Kazakhstan digitizes natural resources to woo global investors
New platform replaces intermediaries with AI-powered mapping and direct licensing to streamline subsoil access and attract foreign capital
ASTANA, Kazakhstan (MNTV) — In a major push to modernize its natural resources sector, Kazakhstan has launched a fully digital subsoil management platform aimed at attracting global investors, eliminating intermediaries, and enhancing transparency.
The new system allows companies to explore, apply, and bid for mining and drilling licenses entirely online.
The platform features interactive maps, real-time auctions, and 22 public e-services.
According to The Astana Times, the effort marks a dramatic shift in how Kazakhstan opens up its vast geological assets for commercial use.
“This platform is built to solve long-standing problems in subsoil use and create investor-friendly conditions,” said Zhannat Dubirova, Vice Minister of Industry and Construction.
She emphasized that the shift removes bureaucratic red tape, lowers the risk of corruption, and increases legal certainty for international companies.
At the heart of the platform is an AI-integrated map that displays current and upcoming license plots across the country—covering hydrocarbons, solid minerals, and restricted zones like nature reserves or military land.
Even unregistered users can view license holders and open plots. Registered users can go further: submitting applications, participating in auctions, and paying fees online.
Over 500 applications have already been processed since the launch, while historical geological records—dating back to the 1950s—are being digitized and made machine-readable. Some of this data is also converted into investor-friendly video formats.
The platform integrates data from multiple ministries and even accounts for offline government systems by manually entering verified records.
“Even without full digital infrastructure in some agencies, we’re ensuring the data remains accurate and updated,” Dubirova said.
Kazakhstan currently manages more than 3,000 licenses for solid minerals and over 1,000 for common minerals.
Previously, monitoring compliance across this vast registry was inefficient. “Now, we can track licensing more precisely, minimizing human error and reducing the potential for abuse,” Dubirova noted.
Beyond mining: digitizing industry, housing, and utilities
Kazakhstan’s digital ambitions go well beyond subsoil management. The Ministry of Industry and Construction also plans to roll out sector-wide digital platforms in industry, construction, and housing.
“In the industrial sector, we’re building a national information system to deliver 24 government services and gather real-time data to guide policy,” Dubirova said. Businesses will gain access to insights on trade flows and market expansion.
In construction, the country is phasing out Soviet-era design norms in favor of Building Information Modeling (BIM), aligning with global best practices.
In housing and utilities, a new centralized billing system will allow citizens to pay for all services through mobile apps and banks. Data from payments will feed into a unified platform designed to inform smarter policymaking.
“Our goal is to modernize how citizens and businesses interact with the state—more transparency, fewer hurdles, and better services,” Dubirova said.
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