Special economic zones (SEZs) in Kazakhstan have produced goods worth 15.9 trillion tenge, of which 1.1 trillion tenge accounts for exports. In total, 561 investment projects have been implemented in the SEZs, attracting 11.5 trillion tenge in investment and creating more than 38,000 jobs. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The data was released by the Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan. According to the ministry, 18 special economic zones operate in the country, including four sites established in 2025-2026.
Infrastructure and state support
According to the ministry, infrastructure and state support measures help enterprises launch production, adopt technologies and expand exports.
Major projects
Among the major projects, the ministry highlighted the gas chemical complex of Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries Inc. in Atyrau Region. It operates on the territory of the National Industrial Petrochemical Technopark SEZ and became the first such complex in the country.
KPI's design capacity is 500,000 tonnes of polypropylene per year. In the first half of 2026, the enterprise produced goods worth 366.2 billion tenge. According to the ministry's assessment, the complex contributes to the formation of a oil and gas chemical cluster, supplying the domestic market and expanding exports.
In the Astana — New City SEZ, the Tau-Ken Altyn plant operates with a capacity of 25 tonnes of refined gold and 50 tonnes of silver per year. To date, the enterprise has produced goods worth more than 8.8 trillion tenge. The ministry noted that the project ensured a full cycle of precious metals processing within the country.
Smit Central Asia LLP, on the territory of the Saryarka SEZ, produces pipes and fittings for the oil and gas, utilities and energy sectors. The enterprise's capacity is 30,000 tonnes of products per year, with total output reaching 33.64 billion tenge.
The plant produces heat-insulated pipeline systems which, according to the ministry, meet international quality requirements.
In Turkestan Region, Turkistan Tokyma LLP of the Lihua group is developing a cotton and textile complex in the Turan SEZ. The first stage of production was launched in December 2025, creating 430 jobs.
After reaching full capacity, the complex plans to produce goods annually.
The project envisages processing domestic cotton into finished textile products and expanding export supplies.
In the Jibek Joly SEZ in Zhambyl Region, the first phase of the Shengtai Biotech LLP plant of the Fufeng group for deep corn processing was launched. The capacity of the first stage is 500,000 tonnes of raw materials per year.
The complex envisages the production of starch, amino acids and feed additives. According to the ministry, its development will increase the depth of processing of agricultural raw materials and exports of high value-added products. After all stages are implemented, about 1,500 permanent jobs are planned to be created.
Coordination of the sector
The activities of Kazakhstan's special economic and industrial zones are coordinated by QazIndustry.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that a metallurgical plant with Chinese investment worth $1.2 billion is planned to be launched in the Jibek Joly SEZ in Zhambyl Region. The first stage with a capacity of 1 million tonnes of steel per year is intended to be commissioned in 2027, and by 2029 output is to be increased to 3 million tonnes.