Kazakhstan is rolling out a huge investment plan in the Mangystau Region, with 24 transport and tourism projects worth a massive 1.9 trillion tenge (about $3.6 billion) already underway. During his recent visit to the Aktau International Sea Port on April 18, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was updated on the progress by Minister of Transport Marat Karabayev. These efforts are part of the country’s broader push to position itself as a key logistics and transit hub between Europe and Asia.
One major driver behind this push is the rapid growth of the Trans-Caspian International Trasnport Route. In just the past year, cargo traffic through the corridor jumped 62%, hitting 4.5 million tons. That includes 358 container trains and 27,000 vehicles. Officials expect this to more than double by 2028, so the government is stepping up its game, building a new container terminal in Aktau that will boost capacity from 140,000 to 240,000 containers. At the same time, a brand-new airport is under construction in the Kendirli resort zone, aimed at handling 150 passengers an hour and connecting to Almaty and Astana through regular flights.
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Details on the Kazakhstan Tourism and Transport Plan
Roads and railways are also getting major upgrades. Projects like the Center-West and Beineu-Saksaul highways will shave off up to 900 kilometers from long-haul routes, making trade faster and cheaper. Tokayev stressed the importance of speeding up construction, including improvements to 125 train stations and roads linking Kazakhstan to Turkmenistan.He also visited Aktau’s new wholesale distribution center, an 80,000-square-meter facility designed to store 40,000 tons of goods and help keep food prices in check.
But it’s not just about freight and logistics. Tokayev is betting big on tourism too. He announced plans to expand the Aktau Seaport’s special economic zone from 3,700 to 26,500 hectares, opening the door to new businesses, especially in food and consumer goods. He also highlighted Aktau’s potential as a sea tourism hotspot, with easy access to nearby ports in Russia, Iran, and the Caucasus. To support that vision, Kazakhstan is planning a brand-new seaport and upgraded berths to welcome passenger cruise ships. “There’s a real opportunity here to tap into the tourism boom,” Tokayev said. “Now’s the time to act.”
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