FDI Opportunities by Region

Doing Business in Akmola Region (Nur-Sultan)

Akmola (Astana) region is a major industrial center of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It specializes in production of agricultural machinery and equipment for cattle and poultry breeding.

Other branches of the manufacturing industry of the region are the production of spare parts and car accessories, mining equipment, and equipment for metallurgical industry. Agriculture is also well developed here. Most of the acreage is reserved for the crops. It is proved that wheat grown in Akmola is high in protein. Dairy cattle breeding is one of the advanced sector of the region’s economy. Other agricultural sectors of the region are milling industry and bakery production.

Doing Business in Aktobe Region

Aktobe region

Aktobe is one of the most mineral-rich regions of Kazakhstan. It has about 10% of discovered and 30% of prospective hydrocarbon resources (oil, gas and gas condensate) of Kazakhstan, all domestic reserves of chromium. Other resources discovered in Kazakhstan are nickel, titanium, phosphate, zinc, copper, aluminum and coal.

Aktobe based plants and factories use local raw materials to produce chemically pure chromium salts, metal chrome and others. About 90% of locally produced metal chrome and carbon-free ferrochromium is exported to Europe, USA, Japan, South Korea and the CIS countries.

Engineering and metalworking are also two rapidly growing sectors of the region’s economy. Spring wheat, barley, millet and other grain corps are grown in the region.

Investment Opportunities in the Aktobe Region, Kazakhstan

Introduction

The Aktobe Region is one of the largest regions in Kazakhstan in terms of population and industrial capacity. 

The boundless steppe, mountains, fertile valleys, rivers and the region of the Aral Sea make up the vast Aktobe Region that occupies the territory of more than 300,000 square kilometres. Arriving to the region from the north, from neighbouring Russia, you can drive for more than a day southward and arrive in Uzbekistan. There are oil-producing regions of the country nearby, in the west.

More than 900,000 people live in these vast lands. Almost half live in Aktobe, the regional capital.

Hard working people live here. Such a unique human asset has evolved over decades. There are highly skilled and educated specialists in various industries, agriculture, science, culture, education, sports, and services sector.

Advantages of the region:

Transportation

The Aktobe region is a crossing of roads and fates. A lot of traffic passes through Aktobe due to the convergence of motorways, railways, and air routes. The transit through the Aktobe region gives the opportunity to transport goods to any place in Russia, Europe, Central Asia, and Near East.

Leaders of many countries are now discussing the “New Silk Way” project. The Aktobe region is at the very centre of this road. More than 600 kilometres of “Western China - Western Europe” Road run across these lands. This road reduced the delivery of goods from China and other Asian countries to Western and Eastern Europe by 10-15 days. Some other international roads of prime importance also run across the region. Market

There is no other region in Kazakhstan with such convenient logistics. The region is located near other member-states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) with an overall population of more than 180 million people. There is free movement of goods, services, capital, and labour within the EAEU countries. Cities of the Volga and the Ural regions are located just 1,000 kilometres from Aktobe, 8-10 hours driving, where approximately 30 million people live. Major cities in Central Russia and Belarus are located another 1,000 km away.

Mineral resources

The Aktobe region is famous not only for its advantageous geographic location. Nature and fate evidently favour this land. The region is rich in mineral and raw materials resources and is home to 340 mineral deposits. The Aktobe region ranks second in the world for chromite ore reserves – more than 400 million tonnes, and third in Kazakhstan for copper ores reserves – 100 million tonnes, and oil – 900 million tonnes.

Resource Costs

There are many other treasures in the region. It is entirely self-sufficient in natural gas. The available water resources supply cities and towns, as well as industrial facilities. The region also shares its mains electricity with its neighbours.

Agriculture

Agriculture is developing dynamically too, allowing for meat and dairy stock farming, vegetable farming, the development of greenhouses and irrigated farming. The land is rich in grazing areas. The local meat is famous far beyond the region.

Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

The development of the mining industry, steady advance of industry giants and the large reserves of minerals are not the only factors that give confidence for the future. Small and medium-sized businesses are developing around major plants, factories, and companies. There are more than 50,000 enterprises successfully operating in the region in this sector of the economy.

Aktobe City

The vigorous pulse of the region is best felt in the regional capital – the city of Aktobe.  It is not just a city, but an urban agglomeration that comprises of 70 populated areas. Aktobe’s development plan has been approved at the government level. It is expected that by 2030 Aktobe’s population will reach one million. The regional capital is demonstrating the highest population growth alongside Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana.

Government Support

Regional support measures

All roads converge in Aktobe. This provides the opportunity to spread your wings and implement the most courageous plans. The city has created the “Aktobe” industrial zone that attracts entrepreneurs with its unique opportunities for business development. 

 Just five kilometres from the centre, there is a railway and “Western Europe - Western Chine” Road. The Kazakh-Russian border is also nearby. The entire infrastructure has already been established on the area of 200 hectares. The utilities costs are the lowest in Kazakhstan.

Land plots are provided free-of-charge for a long period, and can be bought at a discount price or leased at a reduced rate. Where else can you find such favourable terms?

National support measures

• Foreign investors are provided with other supportive measures, including:
• relief from customs duty;
• transfer of moveable and immovable property;
• relief from taxes for 8-10 years;
• reimbursements from the government of up to 30% of the costs for construction and installation works, as well as equipment.

The Investor Assistance Centre assists with all logistical matters, including arranging business meetings, executing documents and signing contracts.

This has resulted in an increase of signed commercial contracts and major investments. International businesspeople have been working in the Aktobe region for many years.

The Chinese National Oil Company that came to the region more than 20 years ago has entrusted its investments - more than US $9 billion - to the region. The Korean National Oil Corporation has invested more than US $300 million. The Russian Copper Company has been developing copper-zinc ores and has invested more than US $660 million. The Turkish Company Yildirim Group, a large producer of chrome concentrate, has invested more than US $250 million.

Investment projects in Kazakhstan’s Aktobe region include mining, manufacturing and oil sectors, in addition to agriculture and logistics. 

Investing in Kazakhstan - Opportunities in Aktobe Region from Embassy of Kazakhstan in the USA

Investment projects in Aktobe from Embassy of Kazakhstan in the USA

Aktobe region - bright peak of your investments from Embassy of Kazakhstan in the USA

Doing Business in Almaty Region

The Almaty region is developing at a very fast pace. Being one of the largest industrial and agricultural centers of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty is also rapidly expanding its financial sector. In 2014 Kazakhstan’s Central Bank Governor stated that Almaty had all the potential to become the financial hub of Central Asia. The region’s most advanced industries are mechanical engineering and metalworking. Plants and factories based in Almaty produce various kinds of machine tools including equipment for oil and gas, mining and energy sectors, as well as spare parts for cars and agricultural machinery.

The regional agriculture specializes in growing industrial crops, vegetables and fruits, as well as rice and tobacco.

The Almaty region presents tremendous opportunities for foreign investors. This investors’ guide presents the conditions that make the Almaty region a powerhouse of economic activity in Kazakhstan and Eurasia.

The modernization of Almaty city presents many commercial opportunities for foreign investors and multinational companies.