Kazakhstan Deep Dive

Join us to hear from Jonathan Layfield, Chargé d’Affaires at the British Embassy in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, who will be joined by FCDO and DIT colleagues to explore Kazakhstan’s politics, economic development and the wide range of opportunities the country has to offer British business. This event will provide an opportunity for the British Embassy team to underline how the bilateral and trade relationship is progressing; how the country has been managing the Covid-19 pandemic, and share their hopes and expectations for the future. Specifically, Jonathan and the Embassy team will cover opportunities in:

• Mining
• Clean Energy
• Education
• Healthcare
• Financial and Professional Business Services
• AgriTech

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This year Kazakhstan marks 30 years of independence, and the country has undergone significant growth and change in that time. According to the World Bank, the country has transitioned from lower-middle-income to upper-middle-income status in less than two decades, moving to the latter group in 2006. The Covid pandemic has hit the country hard, with both consumer demand and investment rates falling, and World Bank predicts that GDP growth could recover to a point within the 2-3% percent range and return to its pre-pandemic level only by 2022.

Kazakhstan is a key oil producing economy, however there is a big push to diversify. In December 2020 President Tokayev pledged for Kazakhstan to reach carbon neutrality by 2060, and innovations in climate resilience and adaptation will be in high demand. Following the Nurly Zhol initiative for 2020-2025, Kazakhstan is developing and modernising the country’s roads, railways, ports, airports and IT infrastructure.

There are opportunities in design, architectural and structural engineering services, financial and professional business services, construction and project management services, safety and security products and services, advanced materials and energy efficiency technologies, road construction machinery and precision navigation equipment, and process automation technologies. There are also opportunities in agribusiness, agri-tech, petrochemical industry, mining and metallurgy, engineering and other types of physical infrastructure. Kazakhstan’s social infrastructure is also undergoing development, with a range of international programmes and government-led initiatives to improve access to healthcare and education to the country’s population.