11 April 2026, 13:05
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has designated 2026 as the Year of Digitalization. This is a logical continuation of efforts to build IT infrastructure and a direct response to the challenges of the global economy, where data has become the new reality.
In this regard, the Government, through the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, is systematically working on building a digital economy, integrating artificial intelligence into public administration, and developing IT infrastructure. Kazakhstan is already implementing projects to create a data ecosystem, develop supercomputing capacity, and digitalize the social sphere, education, healthcare, and tax and customs administration.
Thus, technology is no longer just an add-on, but the foundation of all processes. Work is being carried out both at the central government level and in the regions.
Institutional Digital Architecture
The Head of State has clearly defined the main vector: technology must serve as a tool for a qualitative breakthrough in all spheres of life. In his programmatic interview with the newspaper “Turkistan” earlier this year, the President emphasized that for Kazakhstan, digital transformation is crucial as the foundation for the country’s long-term competitiveness. Following this principle, the Government has moved to systematic resource mobilization, turning digitalization into a cross-cutting priority — from major megacities to the most remote rural districts.
Today, the focus is on the deep integration of artificial intelligence into the economy and public administration. This is driven both by economic expediency and the need to strengthen Kazakhstan’s geopolitical position in the global division of labor.
In implementing the Head of State’s instructions, the Government has built a new institutional architecture for digital governance. The newly established Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development acts not only as a regulator but also as a technological operator of digital transformation in the public sector.
In the first quarter of 2026, a key focus has been the implementation of the Data-Driven Government model — public administration based on data. As part of this work, a unified data architecture for state bodies is being formed. The main shift has occurred in the very philosophy of public services: the state now acts proactively, offering assistance to citizens even before they request it.
On the instruction of Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, “digital performance management” has been introduced, which allows real-time tracking of budget spending and the gradual elimination of the human factor from tax and customs administration. This means that funds are now allocated not simply for “spending,” but for specific, measurable results visible in the system in real time.
One of the flagship projects is the transformation of fiscal bodies into a “digital data factory.” It is planned that by the end of 2027, tax and customs administration will be fully automated, with the human factor almost completely eliminated.
Legal Foundation Established
Kazakhstan became the first country in Central Asia to adopt the Law “On Artificial Intelligence.” This was necessary as it became clear that the development of technology is impossible without clear rules of the game.
The Digital Code was also developed and signed by the President on January 9, 2026. This document consolidates scattered norms of digital legislation into a single set of rules, defines ethical boundaries for the use of neural networks, and guarantees the safety of every user. It essentially serves as a kind of “social contract” in the digital environment. The special value of the document lies in its openness — the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development involved the IT community, business, and human rights defenders in the development process.
Work is also underway in Parliament on the Law “On Cybersecurity,” which introduces mandatory testing of state systems for resilience every three years. These initiatives create an environment in which businesses understand long-term rules and citizens receive guarantees for the protection of their data.
An important step was the constitutional referendum held in March 2026, which enshrined digital rights of citizens at the highest level.
Infrastructure: Supercomputers, Data Centers and Computing Power
Any artificial intelligence requires “fuel” — computing power. Kazakhstan has opted for technological sovereignty by launching the national supercomputer center Alem.Cloud. Ranked 86th in the global TOP-500 list, this complex based on NVIDIA H200 chips enables the country to process critically important data arrays within its own perimeter.
In addition, the powerful academic cluster Al-Farabium is operational, providing scientists and students with access to high-performance computing. The launch of AI-Farabium took place during the international technology forum Digital Bridge 2025 in the presence of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. It will allow the training of large language models and generative AI, development of industrial solutions, analysis of medical data, implementation of “Smart City” and autonomous transport technologies, as well as content creation, speech and image recognition.
At the same time, a large-scale gigawatt-scale data center project is being developed in Pavlodar Region. The Government is leveraging the region’s natural advantages — affordable electricity and suitable climate — turning Kazakhstan into the largest computing hub in Eurasia. This is not only a matter of prestige but also sound economic calculation: having domestic capacity reduces costs for local developers and attracts global technology giants to the country.
20 Digital Transformation Roadmaps: Digitalization of Sectors
The practical tool for digitalization has become the 20 Digital Transformation Roadmaps, covering 72 sectors of the economy and social sphere. In line with the Head of State’s instructions, digitalization must deliver measurable economic and social impact, rather than being limited to the introduction of individual information systems.
The transformation is based on real problems faced by citizens and entrepreneurs. The transition of all state bodies’ information systems to the unified technological platform QazTech has reduced the development time of solutions from several years to 6–18 months. The application of the “Security by Design” principle ensures that cybersecurity is integrated into the product at the design stage, rather than added later as an afterthought.
Recalling the President’s speech at the National Kurultai in Kyzylorda in January 2026, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that the current era is extremely dynamic and is breaking old ways of thinking. According to the Head of State, digitalization today is creating an entirely new social reality in which assistance becomes targeted and invisible, yet highly effective. That is why it is so important for citizens to keep pace with the times and achieve clear results — the well-being of every family.
Digitalization of the Social Sphere, Healthcare and Education
Special attention is being paid to the digitalization of the social sphere. In line with the Head of State’s instructions, the full digitalization of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) is underway. The Prime Minister has taken this task under his personal control. By the end of 2026, every tenge spent on a citizen’s treatment must become “visible” — the system will allow the patient to see the real cost and volume of services provided via smartphone. This is not just accounting, but a systemic barrier against the inefficient use of public funds.
The digitalization of more than 700 state pharmacies in healthcare has created a transparent system for tracking medicines. In the first quarter alone, more than 13 million electronic prescriptions were processed, which helped reduce the risk of medicine shortages and increase transparency in distribution.
Transparency has also reached schools. In education, the use of AI to monitor school meals in 6,700 schools has allowed saved funds (up to 30% of the budget in some regions) to be redirected toward improving meal quality and upgrading school canteens.
In the social sphere, the “Social Wallet” and the Digital Family Card have been introduced. The “Social Wallet” has become a symbol of the new approach. Benefits now reach citizens without a single application — the system itself recognizes the life situation and provides support.
If previously receiving benefits was associated with queues and collecting certificates, today the combination of the “Social Wallet” and the Digital Family Card (DFC) allows the state to see a person’s needs before they even apply for support. The DFC analyzes data from more than 30 databases — income, family composition, housing — and if the system detects eligibility for benefits, the citizen simply receives an SMS. One “Yes” in response — and the voucher is already in the wallet.
AlemLLM and Assistants for People
Kazakhstan has invested in developing its own infrastructure for working with big data.
The national language model AlemLLM, adapted to Kazakhstani legislation, office work, and cultural context, has been launched. The model operates in Kazakh and Russian and is used to develop digital services and state systems.
Based on this model, the multi-agent assistant eGov AI is already functioning. In the first quarter of 2026, it responded to more than two million requests. Instead of searching for the right button on the portal, a citizen can formulate a request in text, and the system prepares the documents or provides consultation.
In addition, more than 50 AI agents are already “serving” in ministries, taking on routine tasks — from analyzing satellite images to detect flood threats to predictive analytics in labor markets.
Global Market: IT Exports as Growth Potential
As a result of these transformations, Kazakhstan’s IT sector has ceased to be purely domestic and is now entering the global market, becoming one of the drivers of economic growth.
In recent years, IT services exports have reached a historic milestone of $1 billion. Products of Kazakhstani developers are now in demand in 111 countries worldwide.
The Astana Hub ecosystem unites about 2,000 companies and has four international hubs, forming a global platform for promoting Kazakhstani technological products.
The development of the venture market and support for startups are helping to create new technology companies and attract international investment. To further develop the sector, conditions are being created for international venture funds through Qazaqstan Venture Group.
Human Capital: Knowledge is the Main Resource
Special attention is paid to personnel training and human capital development, because technology is only a tool — its power lies in people.
In the Year of Digitalization, the Government launched a large-scale AI literacy training program aimed at reaching 1 million citizens.
Key educational projects include:
Security and Trust: The Digital Shield of the Nation
On the President’s instructions, cybersecurity has been designated as a separate priority. Strict liability for personal data leaks has been introduced, and state systems undergo regular resilience testing.
However, security is not only about technical measures, but also about citizen control. The eGov app now includes a consent management function: every Kazakhstani can see who has requested their data and revoke permission with one click. This builds the very environment of trust without which a digital society cannot be created.
In his addresses, the Head of State has repeatedly emphasized that in the modern era, the right to access information, protection of personal data, and digital security are as fundamental as the right to life or freedom of speech.
March 2026 became a time for Kazakhstan to reflect on major changes. The constitutional referendum not only updated the political system but, for the first time in world practice, enshrined digital rights of citizens at the highest legislative level. This means that the protection of personal data, access to information, and digital security have become basic state guarantees.
Connectivity and New Markets: Space and Fintech
The implementation of the national project “Affordable Internet” has erased the boundaries between city and village. By mid-2026, more than 3,000 villages gained access to high-speed networks. The Direct-to-Cell technology is also being introduced, allowing ordinary smartphones to receive satellite signals — especially important for remote settlements and highways. This has solved connectivity issues on roads and in mountainous areas, improving the quality and safety of citizens’ lives.
In the space sector, a shift has been made toward practical monitoring. The ALEM View satellite constellation provides real-time data on the condition of fields, forests, and water resources.
In fintech, Kazakhstan has established itself as one of the most progressive jurisdictions for digital assets. The arrival of players such as Binance and Kraken, and the launch of the stablecoin kztX, have opened new opportunities for business and investment.
Prospects and Strategic Direction
Overall, digitalization in Kazakhstan has long moved from promising plans to everyday reality and has become one of the key factors in the development of the economy and public administration. The current stage is characterized by a transition from the introduction of individual services to the creation of a comprehensive, secure, and open digital ecosystem based on data and artificial intelligence technologies.
Today’s results are not a one-time breakthrough, but the logical continuation of a long-term state strategy to build technological sovereignty. Thanks to the synergy between government initiatives and the private sector, Kazakhstan is not only adapting to global technological trends such as artificial intelligence, big data, and fintech, but is also shaping its own technological agenda for 2026–2028.
In line with the Head of State’s instructions, work is underway to develop new areas of the digital economy, including the implementation of Smart City technologies (including in “Alatau City”), the development of artificial intelligence infrastructure, and the introduction of intelligent systems to counter cybercrime and protect personal data.
The implementation of this set of systemic measures is aimed at improving the efficiency of public administration, ensuring transparency of budget processes, developing technological sovereignty, and enhancing the quality of life of citizens. Thus, the ongoing work is laying the foundation for a new digital economy of Kazakhstan, in which data, technology, and knowledge become the key drivers of the country’s development.
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