The roundtable was attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Raimbek Batalov, Chairman of the Board of QazaqGaz Sanzhar Zharkeshov, BI Group shareholder Askhat Omarov, CEO of KazAzot Arman Mauleshev, CEO of SEMURG INVEST Nurzhan Marabayev, and other Kazakh business leaders.

A business roundtable between Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates took place in Astana as part of the official visit of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. The event focused on deepening strategic cooperation and developing practical business-to-business engagement.

The roundtable was attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Raimbek Batalov, Chairman of the Board of QazaqGaz Sanzhar Zharkeshov, BI Group shareholder Askhat Omarov, CEO of KazAzot Arman Mauleshev, CEO of SEMURG INVEST Nurzhan Marabayev, and other Kazakh business leaders.

From the UAE side, participants included Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and the UAE Federation of Chambers of Commerce Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Group CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports Group Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Masdar Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, and chairpersons of LULU Group, Al Khaleej Sugar, and ALDAR.

In his remarks, Deputy Minister Alibek Kuantyrov emphasized the importance of practical engagement with investors and noted the steady growth of Emirati interest in Kazakhstan’s economy:

“The UAE is one of Kazakhstan’s key economic and investment partners in the Middle East. Our countries share a commitment to sustainable development and are ready to expand cooperation. We believe today’s meeting will provide fresh momentum for launching new joint initiatives and serve as a platform for open and constructive dialogue.”

Kazakhstan and the UAE already have a strong foundation for cooperation: from 2005 to 2024, gross FDI inflows from the UAE to Kazakhstan amounted to $4.3 billion, with over 530 UAE-backed companies registered in Kazakhstan — 462 of which are currently active.

Meanwhile, Kazakh investments in the UAE also showed significant growth, reaching $278.3 million in 2024 — a 2.8-fold increase from 2023 — reflecting stronger bilateral business engagement.

Participants highlighted the importance of improving logistics connectivity, including leveraging the Trans-Caspian route. Special attention was given to government support measures, opportunities for joint manufacturing, and the signing of investment agreements.