Astana Int'l Financial Center secures $21.5 bln in investment since launch

ASTANA. April 15 (Interfax) - The Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) has secured $21.5 billion in investment since its launch, AIFC Governor Renat Bekturov said at a meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday.

"Investment raised through the AIFC platform has reached $21.5 billion to date, including $7.2 billion since the beginning of 2025," the presidential press service quoted Bekturov as saying.

Assets under the AIFC's management stand at $5.4 billion, he said. AIFC members have paid 284.3 billion tenge in taxes over the entire period, including 135.9 billion tenge in 2025.

The number of companies registered with AIFC has exceeded 5,400, with more than 1,800 new participants registered in 2025 and Q1 2026.

Debt and equity raised via the Astana International Exchange (AIX) reached $12.4 billion, while total trading volume in 2023-2025 amounted to $4 billion, Bekturov said

Since the beginning of 2025, the AIFC Court and International Arbitration Center have handled more than 1,600 cases, bringing the total to over 4,900.

The AIFC has also launched its Aviation Finance Hub to develop aircraft financing and leasing, as well as a platform to encourage investment in early-stage geological exploration.

Tokayev set a number of tasks for the AIFC's further development, including measures to boost its international presence, update the regulatory environment and create favorable conditions to facilitate capital flow into Kazakhstan.

The AIFC was established in 2015 and has been operating since 2018 as a jurisdiction governed by English common law. It focuses on attracting investment and developing the regional financial market. The AIFC includes the Astana International Exchange, Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA), and its own court and arbitration system.

The official exchange rate on April 15 is 476.97 tenge per $1.