Pakistan’s Prime Minister to Pay State Visit to Kazakhstan
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to pay a state visit to Astana, according to a message from Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev marking Pakistan’s Independence Day.
The President of Kazakhstan said the upcoming visit would give fresh impetus to cooperation between the two countries.
Tokayev also congratulated Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the national holiday. He praised Pakistan’s achievements in sustainable development and reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s readiness to further strengthen cooperation on bilateral and international issues.
The Kazakh leader wished Pakistan’s leadership every success and its people well-being and prosperity.
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Kazakhstan Updates Nearly 2,000 Degree Programs for Emerging Professions
Kazakhstan is overhauling its workforce training system in response to the rise of artificial intelligence, automation and emerging professions. Universities updated 1,983 degree programs in 2026, Science and Higher Education Minister Sayasat Nurbek said at a government meeting.
According to Nurbek, the programs are being revised based on the Atlas of New Professions. By comparison, only seven programs were updated in this way in 2022.
More than 2,000 new professions have already been identified in 20 regional workforce maps, which also track changes in existing occupations. Energy specialists, for example, are becoming digital energy specialists, while agronomists are evolving into digital agronomists. New roles are also emerging in digital twin technologies and the use of artificial intelligence in manufacturing.
Degree programs are also being updated to incorporate AI, micro-credentials and workplace training. Standards and qualifications are expected to be aligned with business needs.
Particular attention is being paid to strengthening ties between colleges and universities. A total of 103 universities currently offer 1,158 coordinated degree programs for graduates of technical and vocational education institutions, with 39,600 students enrolled.
In addition, 36 universities operate 38 colleges of their own, while another 30 universities collaborate with 100 colleges. Technical and vocational education graduates are eligible for automatic recognition of prior learning and shorter university study periods. Micro-credentials and dual education are also being expanded.
The government also plans to strengthen students’ practical training. Around 50,000 students from 76 universities are currently enrolled in dual education programs at 6,000 companies. This year, the practice-oriented Work-Based Learning model is expected to be extended to engineering education at all universities.
Course content is also changing. For example, an automotive engineering program now includes artificial intelligence, big data, robotics, mechatronics and Industry 4.0 technologies.
Kazakhstan is also developing specialized training in unmanned systems. Eight universities offer programs in civil aviation, aerospace engineering, Earth observation and unmanned vehicle operation. A total of 430 students are currently enrolled in these fields.
According to the ministry, a survey of 73,000 companies found that Kazakhstan will need 437,900 specialists over the medium term. Of these, 55% should have technical and vocational education, applied qualifications or micro-credentials, while 45% should have higher education.
A National Center for the Transformation of Professions is being established to align changes in the labor market with the education system. It will monitor shifts in occupations and required skills, develop digital competency profiles, and promote micro-credentials and targeted training.
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AI, Drones and Smart Roads: New Jobs Emerging in Kazakhstan
Technological advances are expected to create demand for 31 new occupations in Kazakhstan’s transport sector, including smart road specialists, digital logistics experts, construction robot operators and unmanned vehicle operators, Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev said at a government meeting.
According to the minister, new specialists will be needed in the road and rail sectors, logistics and aviation.
The road sector will require specialists in building information modeling, or BIM, smart road technologies and the operation of construction robots.
Demand for digital logistics specialists and automation experts is expected to grow in rail transport and logistics.
The aviation sector will need AI-assisted air traffic controllers, specialists in AI-based air traffic design and unmanned aircraft operators.
Kazakhstan’s transport sector currently employs 870,000 people, or nearly one in 10 workers nationwide. Most work in road and rail transport, road construction and logistics.
The sector already faces a shortage of about 57,000 specialists. Train operators, drivers, technicians, engineers, logistics specialists, pilots, air traffic controllers, ship captains and mechanics are in particularly high demand.
Transport professionals are trained at 37 universities and 47 colleges, where about 44,000 students are enrolled. More than 28,000 of them are studying under government-funded scholarships.
The sector is also expanding training in emerging technologies. Last year, 174,000 employees completed training through Kazakhstan Temir Zholy’s workforce development system, including 113,000 who received training in the use of artificial intelligence.
A new international-level training center is also being established for aviation professionals, while the JOLSHY project is being implemented in the road sector.
New occupations are also emerging in industry and construction. According to the Ministry of Industry and Construction, its Atlas of New Professions has identified 75 new occupations across the sectors it oversees: 47 in mining and metallurgy, 11 in mechanical engineering and 17 in construction. Another 41 occupations are being transformed by emerging technologies.
The ministry said digitalization, automation and robotics are changing employers’ requirements. Demand is growing for specialists in automation, digital design, robotics, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Industries overseen by the ministry currently need 36,700 workers, including 16,200 in construction and 14,400 in manufacturing.
This year, 200 manufacturing investment projects worth 1.7 trillion tenge are being implemented, with plans to create 17,300 jobs. Of these, 84 projects have already been launched, creating 5,800 jobs.
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Kazakhstan Brings Rivers, Lakes and Reservoirs Into Unified Digital System
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Kazakhstan has launched the National Water Resources Information System, which already contains data on more than 23,000 water bodies, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said.
The platform brings together information on water bodies, water management infrastructure, water users and groundwater. The data will be used to manage the country’s water resources.
The system currently contains digitized and structured information on 17,758 rivers, 3,148 lakes and 1,207 hydraulic structures.
About 3,000 organizations and more than 4,000 users are registered in the system. It also contains around 9,000 digital records for water management and hydraulic facilities, more than 2,200 primary water-use reports and over 1,300 reports filed under Form 2-TP.
"The National Water Resources Information System provides tools for maintaining the national water balance, recording and analyzing water use, monitoring reservoirs, processing data on transboundary water bodies and conducting satellite monitoring," Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said.
"The introduction of the system will make it possible to establish a comprehensive, multi-level water management framework to support sustainable economic development and ensure the country’s water security."
Kazakhstan has also launched a pilot early water-demand forecasting system. It allows users to sign electronic agreements for water delivery through canals, pay for services online and automatically calculate required water volumes.
The agreement process has already been fully digitized. More than 29,000 agreements have been signed with farmers since the beginning of the year.
Starting Jan. 1, 2027, water protection zone and buffer-strip requirements will take effect automatically outside populated areas where boundaries have not yet been formally established.
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Kazakhstan and China Agree to Mutually Recognize Driver’s Licenses
Kazakhstan and China have agreed to mutually recognize and exchange their national driver’s licenses. The agreement was reached following talks in Beijing between Kazakhstan’s Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov and China’s Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, according to Polisia.kz, the official website of Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry.
"This will simplify the relevant procedures for citizens of both countries and make cross-border travel more convenient," the ministry said.
The governments of Kazakhstan and China also signed an agreement on maintaining security and public order at the Khorgos International Center for Cross-Border Cooperation.
The agreement sets out how the two countries’ relevant authorities will work together to prevent offenses, respond promptly to threats and ensure the safety of visitors at the center.
On Sept. 7, Kazakhstan’s interior minister attended a meeting of Central Asian and Chinese interior and public security ministers. Participants discussed regional security, efforts to combat transnational organized crime and illicit drug trafficking, as well as cybercrime.
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Kazakhstan and Romania Discuss New Joint Projects
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Kazakhstan and Romania intend to expand trade, economic and investment cooperation and develop joint projects in the energy and transport sectors, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry said.
Kazakh Ambassador to Romania Amangeldy Sainov and Romanian President Nicușor Dan discussed prospects for cooperation during a ceremony at which the ambassador presented his credentials.
The two sides noted the positive momentum in political dialogue and the considerable potential for further developing relations. They focused on new joint projects, stronger transport and logistics links, and expanded business and interregional ties.
The officials also discussed energy cooperation, including Kazakhstan’s role in strengthening the energy security of Romania and Europe. They highlighted the importance of Kazakh oil supplies to European markets and the development of reliable energy and transport routes between the two countries.
Prospects for cooperation in culture, education and science were also discussed.
During the meeting, Sainov conveyed greetings from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the Romanian president and briefed him on Kazakhstan’s political and socioeconomic reforms, as well as the results of the Kurultai elections.
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Nearly 16 Million Foreign Visitors Traveled to Kazakhstan in 2025
Kazakhstan welcomed 15.7 million foreign visitors in 2025, an increase of 6.5 million from 2023, the government said.
Of the total number of foreign visitors, 11.1 million were classified as tourists. They spent $2.9 billion in Kazakhstan.
The number of foreign visitors staying in hotels and other accommodations is also rising. The figure increased from 1 million in 2023 to 1.29 million in 2024 and 1.43 million in 2025.
The Almaty region recorded the largest increase in inbound tourism last year, at 29.7%, followed by the Zhetysu region at 25.88% and the Kyzylorda region at 25.5%.
The number of tourists from China rose significantly, increasing by 46.8% to more than 960,000.
Kazakhstan welcomed 7 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2026. Uzbekistan accounted for the largest number, at 2.5 million, followed by Kyrgyzstan with 1.6 million and Russia with 1.5 million.
Domestic tourism also continues to grow. The number of Kazakh citizens traveling within the country rose from 7.1 million in 2023 to 8.7 million in 2025.
Investment in the sector is increasing alongside tourist arrivals. More than 2.2 trillion tenge was invested in tourism in 2024 and 2025. Kazakhstan is currently implementing 328 tourism projects worth about 1.3 trillion tenge. They are expected to create about 10,000 permanent jobs and add 25 new internationally rated hotel complexes.
The tourism industry’s total contribution to Kazakhstan’s economy reached 5 trillion tenge in 2025, while employment in the sector exceeded 600,000.
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