Kazakhstan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a memorandum of understanding to implement 15 large-scale projects worth about $5.5 billion between 2026 and 2029.

The initiatives, focused on infrastructure, digitalization, and sustainable development, aim to strengthen the country’s transit capacity and investment appeal, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia.

According to an official statement, the memorandum lays the groundwork for large-scale projects in regional connectivity, disaster resilience, water resource management, modernization of housing and utilities infrastructure, and housing market development. ADB will also continue financing private-sector initiatives, including projects in agriculture, transport, and logistics.

Priority areas include transport and logistics infrastructure, emergency response systems, digital technology development, and green finance. The parties also highlighted potential cooperation in artificial intelligence, the construction of data centers, the expansion of fiber-optic backbone networks, and the digitalization of transport corridors and customs procedures.

One of the first concrete steps under the agreement is a project between KazAutoZhol JSC and the ADB to construct a 102-kilometer bypass road around the town of Saryagash in the Turkestan region. The new road is expected to enhance road safety, accelerate freight and passenger transport, and strengthen trade links between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

The parties also reviewed progress on a public-private partnership project to build a 300-bed university hospital in Karaganda. The planned medical cluster will combine professional training and scientific research, with subsequent integration of innovations into practical healthcare.

ADB President Masato Kanda noted Kazakhstan’s progress in structural reforms, including measures to enhance financial sector stability, and reaffirmed the bank’s interest in supporting the country’s digital transformation.

Earlier, ADB initiated a project to develop a shorter road route from Almaty to Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. The new route is expected to reduce travel time by nearly half, strengthening tourism and trade connectivity between the two countries.