Almaty is hosting GITEX AI Kazakhstan 2026 two-day event, drawing global tech firms and investors as Central Asia gains attention as a fast developing digital market. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the GITEX AI Central Asia & Caucasus exhibition in Almaty on 4 May.
Held on 4 and 5 May under the umbrella of GITEX AI Central Asia & Caucasus 2026, the event marks the first time the platform has expanded into Central Asia. Originally launched more than 40 years ago in Dubai, GITEX has developed into one of the world’s most established technology event networks, typically associated with major global markets.
Its arrival in Almaty signals a shift in focus. Central Asia, long seen as a peripheral market, is increasingly being viewed as a region with growth potential, and the choice of the city reflects that change. Almaty has emerged as a regional hub for business and technology, and is now being used as a base by companies looking to enter neighbouring markets.
The scale of the forum underlines that growing interest. More than 10,000 delegates have gathered at the Atakent exhibition centre, with more than 300 companies and start ups taking part. The event has also attracted more than 150 speakers and more than 100 investors from 28 countries. Investment funds represented at the forum manage assets exceeding $200 billion, giving the discussions a clear commercial focus.
That investor presence is closely linked to recent developments within Kazakhstan itself. Over the past seven years, the country’s technology ecosystem has grown eighteen fold, reaching an estimated value of $26 billion. At the same time, mobile internet penetration across Central Asia has reached around 93%, creating the conditions for the expansion of digital services and artificial intelligence.
These factors are helping position Almaty as an entry point for international companies seeking access to the wider region. Kazakhstan has also set a target of becoming a fully digital state within the next three years, aligning government policy with the type of investment and partnerships discussed at the forum.
The programme reflects those priorities, covering artificial intelligence (AI), fintech, cyber security, Industry 4.0 and energy systems. More than 150 speakers from more than 60 countries are taking part in discussions that focus on investment, technology and skills, as the region seeks to define its role in the global digital economy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's aircraft was nearly struck by a drone while departing Moldova on ...
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the st...
Georgia’s International Maritime Forum has closed in Batumi with officials setting out investment targets, timelines and technical plans aime...
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly launched two ballistic missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.
Wildfires have broken out in Türkiye’s Antalya province, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate as strong winds fuelled the flames.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton has warned against rushing to develop artificial superintelligence, arguing that scientists still do not know how to ensure systems more capable than humans remain safe and under control.
The United States and China are preparing to hold their first official bilateral talks focused exclusively on artificial intelligence as concerns grow over the risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems.
AI may live in the cloud, but the infrastructure powering it is anything but virtual. As data centres consume ever more electricity and water, the race is on to find new ways to keep the machines running.
Hua Hong Semiconductor, China's second-largest contract chipmaker, is investing $2 billion to build a new fabrication plant in Wuxi, China as part of a push to expand capacity as domestic demand for AI-related chips outstrips what the industry can currently produce.
A humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor has run 100 metres in 9.32 seconds, beating Usain Bolt's men's world record of 9.58 seconds, China's state broadcaster reported on Saturday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment