Foreign media on Kazakhstan: Kazakh voters back constitutional overhaul, exit polls show; SOM designs stepped glazed towers for Kazakhstan's new city

DW: Kazakh voters back constitutional overhaul, exit polls show

Voters in Kazakhstan approved a new constitution in a nationwide referendum, with two exit polls showing about 87% support and turnout near 73%, according to the election commission, DW reports.

The amendments reintroduce the vice presidency, allow the president to appoint key officials, and replace the Senate with a single chamber, the Qurultay. The president would also gain authority to dissolve the assembly and rule by executive order in certain cases, while speech regulations would tighten to prevent content that could “undermine the morality of society or violate public order.”

Speaking after voting in Astana, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said there are “absolutely no grounds for worry” and confirmed the next election will be held in 2029.

The Times of Central Asia: Kazakhstan plans first legal saiga horn exports

Kazakhstan plans to begin exporting saiga antelope horns in 2026, with an initial shipment of 20 tons that could generate tens of millions of dollars on Asian markets, The Times of Central Asia reports. Authorities say the move will help recover conservation costs, though critics warn it may revive poaching.

The saiga population has rebounded from just 21,000 in 2003 to over 2 million by 2025 after strict protections. However, growing herds have damaged farmland, prompting calls for population control.

Officials have accumulated stockpiles of horns from legal culling and seizures, with black market prices reaching up to $3,000 per kilogram. Exports will require compliance with international rules to ensure trade does not threaten the species.

Experts caution that legalization could boost demand and enable illegal trade, as distinguishing lawful from illicit horns remains difficult.

Authorities insist proceeds will support conservation, but analysts warn the policy risks “unintentionally strengthen[ing] illegal markets.”

Dezeen: SOM designs stepped glazed towers for Kazakhstan's new city

Global architecture studio SOM has unveiled a pair of stepped, wedge-shaped towers for the new city of Alatau near Almaty, envisioned as an “economic and administrative nucleus” for the emerging hub, Dezeen reports.

The project includes a 272-metre mixed-use skyscraper, set to become the region’s tallest, alongside an 80-metre luxury hotel. Together, they will form part of the Alatau Iconic Complex and Gateway District.

Inspired by the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains, the design “translates these local natural formations into architecture, creating a unique identity rooted in the Kazakh landscape,” the studio said.

Both towers will feature glazed facades, central atria to bring in natural light, and terraces at each level, with a podium hosting retail, cultural, and public spaces.

The Fast Mode: VEON names new CEOs in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, adds chief of digital payments

VEON, a global digital operator, announced new leadership appointments aimed at strengthening its structure and supporting further growth across key markets, The Fast Mode reports.

Yevgeniy Nastradin will become CEO of Beeline Uzbekistan, bringing over a decade of experience within VEON, including leading Beeline Kazakhstan since 2019 with “a strong track record of operational excellence, growth and successful digital expansion.”

Current Uzbekistan CEO Andrey Pyatakhin will transition to Chief Operating Officer, reporting to Nastradin.

Jabbor Kayumov has been appointed CEO of Beeline Kazakhstan, with nearly two decades of international leadership experience.

Ahmet Kayhan will join VEON as Chief Payments & Digital Assets Officer, as the company advances its financial services ambitions.

All appointments take effect April 1, 2026, pending approvals.

World Bank: From dust to orchards: Tree panting revives Kazakhstan’s degraded soil

On the outskirts of Kyzylorda, once barren land is being transformed into orchards, crop fields, and fish ponds, reflecting broader land restoration efforts across southern Kazakhstan, World Bank reports.

“At Karakat, we planted a five-hectare apple orchard on land that hadn’t been used before,” a farmer said, noting expansion into diverse crops and aquaculture.

These changes are supported by the World Bank-backed Resiland Project, which aims to restore degraded land and strengthen rural livelihoods in several regions affected by desertification and the Aral Sea crisis.

Around Kyzylorda, millions of saxaul shrubs have been planted to form a protective “green belt.”

Officials say its goal is “to protect windy, dusty, and degraded areas.”

Farmer Sabit Karamyrzaev said the impact is tangible: “We have been cultivating previously unused land. Now it feeds our families.”

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