ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest explores the country’s ambitions to become a regional artificial intelligence hub, Kairat Almaty’s draw against Italian club Atalanta, expanding freight connections with Mexico, plans to attract investment into data center infrastructure, and the challenges of balancing industrial development with water resources.
Almaty. Photo credit: Almaty’s city administration. Kazakhstan seeks to turn energy resources into AI exports Kazakhstan could emerge as a major artificial intelligence and computing hub connecting Europe and Asia, but its long-term success will depend on its ability to develop domestic technologies rather than simply host foreign infrastructure, reported Global Banking & Finance Review on Nov.
2. The article examined the country’s digital development and growing partnerships with international technology companies, following NVIDIA co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang’s first visit to Kazakhstan. During a public discussion in Astana, Huang described the country as “a future computing center and artificial intelligence factory for all of Europe.” The report also examined the Data Center Valley project in Ekibastuz, which is expected to begin commercial operations in the third quarter of 2027.
Kairat Almaty holds Atalanta to draw in European competition Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty secured a 1-1 draw against Italian club Atalanta in Bergamo on Nov. 5, earning a valuable point against the 2024 Europa League winners, reported The Times of Central Asia on Nov.
6. Spanish forward Marc Gual gave Kairat the lead in the 53rd minute after an attack created by Brazilian teammate Edmilson. Atalanta equalised in the 82nd minute through substitute Nikola Krstović, preventing a home defeat. The result came during a period of change for the Almaty club.
Head coach Rafael Urazbakhtin resigned on Oct. 26 after Kairat finished second in Kazakhstan’s 2026 Premier League, three points behind champions Ordabasy Shymkent. Interim manager Zhora Arutyunyan took charge of the team. Kazakhstan expands freight connections to Mexico through Caspian route Kazakhstan’s national railway operator is expanding its international freight network, with its freight forwarding subsidiary KTZ Express organising a container shipment from Almaty to the Mexican port of Veracruz, reported RailFreight.