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ASTANA / WAM
H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has visited Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) in the Kazakh capital, Astana, accompanied by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
During the visit, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed was briefed on AIFC’s advanced financial and investment services, modern infrastructure and strategic projects aimed at positioning Kazakhstan as a regional and global hub for finance and business.
Sheikh Khaled met AIFC personnel and reviewed the centre’s role in supporting business ecosystems, attracting investments and facilitating international financial operations.
H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed highlighted the importance of exchanging knowledge and building partnerships between financial institutions in the UAE and Kazakhstan to promote sustainable economic growth and enhance bilateral cooperation in finance and investment, benefitting both nations and their people.
During the visit, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed and the President of Kazakhstan also attended the UAE–Kazakhstan Business Forum, held in the presence of senior officials, business leaders and investors from both nations. The forum aims to explore investment opportunities and strengthen efforts to increase mutual investments across key economic sectors, supporting shared goals for sustainable economic growth.
H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed reaffirmed the forum’s pivotal role in providing a platform to establish long-term strategic partnerships, exchange expertise and investment knowledge, and enhance comprehensive economic integration.
He also highlighted the forum’s role in fostering a resilient, attractive and future-ready investment environment in both countries, supporting the ambitions and aspirations of the two nations and their leaderships, and ensuring a better future for the upcoming generations.
On the sidelines of the forum, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed and the President of Kazakhstan witnessed the signing and exchange of several cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between public and private sector entities from both countries.
These agreements covered key sectors such as artificial intelligence, smart city and data centre development, data protection, ports and logistics, education, agriculture, and food products.
AIQ, a UAE-based company specialising in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with KMG Engineering to support the development of AI solutions and facilitate knowledge exchange in this vital sector.
In the data centre development sector, Presight AI signed an MoU with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry, and the Akimat of the city of Astana, to establish a cutting-edge data centre that will support the smart city project and enhance national capabilities in digital transformation, AI and supercomputing.
In the maritime transport and logistics services sector, AD Ports Group and Semurg Invest company exchanged a preliminary agreement to jointly design, develop, finance and operate the Sarzha Multipurpose Terminal at the Kuryk Seaport on the Caspian Sea.
The group also signed an MoU with Kazakh Invest company to promote bilateral trade relations and enhance mutual economic cooperation through joint events, exchange of information and other activities.
KEZAD Group signed three MoUs with Kazakhstan’s National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken”, Kazakh Invest, and the Special Economic Zone Aktau Seaport. These agreements aim to foster collaboration, enable knowledge exchange and explore future partnership opportunities.
In the data protection domain, the Office of Data Protection within ADGM and the Data Protection Office at AIFC signed an MoU to strengthen international cooperation and provide mutual support in the enforcement of personal data protection regulations.
In the education sector, the Emirates Kazakhstan Education Investment Group and the Education Board of Astana signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to construct SABIS International School – Astana, forming a long-term partnership focused on delivering quality education tailored to meet the needs of future generations.
In the agriculture and food production sector, Al Khaleej Sugar signed an agreement with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture to develop a state-of-the-art sugar processing plant in the Almaty region.
Additionally, Lulu Group signed an MoU with Kazakhstan’s Procurement and Logistics Council to expand bilateral food trade and agricultural supply chains.
During the visit to AIFC and the forum, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed was accompanied by members of the official UAE delegation.
The forum also featured a series of thematic panel discussions reflecting strategic cooperation priorities between the two countries. The Digital Frontiers session explored how emerging technologies can transform critical sectors such as healthcare, food security and telecommunications. The New Growth Strategies in Finance session examined opportunities and challenges stemming from financial technologies.
The Future of Urban Development session focused on innovation in real estate and construction to achieve urban sustainability, while the Accelerating the Energy Transition session addressed renewable energy solutions and mechanisms to advance green transformation.
The forum also included bilateral meetings between public and private sector representatives from both countries to explore opportunities for new investment and trade partnerships that support sustainable development goals.