Kazakhstan sees 40% surge in ecotourism over 3 years

Kazakhstan’s main exports to the countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) include copper, oil, grain, and agricultural products, Qazinform News Agency reports.

Vice Minister of National Economy Assan Darbayev presented trade data between Kazakhstan and OTS countries at the 3rd General Assembly of the Turkic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI).

Kazakhstan’s total trade with OTS countries reached $10.4 billion, with the largest volumes recorded with Türkiye at $4.36 billion, Uzbekistan at $3.88 billion, Kyrgyzstan at $1.78 billion, and Azerbaijan at $0.39 billion.

Together, these four countries make up almost the entirety of Kazakhstan’s trade within the organization.

Kazakhstan’s exports to OTS countries reached $7.6 billion, a 17.1% increase, while imports totaled $2.8 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $4.8 billion.

According to the vice minister, this growth reflects the increasing demand for Kazakh products in the markets of Turkic states.

 

Monthly inflation for December 2025 stood at 0.9%, according to the Bureau of National Statistics, Qazinform News Agency reports.

During the month, prices for food products increased by 1.2%, non-food goods rose by 0.7%, and paid services edged up by 0.6%

Over the past month, prices for oranges declined by 2.6%, carrots by 2%, sugar by 1.3%, and eggs by 0.1%. Conversely, prices rose for concentrated milk by 2.1%, hard cheese by 1.8%, and vegetable juices by 1.6%.

Automobiles became 0.4% cheaper, and electrical appliances dropped by 0.9%. Meanwhile, smartphone prices rose by 0.9%, and personal hygiene products increased by 1.1%.

In the public utilities sector, tariffs for sewerage decreased by 2.4% and cold water by 0.9%. During the month, however, taxi services became 1.8% more expensive. Prices for bathhouse visits rose by 2.1%, and cinema tickets by 2.9%.

Annual inflation for 2025 reached 12.3%. Over the past year, food prices surged by 13.5%, and non-food products by 11.1%. Paid service tariffs rose by 12%.

Among food items, annual price decreases were recorded for tomatoes at 7.9%, rice at 4.8%, cucumbers at 4.7%, bell peppers at 2.7%, and dried apricots at 2%. In contrast, prices rose for grapes by 7.7% and green tea by 7.9%.

 

Gold rose more than 1 percent on Monday, while other precious metals recorded strong gains, wam.ae reports.

As of 01:19 GMT, spot gold was up 1.5 percent at $4,395.35 per ounce, reaching a more than one-week high. Bullion touched a record high of $4,549.71 on 26th December 2025.

US gold futures for February delivery gained 1.8 percent to $4,405.40.

Spot silver added 4.5 percent to $75.86 per ounce, after hitting an all-time high of $83.62 on 29th December.

Spot platinum was up 1.5 percent at $2,175.15 per ounce, after rising to an all-time high of $2,478.50 last Monday.

Palladium edged 0.4 percent higher to $1,645.0 per ounce.

 

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, known as OPEC+, have decided to continue pausing oil output increases in February and March due to seasonal factors, Xinhua reports.

The decision followed a virtual meeting of OPEC+ member countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman, to review global market conditions and the economic outlook.

The eight OPEC+ countries had been raising oil output on a monthly basis since April 2025. However, they decided in late November last year to pause the increases in January, February and March 2026 due to seasonality.

According to the statement, the countries will adopt a cautious approach and maintain full flexibility to adjust output levels as needed in response to market developments.

The organization said the next meeting of the eight countries will be held on Feb. 1 to make further decisions.

 

According to the Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan, the country produced 22,580 units of vehicles and equipment worth a total of 311.1 billion tenge, marking the strongest monthly performance recorded throughout last year, Qazinform News Agency reports citing the Ministry of Industry and Construction.

Compared with November 2024, production volumes increased by 25.5 percent.

The passenger car segment was the main driver of growth. In just one month, Kazakh manufacturers produced 20,730 passenger cars, along with 807 trucks, 646 buses, 310 trailers and semi-trailers, and 87 units of special-purpose equipment. The ministry noted that these results were achieved through active expansion of production capacity.

Over the first 11 months of 2025, total vehicle and equipment output reached 146,163 units, valued at 2.03 trillion tenge. This represents a 15.7 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

 

A new plant for the production of pet food will be built in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region, with investment exceeding 88 billion tenge, Qazinform News Agency learnt from the Government’s press service.

The project is part of the President’s directives to develop the country’s processing industry. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has signed the corresponding resolution.

The Agriculture Ministry and Mars Petcare Kazakhstan concluded an agreement to construct the facility in Konaev city. The plant’s design capacity is 100,000 tons of products per year.

It will be commissioned by December 31, 2030, with operations beginning on January 1, 2031. The plant will generate 200 jobs, with at least 85% of positions reserved for Kazakh citizens, alongside training and skills development programs.

 

Kazakhstan’s transport infrastructure development has entered an active phase, with plans to deliver 236 locomotives, more than 1,400 freight cars, and 191 modern passenger coaches this year, Deputy Transport Minister Zhanibek Taizhanov revealed, Qazinform News Agency learnt from the Government's press service.

In 2025, the country's freight volumes reached a record 318 million tons. This year targets to hit 327 million tons, with transit traffic growing steadily at 20% annually.

Among the major completed projects are Dostyk-Moyynty line and Almaty bypass (911 km), which helped boost network capacity fivefold.

He said construction of the Kyzylzhar-Moyynty and Darbaza-Maktaaral sections, modernization of the Altynkol-Zhetygen and Beyneu-Mangystau routes are to be completed next year.

He stressed 1,500 km of track were repaired in 2025; 1,600 km planned for 2026.

A large-scale railway station modernization program is underway, set for completion in 2026.

He noted port infrastructure modernization and the addition of four ferries to the national fleet are underway as part of the expansion of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) projects. It is targeted to boost container flow up to 90,000 TEU in 2026.

 

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov and Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Kazakh Invest National Company JSC Madiyar Sultanbek held a working meeting with Xu Jie, General Director of Xinjiang Lihua (Group) Co., Ltd, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the current status of implementation of the investment project to establish a cotton and textile cluster in Turkestan Region, as well as plans for its expansion. The project provides for the formation of a full production cycle, including up to 10 production facilities covering cotton cultivation and primary processing, production of yarn and textile products, manufacturing of drip irrigation systems and related materials.

Initially, the investment volume of the project was estimated at 450 million US dollars; however, during the meeting, the intention to increase the total volume of investments to 600 million US dollars was confirmed in connection with the expansion of the production program and scaling of capacities.

At present, within the framework of the project, a PVC pipe manufacturing plant has already been commissioned in the TURAN SEZ, installation of equipment at the spinning facility is nearing completion, two cotton ginning plants are in operation, and equipment installation is underway at the drip tape production facility. Full commissioning of all facilities is planned for the first quarter of 2026. Implementation of the cluster will allow for the creation of more than 4,000 jobs and the formation of a sustainable industrial base in the region with a high level of localization.

Deputy Minister Kuantyrov noted that the Xinjiang Lihua project is of significant importance for the development of the national processing industry and the promotion of products under the Made in Kazakhstan brand: "For us, it is fundamentally important not only to attract investment, but also to form full-fledged production chains with high value added within the country. Projects of this scale create a foundation for producing competitive products under the Made in Kazakhstan brand, strengthen export potential and contribute to regional development. The state is interested in the timely launch of all facilities and will provide the investor with the necessary support," he emphasized.

Commenting on the company’s plans, Xu Jie noted that the increase in investment volume reflects the investor’s long-term intentions in Kazakhstan. According to him, the company decided to expand the project, increasing the total volume of investments to 600 million US dollars, considering Kazakhstan as a key platform for developing production with export potential.

Following the meeting, the parties confirmed their interest in further expanding cooperation, ensuring synchronized commissioning of production capacities and effective implementation of the project within the established timeframes, with support from Kazakh Invest and relevant government authorities.