On November 23, the Ministry of Transport announced plans to establish Special Economic Zones (SEZs) at several Kazakh airports—Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktau, Aktobe, and Karagandy, QazMonitor reports citing the Ministry’s press service.
During a meeting with representatives of local executive bodies and airports, Transport Minister Marat Karabayev noted that the proposed measures aim to stimulate cargo flows to Kazakhstan's airports and contribute to the development of the national transport infrastructure. The creation of special zones linked to airports is a common international practice, successfully applied in the world's leading airports such as Dubai, Singapore, Shannon, and others.
According to data provided by the Ministry of Industry and Construction, SEZs are operating in twelve regions throughout the country, and authorities are considering opportunities to link established zones to airport territories. Furthermore, the authorities are working to identify additional regional airports where a special economic regime may be needed.
