Alatau will be developed based on the experience of Dubai and Singapore

Mar 20, 2026

The city of Alatau may be granted special status, according to “24KZ.” Today, at a joint session of Parliament, deputies approved a new draft law in its first reading. Alatau will grow as a city of accelerated development. Cities such as Singapore, Doha, and Dubai are following a similar path. Special status entails independent management of the budget and investments. The city will be governed by both local authorities and a Board of Directors.

From a draft on paper to a leader in technological development. Today, at a joint session of Parliament, deputies from both chambers reviewed a new draft law on the special status of the city of Alatau. It is predicted to have a bright future. The authors of the bill drew on the experience of cities such as Singapore, Dubai, Doha, Sejong, Songdo, as well as Shenzhen and Hainan. In just a few decades, these places have transformed from provincial towns and villages into major financial hubs and leaders in technological development. The secret to their success lies in the broad powers granted to local administrations, noted Deputy Prime-minister Kanat Bozumbayev.

There are no immediate plans to compete with financial and technological hubs such as Dubai and Singapore, Kanat Bozumbayev noted. The focus will be on developing digital assets, the manufacturing industry, and the so-called “low-altitude” economy. According to the government’s plan, Alatau will become the first location outside of China, where they intend to launch air taxis and cargo drones.

Kanat Bozumbayev, Deputy Prime-minister of Kazakhstan:

-We are in negotiations and have already signed a number of documents with the U.S. company “Joby”. They are leaders in air taxis, there’s a 15-year waiting list for their taxis. We’re also working with the Chinese company “Autoflight.” This is the company, which implementing projects in Shenzhen. We’ll be testing this direction. Vertiports will be built. Connections between Alatau, Konaev, and several locations in Almaty will become tourist destinations. Roughly speaking, a tourist will arrive at the airport, fly to Medeu, fly to any point in the mountain cluster, or fly to the Kapshagay coast.

Azat Peruashev, Member of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan: - This decision is one of those legal measures that create an opportunity for Kazakhstan not only to develop in step with the rest of the world, but also to avoid and overcome the brain drain problem. Since the emergence of cities in our country that are experiencing accelerated, rapid development—including technological development—provides opportunities for young people to realize their potential in IT technologies and innovative, non-standard solutions.