Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held an interim meeting of the Council of Foreign Investors under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The meeting addressed issues of investor support and the joint development in Kazakhstan of next-generation high-tech production with wide application of artificial intelligence and digital solutions,
primeminister.kz reports.
By instruction of the Head of State, the Government is implementing a proactive investment policy. The development of artificial intelligence and digital transformation has been identified as a national priority. To achieve these objectives, an institutional architecture has been established: a Presidential Council for AI Development with the participation of international experts has been created, and a Digital Headquarters is operating. To strengthen the digital cluster, the international AI center Alem.ai has been launched; infrastructure projects are being implemented in parallel, including the Data Center Valley, as well as the Astana Hub ecosystem. To scale technology projects, a venture capital fund has been launched as a startup accelerator. Unicorn companies with valuations exceeding USD 1 billion have already entered the Kazakhstani market, including Playrix, Mytona, and NetCracker.
The strategy implemented in line with the President’s directives is aimed at accelerated development of the digital sector and increasing IT services exports to USD 1.2 billion this year. Overall, digital transformation and AI development are key elements of sustainable economic growth, improved public administration efficiency, and quality of life. At the same time, the Government is open to constructive dialogue with investors across all sectors and is ready to jointly find solutions that contribute to your success and the development of our country," Olzhas Bektenov said in his address to participants.
The Prime Minister reviewed the outcomes of implementing instructions following the 37th plenary meeting of the Council. In 2025, to enhance Kazakhstan’s investment attractiveness, new rules for issuing investor visas were approved. A "golden visa" was introduced, providing a residence permit of up to 10 years for foreign nationals. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alibek Kuantyrov reported that measures are being taken to regulate the use of certified cloud services with due regard to national security requirements. In connection with amendments to the Tax Code, meetings were held with Council members to explain the new provisions and discuss current issues raised by foreign participants.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiev reported on preparations for the 38th plenary meeting of the Council. Kazakhstan has established a legal and technological foundation for a digital nation: President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev has signed the Digital Code; AI-based solutions are being consistently implemented; domestic large language models and public digital services are being developed. Focus areas include human capital development and strengthening the digital cluster.
The meeting heard reports from joint working groups on investment policy implementation; energy, environment, and the oil and gas sector; labor legislation, human capital development, and attraction of foreign labor; digitalization; healthcare and pharmaceutical industry development. Issues discussed included customs valuation and VAT neutrality, regulation of methane emissions in the oil and gas sector in line with international practice, proposals on visa support for foreign labor, and mentorship programs. Regarding regulation of public cloud services, the need to balance innovation and security was noted. In healthcare, the importance of public-private partnerships in professional training, internships, and dual education programs was emphasized.
Senior officials from the ministries of national economy, energy, labor and social protection, artificial intelligence and digital development, and healthcare provided comments on the issues raised by investors.
Special attention was given to the implementation of digital solutions in the energy sector. High efficiency was noted in the successful use of AI-based defectoscopy of overhead power lines. Within a pilot project, 618 power line towers were inspected over two days, more than 2,000 images processed, and nearly 7,000 defects identified. Recognition accuracy for typical damage reached 98 percent, including insulator contamination and destruction, tower deformations, missing fasteners, and line break risks. The introduction of thermal imaging and LiDAR systems further enhanced digitalization, enabling comprehensive diagnostics. In parallel, robotic in-pipe diagnostics based on acoustic resonance are being implemented in heating networks, allowing internal inspection without pipe excavation and enabling targeted repairs. A pilot project in Shymkent in 2025 demonstrated savings of over 70 percent when inspecting 1.2 kilometers of heating networks. In the gas sector, an AI assistant has been introduced for automatic recognition of gas meter readings from photographs in a mobile application, proving effective in reducing operator workload and minimizing human-error risks.
A wide range of issues was discussed during an open dialogue with foreign investors.
Marubeni expressed interest in the participation of Japanese companies in AI and digital technologies, including their application to support socially vulnerable groups. The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development cited practical AI use cases based on the Digital Family Map within Smart Data Ukimet and highlighted the development of the Social Wallet.
Polpharma raised issues of patient safety and combating counterfeit medicines. The Ministry of Healthcare reported on the introduction of mandatory drug labeling from July 1, 2024, and plans to implement a risk-based mechanism for selecting medicines from the market.
Companies including CNPC, EY, JP Morgan, and Kazzinc also raised issues related to oil transportation tariffs, modernization of data localization and cross-border transfer requirements, taxation in the mining and metallurgical complex, and other matters.
Following the meeting, the Prime Minister instructed state bodies and organizations, together with the Association "Kazakhstan Council of Foreign Investors," to elaborate on all issues and recommendations raised.
