Sheikh Khaled arrives in Kazakhstan on official visit

Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has arrived in Astana, the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan, on an official visit, at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Sheikh Khaled was received upon arrival at Astana International Airport by Olzhas Bektenov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, along with a number of senior Kazakh officials.

Sheikh Khaled is accompanied on the visit by a high-level official delegation comprising several ministers and senior UAE government officials.

Last month, Aida Balayeva, Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, stated that Culture Summit Abu Dhabi is a distinguished strategic platform for addressing issues of culture and arts in the contemporary world and for enhancing global cultural cooperation.

Speaking to WAM, she said that Kazakhstan and the UAE share deep-rooted cultural and humanitarian ties that go beyond economic cooperation to strengthen cultural links between the two peoples.

She highlighted that this relationship is characterised by a unique specificity that reflects the rich exchange between the heritage of the UAE and the culture of Kazakhstan, stressing that the UAE represents an exceptional model in integrating cultural history with creativity across various fields.

Balayeva emphasised that the UAE provides a significant opportunity to showcase culture and creativity, referring to the opening of teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, a digital art museum that offers an immersive artistic experience combining authenticity and modernity.

She considered the museum a living example of the UAE’s ability to integrate history with modern technologies, contributing to the development of cultural dialogue between different people.

She noted that technological development presents a significant opportunity to promote cultures and national identity, and artificial intelligence can serve to enhance cultural cooperation and broaden understanding between different cultures, thereby helping to foster rapprochement among peoples and increase global cultural interaction.

Balayeva thanked the organisers for providing this unique platform, emphasising that the summit’s events offer not only cultural exchange but also a strategic pathway to support peace and stability by leveraging culture as a vital tool for fostering communication between peoples.

She expressed Kazakhstan’s eagerness for further cultural cooperation with the UAE to enhance mutual interests and contribute to sustainable development.

In April 2025, Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), Timur Suleimenov, Governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, and Madina Abylkassymova, Chair of The Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Regulation and Development of Financial Market, signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation and information exchange in areas of mutual interest.

As part of the MoU, the three parties will exchange information and expertise on best practices and regulations for developing local financial markets, FinTech, and promoting central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and enabling their use in cross-border transactions among the participating parties.

The MoU includes the sharing of supervisory information, facilitating cooperation in the areas of Islamic banking and finance, cybersecurity, and technical cooperation.

Balama said that this MoU embodies the depth and strength of the economic partnership between the UAE and Kazakhstan, and opens broad prospects for the institutions to further develop this partnership in the commercial, investment, and financial sectors. The Central Bank’s proactive approach expands cooperation with regional and international partners, deepening joint business opportunities in the financial and banking sectors to support the UAE’s economic, trade, and investment goals.

“We look forward to close collaboration with our partners in Kazakhstan to enhance financial stability, develop the financial system,and achieve our mutual interests,” he added.

Suleimenov, in turn, stated, “The collaboration between the Central Bank of the UAE and the National Bank of Kazakhstan aims to deepen economic partnerships and advance cooperation in finance, banking and CBDCs, driving sustainable development. We will use our expertise in financial technology and payment systems to achieve shared objectives and foster economic prosperity.”

WAM