New Era of Partnerships: Kazakhstan and the Middle East and what's to come

Central Asia and the Middle East are very close partners, and we have grown together in the past few decades. For years, the Gulf States have recognized what is becoming clear to Europe's financial hubs: Kazakhstan holds vast investment, trade, and transportation potential. This potential is significant enough to shift Europe's economic and security dynamics across the continent.

As the largest country in Central Asia, we attract the attention of global powers. As partnerships with global powers grow, GCC countries also show interest in the region.

Gulf countries have already invested about $3.6 billion in Kazakhstan's economy. Right now, we're at a point where we can collaborate more than ever with countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. In July last year, Saudi Arabia hosted the first Gulf-Central Asia Summit, with Kazakhstan as a key focus. This was largely due to Kazakhstan's vast size—it is more than twice the size of the other four Central Asian states combined and ranks as the ninth-largest country in the world.

The GCC countries are particularly interested in investing in Kazakhstan's energy sector, including renewables. The states are investing in renewable energy in Central Asia to address climate change (mainly due to the Gulf region's vulnerability), with Saudi's ACWA Power pledging $13.5 billion for clean energy projects in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Kazakhstan has immense wind power potential, far exceeding its own energy needs. In December, the UAE and Kazakhstan signed a deal to develop a large-scale wind power project with a 1 GW capacity. Expanding wind energy also offers the added benefit of supporting clean fuel development.

Kazakhstan is set to become a significant hydrogen supplier. Construction of Svevind's $50 billion green hydrogen project began last year. The project aims to generate 40 GW of wind and solar power and produce two million tons of green hydrogen annually.

Another area is our energy sector, which brings us new partnerships. The action plan, signed last year, required our oil companies to team up with Gulf transport firms like Abu Dhabi Ports Group to provide connectivity and shipping services for energy companies in the Caspian Sea.

Kazakhstan holds significant oil reserves, ranking 12th globally, and is 14th in natural gas reserves, critical assets that attract strong interest from the Gulf States and their refineries.

My mission is to make Kazakhstan a better place for our people and future. I want to help my country remain a robust global partner in trade and foreign investment as we become an important trade, logistics, tech, and ESG hub.

I see these projects, along with our ties with the Arab world, helping strengthen our economic bonds and cooperation between my country and the Gulf states.

(The picture is with Minister of the Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Tawfiq al-Rabiah, some time ago.)