Foreign media on Kazakhstan:President opens Kazakhstan’s first and Central Asia’s most powerful supercomputer; Astana leads 2024 smart city rankings in Kazakhstan

Trend News Agency: President opens Kazakhstan’s first and Central Asia’s most powerful supercomputer

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the National Supercomputer Center Alemcloud to launch a next-generation supercomputer powered by NVIDIA H200 GPUs, Trend News reports citing the presidential press service.

The system was installed at the Ministry of Digital Development’s new data center in partnership with international collaborators.

“The supercomputer will allow Kazakhstan to achieve significant progress in the development of digital technologies. Access to high-performance computing will be granted to startups engaged in the development of neural network solutions, universities, and research centers, as well as government and private companies,” Tokayev said.

With performance reaching 2 exaflops using the FP8 computational model, the supercomputer is now the most powerful in Central Asia.

The World Financial Review: Kazakhstan’s digital revolution: From e-Government to AI superpower

By 2025, Kazakhstan has become a regional leader in digital transformation, excelling in fintech, public service delivery, AI, and broadband access, reports The World Financial Review.

Now ranked among the global top 10 for online government services, the country is redefining digital modernization in Eurasia.

Once known for its resource-based economy, Kazakhstan now leads Central Asia in e-government, with 92% of public services online. Over 23 million digital services were delivered in the first half of 2025, nearly half accessed via smartphones. The eGov Mobile app now has 11 million active users, with new features including biometric ID and integration with platforms like Kaspi.kz.

Kazakhstan rose to 24th globally in the 2024 UN E-Government Development Index, surpassing Germany, China, and Australia. “The supercomputer will allow Kazakhstan to achieve significant progress in the development of digital technologies,” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated at the launch of Central Asia’s most powerful supercomputer, powered by NVIDIA H200 processors.

The country also adopted a National AI Development Concept and is drafting an AI Law. An International AI Advisory Council under the President will guide policy and cooperation.

In 2024, local startups attracted over $250 million in VC funding. Astana Hub now hosts 1,300 startups from 28 countries, including Telegram. Codiplay, an EdTech firm valued at $100 million, is expanding globally.

With a $1 billion AI-focused VC fund and over 187,000 employed in tech, Kazakhstan is positioning itself not only as a regional hub but as a global digital player.

The Times of Central Asia: Astana leads 2024 smart city rankings in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry has named Astana as the country’s top Smart City for 2024, highlighting its leadership in urban digitalization, The Times of Central Asia reports.

Smart City technologies—ranging from IoT-based infrastructure to digital public services—aim to improve urban efficiency, safety, and connectivity. Kazakhstan launched its Smart City initiative in 2019 with a national benchmark system. While Almaty led the first ranking in 2020, Astana has taken the lead in recent years, becoming the clear frontrunner by 2023.

According to the ministry, Almaty, Karaganda, Kostanay, and Ust-Kamenogorsk also ranked in the top five. “These cities have widely adopted systems for monitoring school performance, electronic fare collection, and real-time tracking of public transport,” the ministry stated. “Online registration for outpatient clinics is in place, and unified 109 contact centers handle public inquiries and complaints. The number of surveillance cameras has also increased, improving public safety.”

Authorities also plan to build a new Smart City, Alatau, near Almaty—designed from the ground up to meet modern digital infrastructure standards.

Euractiv: Unlocking Kazakhstan, the next frontier for EU tourism

According to Euractiv, Kazakhstan is emerging as a top destination for sustainable and cultural tourism. In 2024, the country welcomed 15.3 million international visitors and 10.5 million domestic travellers, with foreign spending exceeding $2.6 billion. Key source markets include China, Germany, Türkiye, and South Korea.

Tourists are drawn to Kazakhstan’s diverse landscapes, Silk Road heritage, and nomadic culture. Ecotourism and adventure travel are on the rise, with national parks attracting 2.8 million visitors in 2024. Baikonur, the world’s oldest spaceport, is being developed into a scientific tourism site.

The tourism sector is supported by digital platforms like SafeTravel.kz and Almaty’s SuperApp. A new national ecotourism standard, launched with UNDP, promotes sustainability.

Visa-free access for EU citizens and the Neo Nomad Visa for remote workers ease travel, while nearly 180,000 Kazakhs applied for Schengen visas in 2024—highlighting growing EU ties.

Challenges remain in rural infrastructure, guide availability, and digital readiness. However, tourism now employs over 500,000 people, with tax revenues growing by 25% annually.

With strategic partnerships, visa liberalization, and a focus on sustainable development, Kazakhstan is becoming a key player in the global travel industry and a bridge between Europe and Asia.

Eurovoix News: Kazakhstan to Debut at Eurovision in 2026?

Kazakhstan may debut at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026, according to Khabar Agency chairman Kemelbek Oishybayev, Eurovoix News reports. In a recent Instagram post, Oishybayev revealed he discussed Kazakhstan’s participation with European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Director General Noel Curran during the EBU General Assembly at BBC headquarters in London. Curran confirmed the topic would be revisited at the next EBU meeting.

Kazakhstan has shown growing interest in Eurovision since the 2010s, with Khabar Agency becoming an EBU associate member in 2015. The broadcaster aired the contest from 2010 to 2021 but paused broadcasts in 2022 due to low viewership and high costs. For Kazakhstan to join Eurovision, it must be officially invited by the Reference Group—an exception previously made only for Australia in 2015.

In Junior Eurovision, Kazakhstan participated annually from 2018 to 2022 after receiving invitations from the contest’s Steering Group. Highlights include two second-place finishes in 2019 and 2020. However, the country withdrew in 2023 and is not expected to return in 2025.

As Kazakhstan deepens ties with Europe and continues its cultural diplomacy efforts, a Eurovision debut may soon be within reach.

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