Digital Qazaqstan — What’s Changing in Kazakhstan by 2029

Why now

Kazakhstan already ranks first in the region for the government AI readiness index and is among the global leaders in e-government development.

The strategy aims to systematize accumulated experience and scale it across all key industries. As Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of AI and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiev noted, the task set by the head of state is to transform Kazakhstan into a fully digital country within three years.

Three directions of transformation

For citizens. The focus is on the individual. Government services will shift to a continuous life-cycle approach: they will be adapted to the individual needs of every Kazakhstani, regardless of region. Social payments, predictive analytics in healthcare, and pharmaceutical supply management will be integrated into the "Social Wallet" ecosystem. In education, personalized AI development pathways for children will be launched from an early age. The level of generative AI adoption among the population should reach at least 20%.

For business and the economy. The strategy envisions deep digital transformation of the agro-industrial complex, construction, financial sector, oil and gas industry, and small businesses. The implementation of AI, digital twins, and intelligent platforms should significantly increase labor productivity and reduce costs. Simultaneously, conditions will be created for the development of robotics, unmanned systems, digital assets, and space technologies.

The flagship project is the sovereign AI Hub, designed as a full-fledged "Data Center Valley." It will combine advanced computing power, research institutes, and leading technology companies. The capacity of the data centers will reach up to 1 GW.

For government administration. The state apparatus is transitioning to a service model: key services will be provided proactively and invisibly to the applicant. Routine administrative processes will be automated, and overlapping functions of agencies will be eliminated. Budget planning and fund allocation will be based on big data analysis to minimize human error and ensure transparency for every tenge.

Cybersecurity

The strategy pays special attention to protecting the national information space. It provides for the creation of fault-tolerant digital infrastructure and the implementation of advanced encryption standards.

Smart city standards will cover at least 70% of the urban population. Thanks to AI and behavioral video analytics, incident response time will be reduced by one-third.

Numbers

The strategy is supported by specific targets. The widespread implementation of AI and the digitalization of industry, mining, logistics, and energy should provide an additional contribution to GDP of about 1.5% on average annually by the end of 2029.

The forecasted volume of comparable market investments over the three-year period will range from $10.5 to $16.5 billion — funds are planned to be attracted through strategic partnerships between the state and business, including international technology companies and development institutions.

Exports of Kazakhstani IT services should at least double. In addition, the synergy of the AI Hub infrastructure and technological talent should enable at least three domestic "unicorn" companies to enter the global market.

Source: akorda.kz