First Meeting of the Alatau City Development Council Held

On November 21, the Alatau City Development Council held its inaugural meeting to discuss the initial steps in establishing the city as an international hub for business, innovation, and technology. The session, chaired by Prime-Minister Olzhas Bektenov, brought together government officials, experts and urban planners.

21.11.2025

Institutional Framework and Special City Status

Council members reviewed the progress in developing the city`s institutional framework, as well as infrastructure construction and investment attraction efforts under the Presidential Decree of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated September 26, 2025, which granted Alatau City the status of a city of advanced development.

The Council members presented approaches to the draft Constitutional Law “On the Special Status of the City of Alatau.” Key proposals include the creation of an independent regulatory and administrative ecosystem, the introduction of legal and governance innovations, and the digital integration of government services. Special attention is being given to adopting international standards in construction, energy, ecology, transport, and housing and utilities, including smart city technologies. Measures are also being put in place to ensure investor guarantees and create a favorable investment environment. Other strategic priorities include the development of robotics systems and the regulation of digital assets.

Infrastructure: Roadmap and Initial Projects

Council members reviewed the roadmap for engineering and infrastructure development. According to Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, sectoral planning schemes have already been approved, and the first 30 priority infrastructure projects have been identified for design and construction.

A comprehensive plan has been approved for the reconstruction of existing facilities and the construction of new infrastructure, including substations, water intake units, gas pipelines, treatment plants, roads, and more. Work is set to begin next year. To implement these projects, mechanisms from the national project “Modernization of the Energy and Utilities Sectors” will be used. Additionally, the possibility of applying EPC+F tools is being considered, which would make contractors responsible for all project stages, including financing.

Economic Growth and New Investments

The current socio-economic development of Alatau City was reported by Marat Sultangaziyev, Akim of the Almaty Region:

The city’s budget has tripled this year, reaching 8.8 billion tenge.
Over the first 10 months, industrial output grew by 17% to reach 115.6 billion tenge.
Investments increased by 13%, totaling around 46.4 billion tenge.
The investment portfolio includes 41 projects that are expected to create more than 21,000 jobs.

Currently, 18 projects totaling 1 trillion tenge are already underway, including new facilities in logistics, agriculture, food and light industries. Notable companies involved include PepsiCo, United Hygiene, “Milk Valley”, ASP Arena, AVZ, QazQon Hub, Istkomtrans, and others.

Establishing the Largest SEZ and Developing Industrial Clusters

Work is underway to create the largest Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the country - SEZ Alatau - covering an area of 97.9 thousand hectares. More than 24 thousand hectares are located outside the city and include projects in agricultural processing. The regional administration is also considering proposals to establish a new industrial and logistics SEZ to ensure guarantees and facilitate the launch of new production facilities. This initiative will support the development of industrial, logistics, tourism, and energy clusters in the Almaty region.

Master Plan: Architecture, Transport, and Development of Gate District

Special attention at the Alatau City Development Council meeting was given to the city’s architectural development. Yuri Tskhay, Chairman of the Board of Caspian Group JSC, presented a business district development project within Gate District, featuring the key structure - the Iconic Building. The agreement for its construction was reached in September 2025 on the sidelines of the Kazakhstan-China Business Council with the participation of the two heads of state, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Xi Jinping.

As noted during the meeting, the city continues to see growth in housing construction. In 2025, more than 103,000 square meters of residential property were commissioned. In addition, the city is actively developing its design code and comprehensive transportation plan. These projects are being developed in cooperation with international experts and draw on the experience of leading global megacities.

Instructions from the Prime Minister

Following the meeting, the Prime Minister issued a series of instructions to relevant ministries and the Akimat of the Almaty Region to ensure the high-quality implementation and acceleration of work on key areas for the development of Alatau City.

Source: primeminister.kz