Page 152 – The Times Of Central Asia

25 Aug 2025

Home, Business & Economy, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Kazakhstan Boosts Air Transport Sector with New Fleet and Airport Revamps

August 25, 2025
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Kazakhstan is set to double its civil aircraft fleet over the next five years, increasing the number of aircraft from 103 to 216 by 2030.

According to the Ministry of Transport, in 2025 the country’s fleet will add six new Airbus A320s and one Boeing 737 MAX 8. In January 2025, FlyArystan and Air Astana received new aircraft as part of this expansion. The government’s long-term plan aims to boost the number of aircraft operated by Kazakh airlines to 216 by the end of the decade.

“This year, 36 new international routes have been launched, and eight foreign airlines have entered the market. There are currently 61 domestic routes with 850 flights per week,” said Deputy Minister of Transport Maksat Kaliakparov.

As part of domestic connectivity efforts, 21 subsidized routes are now operating across nine regions, with approximately $12 million allocated for these services in 2025. The government’s priority is to improve air access to tourist destinations such as Usharal, Urdar, Kokshetau, and Turkestan.

Airport Infrastructure Development

Major investments are also being channeled into the country’s largest airports in Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, and Aktobe, all of which are being developed into multimodal transport hubs.

In Astana, a $1.1 billion modernization project for Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport began in 2025. Plans include the construction of a second runway, a third passenger and cargo terminal, and a multifunctional complex known as the Aerotropolis. The new facility will feature an industrial and logistics zone, business centers, hotels, and retail space.

In Almaty, the airport is undergoing modernization in line with a General Development Plan extending to 2050. The initial phase includes reconstructing the domestic terminal, building a taxiway, upgrading the runway and fueling infrastructure, and establishing a cargo apron and maintenance hangar. Future phases envision a hotel and a multi-level parking facility. During the construction phase, more than 1,800 jobs are expected to be created, with an additional 550 jobs during operations.

Shymkent opened a new 40,000 square-meter terminal in December 2024, boosting its annual passenger capacity from 800,000 to 6 million. Plans are underway to construct a new 3,500-meter runway and develop a multimodal hub connecting the airport with the Ontustik Special Economic Zone.

In Aktobe, a multifunctional logistics center is being implemented at the airport. As part of this effort, the fuel filling complex is being upgraded, and storage capacity will more than double, facilitating an increase in flight operations. Authorities are also considering the construction of a second runway, which would allow the existing runway to undergo major repairs without disrupting service.

“In addition, the government has decided to expand the boundaries of special economic zones at the country’s largest airports. This will attract investors, develop industry and logistics, and turn Kazakhstan’s air hubs into growth points for the national economy,” the government said in a statement.

Foreign Investment and Regional Expansion

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the German company Skyhansa intends to construct a new cargo and passenger airport in Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu region. The project is slated for the Khorgos-Eastern Gate Special Economic Zone, located along the border with China.

25 Aug 2025

Business & Economy, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Business & Economy

Aliyev: SOCAR Begins Oil Project in Uzbekistan, Results Expected Soon

August 25, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has announced that the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has officially launched operations at an oil field in Uzbekistan. “SOCAR has already started work on an oil field in Uzbekistan, and the contract has been signed. We hope to hear good news within one to two years, and we all look forward to the announcement of a major oil discovery in Uzbekistan,” Aliyev said, as reported by Report.

Aliyev also highlighted Azerbaijan’s longstanding energy partnership with Turkmenistan, noting that expanding cooperation to include Uzbekistan presents new strategic opportunities for regional development.

Energy cooperation in Central Asia continues to deepen. In March 2025, Kazakhstan’s national oil company KazMunayGas and SOCAR agreed to increase oil transit volumes via the Aktau-Baku-Ceyhan route, reinforcing Azerbaijan’s growing role as a transit hub for Central Asian energy exports.

25 Aug 2025

Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan Life & Culture, Life & Culture, Kyrgyzstan

Kazakhstan’s Gumilyov Eurasian National University Opens Branch in Kyrgyzstan’s Osh

August 25, 2025
By Sergey Kwan

Kazakhstan’s L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (ENU) has opened a new branch at Osh State University in Kyrgyzstan’s second-largest city, Osh.

The new branch will offer training in ecology, information and communications technology (ICT), and the service sector. Students will also study Russian language and literature, translation, foreign languages, journalism, and physics, earning dual diplomas from both ENU and Osh State University.

ENU Rector Yerlan Sydykov said that the new branch would help strengthen regional human capital and “create a strong intellectual foundation for the sustainable development of Central Asia.”

ENU currently collaborates with 16 Kyrgyz universities through academic mobility initiatives and dual-degree programs.

25 Aug 2025

Home, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Business & Economy, Business & Economy

Uzbek Migrants Send Home $4.8 Billion in Q2 2025

August 25, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Uzbekistan’s Central Bank has reported that migrant workers sent home $4.8 billion in remittances during the second quarter of 2025. This marks a 21.4% increase compared to the same period last year, although it represents a slowdown from the 38.6% recorded in 2024.

The Central Bank attributed the increase to stable exchange rates in host countries, higher wages, and continued economic activity. However, the report also noted varied growth by region. Remittances from the Baltic states saw the sharpest rise, up 65.6% year-on-year, while transfers from the United States, Russia, and Europe increased more modestly by 10.3%, 23.7%, and 26.9%, respectively. Inflows from Asia remained relatively unchanged.

At the start of the year, Uzbekistan’s Embassy in Russia urged its citizens working abroad to consider returning home to participate in the construction of New Tashkent, an ambitious capital expansion project, according to Podrobno.uz.

The embassy noted that companies involved in the project could offer jobs to approximately 10,000 workers across 38 professions. Demand is especially high for concrete workers, plasterers, plumbers, electricians, and bricklayers. Officials emphasized that the project provides an opportunity to earn decent wages while contributing to national development.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has remained the primary destination for labor migrants from Central Asia. Official Russian data suggests nearly four million citizens from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan currently reside in Russia, alongside an estimated 670,000 undocumented migrants.

Anti-migrant sentiment has intensified in Russia following the terrorist attack at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall on March 22, 2024. In response, the Russian authorities have tightened migration regulations and increased enforcement.

25 Aug 2025

Central Asia, Environment, Kazakhstan Environment, Kazakhstan, Features, Kazakhstan Featurees, Kazakhstan Home

Kazakhstan Develops Water-Efficient Rice Variety to Combat Climate and Irrigation Challenges

August 25, 2025
By Dmitry Pokidaev

The Ibrai Zhakhayev Kazakh Scientific Research Institute of Rice Growing is trialling a new moisture-saving rice variety in the Kyzylorda region. The variety, known as “Syr Sulu,” is designed to mature more quickly and use significantly less water compared to traditional strains.

Syr Sulu matures within 105-110 days and offers high yields, up to 80-85 centners per hectare with proper agricultural practices. By comparison, Russian rice varieties typically cultivated in the Kyzylorda region require 120-125 days to reach maturity, resulting in higher water consumption.

“The water situation in the southern regions of Kazakhstan makes it necessary to find and develop new ways to save water. Given global climate change, such crop varieties could become a compelling alternative to existing water-intensive varieties. The results of this research will have a positive impact on the development of agriculture and reduce water consumption in rice fields,” said a representative of the Kazakh Rice Institute.

Moisture Retention Innovations

In parallel, the institute is working with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation to continue trials of the Hungarian product Water Retainer, a soil treatment designed to preserve moisture. In 2025, the product is being tested on irrigated land in the Almaty, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda, Karaganda, Akmola, and Zhetysu regions.

“The first stage of testing, in which four research institutes participated, showed that the product reduces the growing season of rice and achieves significant water savings. Traditionally, rice is watered for 90 days, but with the use of the preparation, 51 days are sufficient,” said Lazzat Dzhusipova, Director of the Ministry’s Department of Scientific and Innovative Technologies.

Broader Water Challenges

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) released a comprehensive assessment of Central Asia’s water and energy challenges in April 2025. The study found that much of the region’s water infrastructure is outdated and inefficient, leading to the loss of 40-55% of available water. The EDB estimates that, without urgent modernization, Central Asia could face an annual water deficit of 5-12 cubic kilometers by 2028.

25 Aug 2025

Central Asia, Turkmenistan Home, Home, Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan Local Politics, Local Politics

In Turkmenistan, Non-Turkmen Public Servants Pressured to “Turkmenize” Their Names

August 25, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

In the city of Turkmenabad, mounting evidence points to growing pressure on government employees from ethnic minority backgrounds to alter their names to Turkmen equivalents. According to reports by turkmen.news, ethnic Uzbek names such as Sardon and Shukhrat are being replaced with Turkmenized versions like Serdar and Shokhrat.

Forced “Turkmenization”

Sources indicate that while this practice previously applied primarily to candidates for high-ranking government positions, it is now being extended to mid-level officials and rank-and-file employees. The pressure appears to be particularly intense within the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In recent years, individuals of non-Turkmen origin have reportedly been systematically excluded from employment in the ministry. While personal connections or influence once allowed some exceptions, ethnic Uzbek and Tajik applicants are now being rejected outright, despite ongoing staffing shortages and high attrition rates.

Several sources allege that these practices are being directed from the central government in Ashgabat. The same coercive approach is reportedly applied to secondary school graduates in the Lebap region, where students are encouraged or pressured to conceal their ethnic identities or change their names to Turkmen variants.

There are also claims that many Uzbeks previously registered themselves as Turkmen in older-style passports to avoid potential discrimination.

Ethnic Composition and Language Rights

Official data ranks the Lebap velayat as Turkmenistan’s second most ethnically diverse region, with a significant Uzbek population. In districts such as Farab and Dyaneva, Uzbeks comprise one-third or more of the population.

In neighboring Dashoguz region, Uzbeks officially represent nearly one-third of the population. However, similar to the Baluchi community in Mary province, they are denied the right to study their native language in schools, even as an elective subject.

Unspoken Employment Discrimination

Employment opportunities for non-Turkmens are most restricted in the Lebap and Dashoguz regions. New economic projects and job-creating initiatives are typically implemented last in these areas.

An unspoken rule reportedly prioritizes ethnic Turkmens for state employment. The Ministry of National Security screens applicants’ backgrounds across three generations, a practice known as uch arka maglumat.

Although Turkmenistan’s laws do not officially require candidates to be ethnically Turkmen and there are ethnic minorities in some senior posts, career advancement is significantly hindered for non-Turkmens.

Sources stress that ethnic discrimination in Turkmenistan is closely linked to the broader issue of systemic corruption. Government appointments and promotions are often determined not by merit, but by personal connections, bribery, or family lineage. As a result, officials frequently serve the interests of a narrow in-group rather than the public.