KUWAIT: The Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Kuwait held a media briefing entitled “Kazakhstan: A Country of Opportunities”. During the briefing, Ambassador of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Yelekeyev highlighted that approximately 47,000 tourists from the Gulf countries visited Kazakhstan in 2024, including around 4,000 tourists from Kuwait. He pointed out that between 2022 and 2024, the number of tourists from Kuwait increased 5 times, reflecting a growing interest in Kazakhstan as a travel destination.
The Ambassador emphasized that Kazakhstan views Kuwait as an important partner and expressed readiness to further strengthen cooperation in the fields of economy, investment, tourism, culture and information exchange. He stated that his country is seeking to deepen its bilateral relations with Kuwait through a strong focus on food security, investment, and tourism. “Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Kuwait were established in 1993. Despite their geographical distance, the two countries have maintained close political understanding and cooperation on key regional and international issues, including shared positions on developments in Palestine and Gaza,” the ambassador said.
The ambassador noted that the economic cooperation, particularly in food security, represents the most promising area for future partnership, adding “Kazakhstan, a major agricultural producer, could supply Kuwait and the wider GCC market with meat and other food products. Kuwait, in turn, could serve as a regional trade and logistics hub. Kuwait can ensure stable food supplies while also generating solid financial returns.” The ambassador highlighted a recent meeting with His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, describing it as “very warm and constructive.”
During the meeting, the Amir emphasized the importance of food security and encouraged closer cooperation with the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) to identify attractive investment opportunities in Kazakhstan. He added that the Amir’s words and personal gesture made a strong impression. The ambassador also extended an invitation to the Amir and members of the ruling family to visit Kazakhstan, including for traditional falconry trips. The ambassador revealed that the bilateral trade between the two countries remains modest, totaling reached $4 million, largely driven by Kazakhstan’s meat exports to Kuwait, valued at approximately $3.5 million.
The ambassador said his goal is to increase trade volumes two- to threefold within a year. To achieve this, the ambassador noted that Kazakhstan plans to host visits by agricultural producers and organize food exhibitions in Kuwait to showcase eco-friendly products. Meanwhile, the ambassador highlighted the key provisions of the Address of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to the people of Kazakhstan, delivered on September 8, 2025. The Address outlined the country’s strategic development agenda in the context of digital transformation and the introduction of artificial intelligence.
The Ambassador noted that the Address sets a clear course toward sustainable economic growth, modernization of public administration, development of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, improvement of the investment climate, strengthening of transport connectivity, and enhanced support for the agro-industrial sector. As part of the briefing, the event presented information on Kazakhstan’s economic development and investment attractiveness. As the largest economy in Central Asia, Kazakhstan has attracted more than $474 billion in foreign direct investment since gaining independence, accounting for nearly half of all FDI inflows into the region over the past decade.
The country’s GDP has reached approximately $291 billion, driven by growth in industry, transport, agriculture, and services. It was emphasized that Kazakhstan offers investors a stable and predictable business environment, reflected in its openness to foreign investment and strong positions in international rankings. Special attention was given to Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics potential. Located at the crossroads of key routes between Europe and Asia, Kazakhstan provides access to markets with more than three billion consumers.
Significant investments in transport infrastructure have enabled the country to become an important logistics hub in Eurasia, while the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is now one of the fastest-growing trade corridors between Asia and Europe. The briefing also highlighted Kazakhstan’s role in the energy and natural resources sector. Kazakhstan is the world’s largest producer and exporter of natural uranium, while simultaneously developing renewable energy sources, including wind, solar and hydropower. In addition, agriculture was identified as one of the key sectors of the economy, with Kazakhstan holding leading positions in terms of agricultural land area and contributing to global food security.
