Abdulhamid Hamid Al-Kba

biIn a strategic step reflecting a far-sighted vision, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed an official decree on January 6, 2026, in Astana, declaring 2026 the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. This decision, which followed an initial announcement in his annual address, represents a qualitative leap in Kazakhstan's journey toward building an advanced knowledge-based economy that relies on modern technologies as a primary driver of growth and global competitiveness.

The decree tasks the government with taking comprehensive measures to implement broad programs in the fields of digitalization and artificial intelligence, under the direct supervision of the Presidential Administration, underscoring the supreme national priority of this direction.

This decision comes in the context of ongoing efforts led by President Tokayev for years, where digitalization has become a central focus in his annual speeches and government directives. Since assuming the presidency, Tokayev has given special importance to modernizing digital infrastructure, considering artificial intelligence a "historic dividing line" between nations advancing toward the future and those lagging behind. In his address to the nation in September 2025, he affirmed that Kazakhstan must become a "fully digital state" within three years, emphasizing the integration of digital technologies across all sectors of the economy and public administration.

This presidential vision is not mere slogans but has translated into radical institutional reforms, such as establishing a dedicated ministry and launching massive infrastructure projects, reflecting President Tokayev's personal commitment to making Kazakhstan a regional hub for technological innovation. One of the most prominent achievements in this path is the creation of the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development in September 2025, based on direct directives from President Tokayev.

The former Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry was transformed into an independent entity headed by Deputy Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiyev, granting it broad powers to coordinate digital policies across sectors. This reform represents a shift from scattered initiatives to a comprehensive national strategy, including the development of specialized laws and strengthening international partnerships. It also led to the launch of platforms such as QazTech, which unifies government information systems, and the imposition of a ban on creating new systems outside it starting in 2026 to ensure efficiency and security.

At the heart of this transformation, artificial intelligence stands out as a strategic tool to enhance economic competitiveness and effective governance. Economically, it contributes to diversifying resources away from reliance on raw materials by supporting emerging industries such as software development and digital services, where IT exports reached one billion dollars in 2025.Governmentally, it simplifies procedures and increases efficiency, as seen in the new multi-agent platform AlemGPT, currently under testing to deliver full public services through a conversational interface similar to ChatGPT, reducing bureaucratic routine and enhancing citizen interaction. Strategically, it strengthens digital sovereignty through local infrastructure, such as the Alem Cloud supercomputing center, which relies on NVIDIA chips and officially entered the list of the world's top 500 supercomputers in November 2025 at rank 86, providing immense capabilities for training artificial intelligence models. Kazakhstan has witnessed tangible achievements reflecting this momentum.

In e-governance, it ranks 24th globally, with more than 90% of public services available online, and over 51.5 million services accessed via the eGov Mobile app in 2025 alone. Legislatively, an Artificial Intelligence Law was adopted in 2025, focusing on transparency and risk protection, in addition to a Presidential Council for Artificial Intelligence Development. In infrastructure, a fiber-optic cable was launched under the Caspian Sea toward Azerbaijan, enhancing Kazakhstan's role as a digital bridge between East and West by the end of 2026.In a recent step announced in January 2026, Kazakhstan plans to export Earth observation satellites worth up to 75 million dollars, marking the country's first high-tech export experience and strengthening its position in the space sector. The digital momentum extends to the space sector, an essential part of the technological diversification strategy.

Through the joint venture Ghalam LLP with Airbus, Kazakhstan produces high-precision Earth observation satellites and plans to produce five to six new satellites in the coming years, some dedicated for export to countries such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mongolia. This export, valued at 75 million dollars, includes training and technical support, to be completed by the end of 2026, opening new doors for the Kazakh space industry and transforming it from an importer to a global exporter of space technology. In education, artificial intelligence skills have been incorporated into curricula since 2025, with 54% of teachers trained, and the AI-Sana program, which issued 646 thousand certificates in its first phase, targeting 100 thousand students in advanced courses in its second phase, designed by Paul Kim, Stanford University's education expert and member of the Presidential Council for Artificial Intelligence. 60 thousand students will develop their own projects to meet industry needs, then accelerate 1500 projects for the market.

Minister Sayasat Nurbek also announced international partnerships, including a project with OpenAI to integrate artificial intelligence into teaching processes, and another with ETS to reform the national testing system, with plans to establish a specialized artificial intelligence university integrated into the Alem.ai system. Future prospects are bright, with plans to establish a specialized artificial intelligence university integrated into the Alem.ai system in collaboration with global universities. Projects with OpenAI are expected to be launched for integrating artificial intelligence into teaching and reforming the national testing system, alongside partnerships with NVIDIA, Google, Huawei, and Coursera.

These directions will drive economic growth, create new job opportunities, and enhance innovation, making Kazakhstan a regional model in Central Asia. The announcement of 2026 as the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence has received wide global and regional media coverage from various outlets. This coverage highlights Kazakhstan as a leading country in digital transformation, capable of attracting foreign investments and developing innovative local solutions. From AlemGPT to Alem Cloud, and from international partnerships to educational reforms and space exports, digital Kazakhstan emerges as a success story inspiring the region, turning geopolitical challenges into opportunities for technological leadership.

Therefore, President Tokayev's decision represents a historic turning point toward a prosperous digital future for Kazakhstan, where the president himself described 2026 as a "historic opportunity" for the country to leverage digital transformation and artificial intelligence in strengthening the economy and governance.

With wise leadership and strong national will, the country will transform into a global center for artificial intelligence, combining cultural heritage with modern innovation, ensuring the well-being of future generations and a prestigious position on the world map. This year is not just a year, but the beginning of a new era for advanced digital Kazakhstan.