Astana finance days 2026 results: US$26 trillion in assets under management, 8,000 participants from 90 countries, and special guest Dimash Qudaibergen
During the two-day forum, Dim Sum bonds totalling 3.7 billion yuan were listed on AIX, and Central Asia’s first exchange-based trading in carbon credits was launched. Sector-focused pitch sessions resulted in the signing of 13 letters of intent, while new regulatory agreements were concluded. Kazakhstan’s cargo airline Jupiter Jet also completed its first aircraft leasing transaction with the support of the AIFC. World-renowned Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen attended the forum as a special guest.
The ninth Astana Finance Days 2026: Delivering Impact. Capital in Action was held at the Astana International Financial Centre on 9–10 September 2026. The forum brought together more than 8,000 participants from 90 countries, including investors, representatives of the financial and technology sectors, regulators, government and quasi-government institutions, and international businesses.
AFD 2026 welcomed representatives of leading global financial institutions, including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, Capital Group, Brookfield, E Fund Management, Rothschild & Co., IFC Asset Management Company, Hong Kong Investment Corporation, and others. The companies represented at the forum collectively manage more than US$26 trillion in assets, including over US$15 trillion managed by BlackRock.
“The AIFC was established as an institution that speaks the language of global markets and connects Kazakhstan and Central Asia with international capital. Yet capital matters only when it is put to work: financing new companies and projects, helping businesses expand into international markets, and enabling people to turn their ideas and ambitions into reality. This is what Capital in Action means. We want capital to flow in both directions through the AIFC: international investment into Kazakhstan and the region, while Kazakh companies, investors, and talent gain access to opportunities around the world. Our ultimate goal is not simply to attract capital, but to translate it into growth, new markets, and new opportunities for Kazakhstan,” said Renat Bekturov, Governor of the AIFC.
The forum’s central events were the plenary sessions “Rewiring the Architecture of Finance” and “From Transit to Transactions: Kazakhstan’s Emergence as a Regional Financial and Trade Hub.” Participants discussed the transformation of financial infrastructure, the development of digital assets and artificial intelligence, the role of sovereign and institutional capital, the integration of the financial markets of Kazakhstan and China, and opportunities to translate the country’s transit potential into investment projects and long-term partnerships.
The plenary discussions featured Timur Suleimenov, Governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan; Nurlan Zhakupov, Chairman of the Management Board of Samruk-Kazyna JSC; Renat Bekturov, Governor of the AIFC; Timur Turlov, Chief Executive Officer of Freedom Holding Corp.; Balaji Srinivasan, founder of Network School; and representatives of BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, Brookfield, Bloomberg, Anchorage Digital, and other international organisations.
One of the key capital-market outcomes was the listing on the Astana International Exchange (AIX) of two tranches of Development Bank of Kazakhstan Dim Sum bonds with five- and ten-year maturities. The total issuance amounted to 3.7 billion Chinese yuan, with coupon rates of 2.25% and 2.75%, respectively. The placement expanded the range of yuan-denominated instruments available on AIX and created new opportunities to attract capital and strengthen connections between the financial markets of Kazakhstan and China.
AIX also became the first exchange in Central Asia to launch trading in voluntary carbon market credits verified under the international Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). The new instrument provides transparent trading rules and market-based pricing while expanding access to finance for climate projects across the region. Carbon credits became AIX’s second environmental product following I-REC renewable energy certificates.
A number of memoranda of understanding were signed during the two-day forum. The parties included the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) and the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency (HANFA); AFSA and the National Bank of Georgia; Tech Hub Ltd. and Aitas Agro Ltd.; Tech Hub Ltd. and Concordia Group Ltd.; the AIFC and the Development Bank of Kazakhstan on the development of sustainable aviation fuel projects; the AIFC Green Finance Centre, First Carbon Group Ltd., and Green Investment Group LLP; the AIFC Green Finance Centre and HYT-CAPITAL; the AIFC and the Association of Individual Entrepreneurs and Legal Entities “Creative Industries Alliance of Qazaqstan”; CodeCoin Tech Ltd. and Delta DA Ltd.; CodeCoin Tech Ltd. and Altyn Bank JSC; and the Astana International Exchange (AIX) and the Kyrgyz Stock Exchange (KSE).
Prospects for regional integration were discussed at the AFSA roundtable “From Fragmentation to Integration: Regional Cooperation to Strengthen Financial Markets.” Regulators and market participants from Kazakhstan, Georgia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, together with representatives of the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and regional stock exchanges, identified practical areas for developing cross-border financial products, investment corridors, and supervisory cooperation.
AFSA also established a legal framework for testing Event-Based Contracts. The new derivative instruments will be tested exclusively within the controlled environment of the AIFC FinTech Lab and will be limited to contracts linked to financial and economic events.
In addition, the regulator recognised the clearing participation certificates planned for issuance by International Trading System Limited as Qualified Investments. The new collateral instrument is intended to improve liquidity management and facilitate access to secured financing through repo transactions.
Particular attention was paid to attracting investment into the real economy. During Junior Mining Investment Day, 23 junior mining projects, selected from 48 applications, were presented to investors and strategic partners. The pitch session brought together 14 investors and strategic partners and resulted in the signing of four letters of intent providing for further consideration of potential financing and cooperation between investors and project teams.
A separate forum track focused on transforming intellectual property into an investment asset. The pilot Creative Pitch Day 2026 received more than 100 applications in film, music, game development, and digital content. Of these, 63 matched the programme’s sector focus, 32 advanced to the next selection stage, and 19 projects were presented to investors. The pitch session resulted in the signing of nine letters of intent.
In total, the mining and creative-industry pitch sessions resulted in 13 letters of intent, laying the groundwork for further negotiations, due diligence, and the potential conclusion of investment or strategic agreements.
The development of financial instruments for the creative industries continued with the signing of a framework agreement between Tech Hub Ltd. and ōzen X. The parties intend to develop a music royalty tokenisation platform within the AIFC jurisdiction. ōzen X plans to use its catalogue of 7,000 music tracks to offer artists a new mechanism for raising capital against future income from their works.
Aviation finance was another sector-specific focus. The AIFC presented a pilot regional report titled “Aviation Finance in Kazakhstan and Central Asia: Global Trends and the Role of the Astana International Financial Centre.” The report examines aircraft acquisition and leasing models, international experience in aviation finance centres, and the investment potential of Central Asia and the Caucasus.
As part of the development of the AIFC Aviation Finance Hub, Kazakhstan’s cargo airline Jupiter Jet completed its first aircraft leasing transaction with a US-based lessor. The AIFC hub supported the development of the transaction structure and the commercial negotiations.
A significant part of the forum was dedicated to green and sustainable finance. Following the second meeting of the Turkic Green Finance Council, the parties signed a joint communiqué expanding the Council’s agenda. In addition to green finance, its work will now cover a broader range of sustainable finance issues. The Council’s Permanent Secretariat operates within the AIFC.
Preliminary findings from a joint AIFC–OECD study showed that approximately 84% of Kazakhstan’s business loan portfolio — around KZT16 trillion — is associated with activities that have at least a medium level of dependency on ecosystem services. Around 42% of business lending is linked to activities that exert high or very high pressure on nature. The main dependencies relate to water resources, including water supply, water-flow regulation, flood protection, and water purification.
The AIFC Green Finance Centre, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) also presented their work on developing Kazakhstan’s national blue finance architecture. This includes the further development of Kazakhstan’s Blue Taxonomy, National Guidelines on Blue Bond Issuance, and project eligibility criteria covering water security, water infrastructure modernisation, wastewater treatment, and the protection of aquatic ecosystems.
At the third meeting of the AIFC Islamic Finance Advisory Board, participants identified priorities for the development of the sukuk market. These included building a pipeline of issuances, attracting Kazakh and international issuers and investors, developing cross-listing opportunities, and strengthening the Shariah governance framework. Participants also considered the preliminary concept of an Islamic Finance Centre of Excellence.
Among its new initiatives, the AIFC presented the concept of the AIFC Reinsurance Hub, a regional platform for structuring, co-underwriting, and reinsuring major corporate, energy, infrastructure, and transport risks. The initiative is intended to develop reinsurance capacity in Kazakhstan and Central Asia and expand market participants’ access to international reinsurers.
Forum participants also tested AIDA — the AIFC Intelligent Digital Assistant for the first time. The multilingual intelligent assistant processes text and voice queries, provides information about registration, requirements, procedures, and services at the Centre, and, where necessary, directs users to the relevant department or specialist.
The forum concluded with the AIFC Awards 2026 ceremony. Awards were presented to 14 companies, organisations, and experts that contributed to the development of the AIFC’s financial, investment, and legal ecosystem and strengthened the Centre’s international partnerships.
The winners of the main categories were OQAM Finance Ltd., International Trading System Limited, MIZAN Islamic Finance Ltd., Consult Engineering Group Limited, Global ESG Partnership NPIO, Ailat AI Ltd., Fonte Capital Ltd., and Abylai Global Solutions Ltd. At the AIFC Legal Awards, Sayat Zholshy Law Firm Limited was named Law Firm of the Year, while Maxim Burak received the Lawyer of the Year award. Special awards were presented to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, China International Capital Corporation, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and GulfLink Ltd.
The AFD Exhibition Hub operated throughout the two-day forum, bringing together financial institutions, banks, investment and asset management companies, and fintech and technology projects. Participants showcased their products and solutions, held business meetings, and established direct contacts with potential partners and investors.
Astana Finance Days 2026 was held with the support of its partners. Freedom was the forum’s Gold Partner; Solidcore Resources, KAZ Minerals, and ITS were Silver Partners; LMAX Group and Teniz Capital Investment Banking were Bronze Partners; Allur was the Industry Partner; Binance was the Crypto Partner; Mastercard was the Fintech Partner; Air Astana was the Official Airline; and Euronews and SCMP were the International Media Partners. Other partners included Orient Capital Management, Dana Capital Limited, BI Group, CICC, Roemer Capital (Europe), Masdar, E Fund Management (Hong Kong), Abylai Global Solutions, Symphony Digital Assets, Fitch Ratings, AmCham Kazakhstan, Solana, Halyk Finance, MYD Production, Atlas Capital, PwC, Anchorage Digital, Alif, Jupiter Jet, RCS Group, Zubr Capital, Vitis Capital, Amicorp, Code Coin, and others.
The forum’s outcomes reaffirmed the role of Astana Finance Days as a platform where international capital, regulatory expertise, and sector-specific projects are translated into new financial instruments, agreements, and tangible investment opportunities for Kazakhstan and the wider region.
Reference:
The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is an independent jurisdiction where investors and business meet emerging opportunities of Kazakhstan and Central Asia in a transparent and sustainable environment backed by the principles of English Common Law. www.aifc.kz
AIFC Press Office,
Ainur Issabayeva, press secretary
E-mail: [email protected]
