Tokayev Invites Chinese Tech Giants to Build a "Data Center Valley" in Ekibastuz

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with executives of leading Chinese high-tech companies in a roundtable format and proposed considering Ekibastuz as a site for a large data center cluster — a kind of "Data Center Valley." The idea fits Kazakhstan's broader strategy of building computing capacity domestically rather than relying solely on renting foreign cloud infrastructure. For businesses, this means local infrastructure for data storage and running AI services could become more accessible and cheaper over time — right now, Kazakh companies often depend on foreign data centers, which affects pricing, service speed, and where corporate data physically resides. Large-scale local capacity could accelerate adoption of AI agents and other cloud tools among mid-size and large businesses in Kazakhstan, particularly where keeping company data inside the country matters. At 1Cifer, data localization is a question we hear often: our agents work with companies' 1C, CRM and email systems, and having capacity inside Kazakhstan makes it easier to meet requirements around storing corporate data locally.