Barely a year after launching its digitization directive, Kazakhstan is seeing tangible progress across key sectors through the integration of AI, blockchain, and IoT technologies. The effort stems from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s 2024 vision to make Kazakhstan the regional leader in next-gen technologies.
Among the standout initiatives are the Crypto City pilot zone, discussions on a national digital asset bank, and the Solana Economic Zone—Central Asia’s first blockchain-dedicated hub. Blockchain integration in government processes has already helped curb corruption, with authorities saving more than $24 million from the shadow economy. Citizens now benefit from electronic medical certificates, while universities have launched blockchain education modules across 100 institutions to build talent pipelines.
In AI, Kazakhstan has unveiled its developmental blueprint through 2029, with a national AI strategy and legal framework in the works. The government has also launched a national research and training center for AI and introduced Central Asia’s first supercomputer cluster. Connectivity has seen dramatic improvement, with 95% internet penetration and Starlink expanding last-mile coverage.
The education and healthcare sectors are reaping the rewards, and authorities are preparing digital payment initiatives to move toward a cashless economy. Analysts say Kazakhstan’s early results highlight its strong positioning in regional digital leadership, even as neighbors Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan advance in AI and digital currency adoption.
Qatar Development Bank’s IBM-Led Digital Overhaul
In parallel, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) has begun a sweeping IT transformation by integrating IBM Cloud Pak for Integration, Instana, and Turbonomic. These solutions modernize QDB’s infrastructure, enabling it to handle nearly 40,000 API calls daily with enhanced resilience, AI-powered monitoring, and optimized energy efficiency.
Early tests have shown gains in customer experience, transaction speed, and cost efficiency. Executives say the overhaul primes QDB to adopt emerging fintech solutions while maintaining operational resilience. The move aligns with broader reforms in Qatar’s financial system, where regulators are exploring CBDCs, blockchain regulation, and AI applications in finance.
Together, Kazakhstan’s digitization drive and QDB’s IBM-backed modernization highlight how Central Asia and the Gulf are accelerating efforts to embrace next-generation technologies for economic diversification and competitiveness.
