President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan paid a visit to the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC).
During the visit, the high-level guests were introduced to the achievements of the financial centre and the specific functions of the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA), the AIFC Court, the Astana International Exchange (AIX), and the International Arbitration Centre (IAC). Governor Renat Bekturov presented opportunities for expanding investment cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the President and the Crown Prince.
Currently, the AIFC hosts 46 registered companies from the UAE, operating across various sectors including finance and insurance, information and communication technologies, trade, transport, manufacturing, and mining.
Ties between the capital markets of Kazakhstan and the UAE are also strengthening. On 7 May this year, Nasdaq Dubai and AIX announced the launch of a direct connection between their central securities depositories. In 2024, AIX joined Tabadul, a digital exchange hub established by the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).
Kazakhstan–UAE Business Forum
President Tokayev and Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled also took part in the closing ceremony of the Kazakhstan–UAE Business Forum, where commercial agreements worth approximately $5 billion were signed, covering key sectors of the economy.
The UAE has invested over $4.3 billion in Kazakhstan to date, making it one of the country’s leading trade and investment partners in the Gulf region.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev remarked:
“We see immense potential to expand cooperation across multiple sectors – energy, logistics, finance, smart technologies, agriculture, and more. Several landmark projects underscore the strength and momentum of our dynamic partnership. Today, we are implementing projects with Masdar, Presight, Abu Dhabi Ports Group, Terminal Holdings, and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank. These and other projects reflect the depth, effectiveness, and accelerating progress of our bilateral relations.”
The forum included thematic sessions on digital technologies, modern trends in finance, urban development, and the green economy. In parallel, a number of B2B meetings took place between business representatives of the two countries.
The UAE delegation included the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, UAE chambers of commerce and industry, and major companies such as Masdar, AMEA Power, Abu Dhabi Ports Group, and others.
On the sidelines of the Kazakhstan-UAE Business Forum, the following commercial agreements were signed:
1. Investment Agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan and QazaqArab Sugar LLP for the implementation of a sugar production project in the Almaty region.
2. Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Akimat of Astana, and Presight AI for the construction of a data processing center in Astana.
3. Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the Akimat of Astana and the Emirates Kazakhstan Education Investment Group for the implementation of the SABIS International School Astana Project.
4. Memorandum of Understanding between the Astana International Financial Center and Abu Dhabi Global Market for international cooperation and mutual assistance in the regulation of laws protecting personal data.
5. Strategic Collaboration Agreement between KMG Engineering and AIQ to develop solutions and share knowledge.
6. Memorandum of Understanding on a Framework for Cooperation between the Chamber of International Commerce of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi.
7. Heads of Terms Agreement for a joint venture regarding the Kyryk Multipurpose Terminal in Kazakhstan between SEMURG Invest LLP and Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi.
8. Memorandum of Understanding on a Framework for Cooperation between SEZ "Seaport Aktau" and Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi.
9. Memorandum of Understanding between Alel Agro JSC and Lulu Group International to enhance agri-food trade and procurement.