resource development and industrial projects. During the meeting with Afghanistan’s deputy prime minister, the Kazakh side raised the issue of exporting the mineral from Afghanistan for processing in Kazakhstan, according to the Kazakh government’s press service. In October last year, specialists from Kazakhstan’s state mining company Tau-Ken Samruk visited Afghanistan’s Bamyan province, where they collected samples at the Pami-Kakrak zinc deposit. Subsequent chemical analysis by specialists from Kazzinc indicated that the ore could in principle be processed at Kazakh facilities. “We are interested in importing zinc ore from Afghanistan. Kazakhstan’s enterprises have the necessary expertise in technological modernization, engineering, equipment supply, and commissioning support,” Zhumangarin said. Kazakhstan’s Eurasian Resources Group, one of the world’s largest ferrochrome producers, has also expressed interest in exploring and developing Afghanistan’s chromite deposits. The two sides also discussed transport and logistics cooperation. “We support the implementation of the Trans-Afghan transport corridor, Central Asia-South Asia, which could facilitate the movement of up to 10 million tons of cargo toward the Pakistani ports of Karachi and Gwadar. We are also ready, together with Uzbek and Turkmen partners, to participate in the construction of railways through Mazar-i-Sharif and Turgundi to Herat,” Zhumangarin said. According to Kazakhstan’s government, bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan totaled $541.8 million in 2025, with authorities aiming to increase trade turnover to $3 billion in the near term. The talks fit into Kazakhstan’s broader policy of practical engagement with Afghanistan’s Taliban-led authorities, focused on trade, transit, mining, humanitarian aid and education rather than formal diplomatic recognition. Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from its list of banned organizations in 2023, while continuing to frame Afghanistan as both an export market and a possible route for Central Asian cargo toward South Asian ports. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakh geologists visited Afghanistan in April 2025 to collect samples containing beryllium, lead, and zinc from prospective mining sites in Nuristan province.

2 months ago

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