Turkistan’s status
In 2025, the city of Turkistan formally received its special status as the country’s spiritual, historical and cultural, tourist center, and a site of architectural heritage.
To preserve the uniqueness of the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a ban was introduced on any works that could pose a threat to heritage sites in Turkistan. The city prohibited the construction of buildings higher than seven meters, as well as structures incompatible with historical and cultural monuments in terms of scale, color, and construction materials within a 100-meter radius of the mausoleum’s protected zone. An archaeological heritage reserve will also be established in the city.
As a result, Turkistan has been designated a special tourism zone of Kazakhstan and serves as an example of preserving the invaluable heritage of ancestors.
Tourism in Kazakhstan
Investment in the tourism sector increased by more than 38% over the year. Tourist flows also grew. According to data for the first nine months of 2025, more than 12 million foreigners visited Kazakhstan. Of these, over 8.6 million were classified as foreign tourists staying in the country for more than one day. Hotels and accommodation facilities hosted up to 1 million foreign visitors and 6.7 million domestic tourists.
A total of 147 infrastructure projects were launched across 20 regions of the country. Tourists now have access to 13 locations offering skiing, snowboarding, and other winter activities.
Kazakhstan’s passport strengthens its global position
Kazakhstan holds a leading position among Central Asian countries, outperforming Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. An aviation security audit conducted from August 30 to mid-September showed a high level of compliance of Kazakhstan’s passport with ICAO international standards – 95.7%. This indicates a strong level of protection against forgery.
A strong Kazakh passport confirms the country’s integration into the global community. Visa-free access to 79 countries offers new opportunities for education, travel, and business. One of the most popular destinations for Kazakhstanis remains Turkey, which hundreds of thousands of citizens visit annually. Demand is also growing for Montenegro and Serbia, which offer leisure opportunities and rich cultural programs. Georgia also remains attractive due to its convenient visa regime.
Kazakhstan has strong prospects to rise by 10–15 positions in the Henley Passport Index by the end of the decade. This would mean entering the top 50 and moving closer to European standards of freedom of movement.
Artificial Intelligence
Another defining feature of 2025 was Kazakhstan becoming one of the first countries in the world to legally establish the foundations for regulating public relations in the field of artificial intelligence. A Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development was created. The national supercomputer Alemcloud was launched in Astana and entered top global rankings.
A second supercomputer, Al-Farabium, was launched in Almaty. Special emphasis was placed on workforce training. The President proposed establishing a research university focused on AI. The international artificial intelligence center Alemai is already operating.
The AI-Sana program was launched for students, with more than 440,000 people completing training. Another milestone was the emergence of Kazakhstan’s first unicorn startup, Higgsfield AI.
Kazakhstan in Sports
One of the most vivid and memorable events in Kazakh sports in 2025 was the success of FC Kairat, which qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in its history. The historic match between Kairat and Real Madrid at Almaty’s Central Stadium captured nationwide attention.
Tickets for the match sold out within hours, while resellers offered seats at exorbitant prices. The city was filled with yellow-and-black colors. Despite the defeat, social media users widely supported the team, highlighting the players’ efforts during the match.
