Kazakhstan Opens Innovation Hub in Dubai – The Astana Times

ASTANA – The Qaz Steppe Innovation Hub of promising Kazakh startups opened at the pavilion of Kazakhstan’s trade house in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on March 1, reported the Trade and Integration Ministry’s press service. The pavilion is establishing a coworking center to maximize the potential of the Kazakh IT industry, whose exports reached $500 million last year. Trade and Integration Minister Arman Shakkaliyev noted that the hub will advance the Kazakh IT services sector to international markets and unite the interests of both countries’ business circles, thereby effectively developing cooperation and increasing the competitiveness of Kazakh IT companies. The platform helped 15 Kazakh startups present their projects in the Middle East market and discuss prospects for interaction with such prominent companies as EMAAR, Etisalat, Google, Microsoft, Mastercard, L’Oreal, and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank. Qaz Steppe Innovation Hub Co-Founder Timur Mauleshov highlighted that the UAE and Middle East markets will spur the development of exports of high-tech solutions from Kazakhstan abroad. Emphasizing the platform’s uniqueness, aligning with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s ambitious task to transform Kazakhstan into an IT hub, Mauleshov said the current technology boom in the UAE opens up new prospects for Kazakh talented professionals and exciting startups. He added that the digital hub will provide a unique opportunity for Kazakh IT companies to receive support in finding new partners and investors. “We will create the most favorable environment for Kazakh startupers to showcase their high potential in the fast-growing market of the UAE and the Middle East,” he said.