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

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.

2 months 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

Police Drones

Kazakhstan Opens Drone Operator Training Lab for Interior Ministry

Kazakhstan is actively integrating modern unmanned aerial technologies into law enforcement, with the Interior Ministry opening a new training laboratory where police officers will receive comprehensive instruction in drone operations. According to Polisia.kz, the training program includes several stages: theoretical coursework, simulator-based exercises, and practical computer-based training. Particular attention is being given to the use of drones in real operational tasks, from rapid response missions to search and rescue operations. “On the instructions of the minister of internal affairs, a training laboratory for unmanned aerial systems has been established at the ministry’s Operational and Forensic Department. Our task is to prepare officers who can confidently and effectively use modern technologies in their daily work,” said Rolland Moldybayev, chief forensic specialist at the department. Unmanned aerial vehicles are already being used by police for night surveillance and aerial reconnaissance. Equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal imaging systems, they allow officers to search for missing persons at night and in difficult weather conditions. Drones also provide an operational aerial view of crime scenes, allowing officers to document situations before investigative teams arrive and helping preserve critical evidence. In addition, drones are used to inspect hard-to-reach areas, including mountainous terrain, steppe zones, and abandoned facilities. This has significantly improved the effectiveness of searches for missing persons and supports the surveillance and apprehension of wanted suspects by enabling covert and safer monitoring. “The practical effectiveness of these technologies has already been proven in the field: in the Turkestan region, the use of a drone helped quickly solve a livestock theft case. Suspects were identified, their movements tracked, and evidence collected, which led investigators to the buyer of the stolen property,” the Interior Ministry said. The ministry added that the introduction of drone technologies marks an important step in the development of modern policing, increasing response speed, operational accuracy, and overall public safety. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan also plans to launch mass production of drones for police needs, both at the Karaganda-based research and production association Perspektiva and at a correctional facility in the Akmola region.

2 months ago

Healthcare

Tokayev Says Kazakhstan Offers Healthcare Benefits Unavailable in Some Western Countries

Kazakhstan provides its citizens with a range of social guarantees that, according to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, are unavailable even in some of the world’s most developed countries. Tokayev made the remarks during an awards ceremony for healthcare workers ahead of their professional holiday. Kazakhstan marks Medical Workers’ Day annually on the third Sunday of June, which falls on June 21 this year. Speaking at the ceremony, Tokayev said Kazakhstan remains a social state and that fulfilling social obligations is a constitutional responsibility of all branches of government. He noted that more than 9 trillion tenge, or almost $18 billion, was allocated from the national budget for social spending last year alone. “The implementation of the Guaranteed Volume of Free Medical Care Program is also a constitutional obligation. This is a unique program with no equivalent abroad, at least in terms of the scale of free medical services provided,” Tokayev said. He also pointed to maternity benefits as another example. “Women in Kazakhstan receive three years of maternity leave with payments and job security. These are unique conditions for young mothers. I worked in the West, particularly in Switzerland, and studied their system. Such arrangements do not exist there or in other Western countries,” he said. Tokayev added that Kazakhstan is developing as a regional center for medical tourism, citing high treatment standards and competitive pricing. Earlier this month, Tourism and Sports Minister Yerbol Myrzabosynov reported that about 80,000 foreign patients had received medical care in Kazakhstan. Tokayev linked much of the sector’s progress to accelerated digitalization in healthcare. “Kazakhstan has actively begun introducing advanced technologies across all sectors, including medicine. This has given a new impulse to the development of our healthcare system,” he said. According to the president, the use of digital technologies has reduced diagnostic times by four times and increased the detection rate of malignant tumors by 30%. Artificial intelligence tools are now assisting doctors in making complex clinical decisions. More than 1,800 medical institutions across the country have switched to digital systems, while the integration of healthcare information platforms has reduced administrative costs by up to 40%, he said. Tokayev also highlighted the government’s efforts to improve the social standing of healthcare workers. He said state support for medical professionals has increased seven times over the past three years, with wages rising gradually. This year, Kazakhstan allocated 33 billion tenge, or about $67.4 million, for salary increases and additional support measures. “These initiatives have helped stabilize the staffing of the healthcare system,” Tokayev said. “New specialized scientific institutes, multidisciplinary hospitals, modern clinics, and perinatal centers are being launched in the capital and the regions. The government must now carry out a large-scale renovation of the entire healthcare infrastructure and modernize its material and technical base.” As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan opened Central Asia’s first Brain Research Institute this summer. Tokayev also announced last autumn that science cities would be established in Almaty and Kurchatov, with nuclear medicine among the planned research...

2 months ago

Drug Crime

Kazakhstan Seeks to Block Nearly 12,000 Drug-Related Websites in 2026

Kazakhstan has referred nearly 12,000 websites for blocking since the beginning of 2026 for advertising or facilitating the sale of narcotics, according to Eldar Abdikenov, deputy chairman of the Interior Ministry’s Committee for Combating Drug Crime. According to official data, more than 3,000 drug-related criminal offenses were recorded in Kazakhstan between January and May 2026, including around 1,500 classified as drug crimes. “As part of efforts to combat online drug trafficking, nearly 12,000 internet resources used for advertising and selling banned substances have been submitted for blocking through the Cybernadzor system,” Abdikenov said. The number of drug-related websites flagged through Cybernadzor has risen sharply in recent years. In 2022, authorities submitted 1,996 websites for blocking, of which 1,493 were blocked. In 2023, the number of blocked sites rose to 3,500, while in 2025 it reached 10,289. Abdikenov also said that, in cooperation with the National Bank, law enforcement agencies have stepped up efforts to trace and disrupt financial flows linked to the drug trade. Since the start of the year, suspicious transactions worth more than 107 million tenge, or about $207,000, have been halted. Around 125,000 foreign payment cards have also been blocked, and authorities are reviewing data from some 20,000 cryptocurrency wallets. During the same period, six organized criminal groups, including one transnational network, were dismantled. Police also shut down 12 laboratories producing synthetic drugs and 42 “phyto-laboratories” cultivating plants containing banned substances. “The main threat continues to come from synthetic drugs. Authorities have seized 466 kilograms of synthetic substances and more than 11 tons of precursors from illegal circulation,” Abdikenov added. Under Article 297 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code, the illegal possession, transportation, sale, and distribution of narcotic substances are punishable by prison terms ranging from five to 20 years, depending on the severity of the offense. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry is also planning to introduce financial rewards for citizens who provide information leading to the detection of drug-related crimes.

2 months ago

Transport & Logistics

Kazakhstan and Iran Expand Port Access to Boost Cargo Transit

Iran is ready to provide Kazakhstan with access to its port infrastructure to support cargo shipments to international markets, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh said during talks with Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin. The meeting took place in Astana, where transport and logistics cooperation topped the agenda. The two sides discussed the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor, port infrastructure, bilateral trade, and transport links between Kazakhstan and Iran. Iranian officials said procedures had been finalized to allocate a land plot to Kazakhstan at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main southern port on the Persian Gulf. According to Sadegh, the site will be transferred to Kazakhstan once the remaining legal procedures are completed. Tehran also offered Kazakhstan the opportunity to operate at Chabahar Port, Iran’s strategic deep-water hub on the Gulf of Oman, which provides direct access to markets in South and Southeast Asia. Chabahar is one of the key nodes of the International North-South Transport Corridor, which links Russia, Iran, India, and other countries. According to Sadegh, construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway, which would connect Chabahar to wider rail networks used for regional cargo transport, is more than 90% complete and is expected to be launched in the coming months. Once operational, the railway is expected to integrate Chabahar into an international rail network linking the Indian Ocean, Central Asia, and Europe. Kazakhstan, in turn, said it was ready to consider offering Iran port facilities, berths, and terminals at the Caspian ports of Aktau and Kuryk to support Iranian logistics operations. The two sides also highlighted the recently signed five-party railway agreement between China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Turkey, as well as an upcoming four-party tariff agreement between Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Iran, aimed at boosting regional trade and transit. “Strengthening cooperation is a strategic task set by our heads of state,” Zhumangarin said. “In 2025, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Iran grew by 26.4% to $430.2 million. This confirms significant potential for further expansion, including within the framework of the roadmap to increase mutual trade to $3 billion and thanks to the free trade agreement signed between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union.” Sadegh said her visit was focused on implementing previously reached agreements and expanding transport and logistics cooperation, which she said had gained importance amid current geopolitical changes. Officials also noted that cargo volumes along the North-South corridor rose by 12% in 2025 to reach 3.5 million tons, while railway freight traffic between Kazakhstan and Iran increased by 69%. To increase the corridor’s potential, Zhumangarin proposed developing a joint roadmap for transport infrastructure modernization, which he said could increase the route’s capacity to 20 million tons annually. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Iran have continued expanding economic ties despite recent tensions involving Iran. Iranian investors are moving forward with industrial projects in Kazakhstan, including Solico Group’s planned cheese production plant in the Almaty region, while Kazakh vegetable...

2 months ago

Adilet Party

Fraudsters Attempt to Exploit Kazakhstan’s Adilet Party Name

Kazakhstan’s pro-presidential Adilet party says fake online accounts are unlawfully using its name to mislead citizens with offers of party membership cards as it prepares to merge with the ruling Amanat party. On June 12, Astana hosted Amanat’s 26th congress, where delegates voted in favor of the merger. For Adilet, joining Amanat would provide access to the ruling party’s nationwide branch network and large membership base. For Amanat, the merger is expected to help the party move beyond a political brand still closely associated with former President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Adilet, whose name translates as “Justice,” held its founding congress on May 7 and was officially registered by Kazakhstan’s Justice Ministry on June 1. Earlier this week, the party held its second congress, where delegates formally approved the merger with Amanat. Adilet has since reported a rise in fraudulent activity. According to the party, fake social media accounts and pages have appeared online, illegally using its name and posing as official representatives. “These resources are spreading false information about issuing party cards, registering members, and the party’s activities in general,” Adilet said in an official statement published on its website. “We officially declare that these accounts have no connection to the Adilet party. Any information distributed through them is false.” The party urged citizens to rely only on its official social media and website channels. It warned that the unauthorized use of the party’s name and symbols, as well as the dissemination of false information, may lead to legal liability under Kazakh law. Adilet said materials related to the fake accounts had been handed over to law enforcement authorities for further action. “We ask citizens not to share personal data with unknown individuals and to use only the party’s official communication channels,” the statement said.

2 months ago

Foreign Investment

Iran’s Solico Group to Build Major Cheese Plant in Kazakhstan

Iranian food conglomerate Solico Group will build a large cheese production plant in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region, marking a major step in the country’s efforts to expand value-added agricultural processing. Kazakhstan's Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov and Solico Group President Gholam Ali Soleimani signed the investment agreement for the project, which will focus on deep milk processing and industrial-scale cheese production. The plant will have an annual production capacity of 155,000 tons of cheese, with total investment estimated at 35.2 billion tenge, or roughly $70 million, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture. Construction work has already begun at the site in the Almaty region, and the plant is expected to be completed and commissioned in 2029. Saparov said attracting strategic investors into agricultural processing remains one of Kazakhstan’s key economic priorities. “President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has tasked the government with increasing the share of processed agricultural products and developing industries with higher added value,” Saparov said. “Kazakhstan’s dairy sector has significant growth potential. In 2025, domestic production of cheese and cottage cheese increased by 13.1%. This project will significantly expand the country’s processing capacity and create a guaranteed market for local milk producers.” He added that the government was ready to provide comprehensive support for investors in priority sectors of the economy. Soleimani described Kazakhstan as a promising regional hub for food production and said the company was considering additional investments beyond the cheese factory. “We view Kazakhstan not just as a site for a single project, but as a long-term strategic partner. The country has strong agricultural potential, a favorable geographic location, and an attractive investment climate. Alongside the cheese plant, we are also exploring projects in potato processing and baby food production.” The agreement includes a broad package of state incentives, including the provision of engineering infrastructure for the production site. Under the terms of the agreement, Solico Group will create at least 400 permanent jobs, provide training for Kazakhstani specialists, and transfer modern industrial technologies and expertise. The company also plans to allocate about 50 million tenge annually from 2028 to 2038 for social initiatives and support for local communities in the Almaty region. The agreement adds to a series of recent Kazakhstan-Iran trade initiatives. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Astana and Tehran said late last year that they aimed to triple bilateral trade to $1 billion in the coming years. Although some joint Kazakhstan-Iran projects were frozen earlier this year because of military conflict in Iran, economic cooperation appears to be recovering. In May 2026, Kazakhstani vegetable oil producers opened a new export route to Iran via the Caspian Sea.

2 months ago

Gold Mining

Kazakhstan Registers Five New Gold Deposits as Jewelers Seek Raw Materials

Citing World Gold Council data, Azamat Panbayev, chairman of the Industrial Committee at Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction, said Kazakhstan ranked 14th globally in gold production last year. He was speaking at the VII Forum of Gold Producers of Kazakhstan held as part of the international Astana Mining & Metallurgy Congress 2026. “The gold mining industry remains one of the strategically important sectors of industry and makes a significant contribution to the country’s economic development,” Panbayev said. “Kazakhstan has a substantial mineral resource base: 374 gold deposits with total reserves of 2,369 tons are currently listed on the state balance sheet. Last year alone, five new deposits with reserves of around 98 tons of gold were added to the state register.” According to the Ministry of Industry and Construction, Kazakhstan produced 71.2 tons of refined gold in 2025, while investment in precious metals production reached $202.6 million, up 38% from the previous year. Gold refining in Kazakhstan is carried out by Tau-Ken Altyn LLP, the country’s only specialized state refinery and a subsidiary of National Mining Company Tau-Ken Samruk JSC. The Astana-based plant purchases doré, a semi-refined alloy containing gold and silver, from gold mining companies and sells gold refined to 99.99% purity. However, only 5% of the raw materials purchased by jewelers in Kazakhstan come from the Astana refinery, said Kanat Baitov, executive director of the Dragnet Association. He estimated that more than 50% of the industry’s raw materials market remains in the shadow economy. “We mine 70 tons of gold every year. If even 20 tons, or at least 5 tons, of that were used for jewelry production, the industry would have real potential,” Baitov said. Kazakhstan has introduced a VAT exemption for jewelers purchasing granulated gold from the state refinery, according to Baitov. “They are ready to supply not only granulated gold but, over time, if volumes increase, they are also prepared to supply alloys to the domestic market and could produce ready-made assay standards for jewelers,” he said, referring to Tau-Ken Altyn. He noted that jewelers would only be able to benefit from the new tax incentives for purchasing raw materials from the state plant if they increased procurement volumes. Currently, by his estimate, purchases do not exceed 30 kilograms per year. He added that such practices could eventually raise questions from the state regarding the origin of the raw materials used by jewelers in Kazakhstan. Zhaniya Dabyr, co-owner of the jewelry company Kazakhyuvelir, said the industry faces several challenges. These include high raw material costs, limited access to financing, the shadow market, insufficient government support, weak promotion in foreign markets, and limited tax incentives. “We propose expanding the mechanism for selling gold to domestic manufacturers and introducing a more flexible system of installment payments, fixing the gold price on the purchase date, as well as considering discounts for domestic producers and additional preferences for export-oriented companies,” Dabyr said. Kazakhyuvelir also proposed creating a digital accounting system for the jewelry market that would cover manufacturers...

2 months ago

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