GITEX Central Asia & Caucasus closed in Astana on June 4 after three days that brought together over 600 exhibitors from 60 countries and roughly 10,000 participants. The event, organised by KAOUN International as part of the global GITEX network, was hosted by Kazakhstan's Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development and Astana Hub.
The session programme covered AI, cybersecurity, fintech, smart cities, cloud infrastructure, 5G, and deep-tech investment. The format was explicitly designed to connect Gulf capital — particularly UAE and Saudi tech investment streams — with Central Asian engineering talent and government digital programmes.
Regional IT services are projected at $5.6 billion by 2029. Venture funding reached $95 million in 2024 — a fraction of the potential, which is precisely the pitch GITEX was making.
Kazakhstan positioned itself as the hub. The Ministry of AI and Digital Development co-hosted alongside Astana Hub, the country's main startup and tech policy vehicle. The digital agenda in Astana has been moving fast: Kazakhstan launched a national AI strategy in 2024, has a data centre build-out underway, and is the most active digital economy in the region by most measures.
One thread ran through multiple sessions: the Russian tech sector's search for new markets. A GITEX pre-event analysis identified Central Asia as a primary destination for Russian technology companies displaced from Western markets by sanctions. For Kazakhstan, which has been careful to avoid becoming a sanctions circumvention route for physical goods, the digital sector presents a more ambiguous policy challenge — software and services are harder to track than dual-use hardware.
CAW NOTE
GITEX outcomes take time to materialise — the deals signed on the sidelines of tech forums rarely surface immediately. What is useful to track: Astana Hub's post-event investment announcements, new government digital contracts, and whether Gulf capital commitments made at GITEX translate into registered entities and project launches in Kazakhstan over Q3. The next regional tech anchor event is planned for September 2026.