Kazakhstan to build new city near Almaty as business hub
Planned Alatau City, modeled on Dubai and Singapore, will house 2 million people and serve as a major trade and investment hub
ASTANA, Kazakhstan (MNTV) — Kazakhstan has unveiled plans to construct a new city near Almaty, designed to become an international hub for business, finance, and innovation. The project, called Alatau City, is one of the most ambitious urban developments in Central Asia and is expected to attract investment, industry, and millions of new residents.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced the initiative during the Kazakh-Chinese Business Council meeting in Beijing, where he highlighted Kazakhstan’s partnership with China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), one of the world’s largest construction firms.
Tokayev urged that construction begin without delay, stressing that the city would operate as an independent ecosystem with special status.
Alatau City will be built on the site of Zhetygen village in the Almaty Region. According to government plans, the city will be divided into four thematic districts: a business and financial center, an education and healthcare hub, an innovation-industrial and logistics zone, and a tourism cluster.
Each area will also include residential districts, with the total population projected at around 2 million.
Kazakh authorities envision the city as a regional business magnet, modeled on global hubs such as Dubai, Singapore, and Tianjin. Officials say it will offer tax and customs incentives, and they are considering adopting a special legal regime under Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) law to attract foreign investors.
The project is also expected to ease pressure on Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, where rapid population growth has fueled overcrowding and rising housing prices.
Plans for a satellite city near Almaty have circulated for decades, with multiple revisions and false starts, but officials now say Alatau City will finally move forward.
With construction backed by Chinese partners and support from Kazakhstan’s leadership, the project aims to deepen cross-border trade while reshaping the country’s urban and economic landscape.
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