BC new - Business Connect

Supporting every step of your business journey

AIFC is a unique hub of the financial world that allows businesses and financial institutions to tap into the markets of EAEU and Central Asia

Make an Enquiry

Watch video

AIFC in Numbers

The AFSA seeks to facilitate business processes by maintaining the safety and soundness of the AIFC financial system and ensuring that financial markets in the AIFC are fair, efficient, and transparent

Types of Regulated Activities

Leading Financial Centre GFCI 24

Companies Incorporated

Countries Represented

The AIFC is expected to earn a reputation for being a reliable financial platform and for increasing confidence and trust in Kazakhstan among foreign investors.

In turn, being a key part of the AIFC ecosystem, the independent common law judicial system represented by the AIFC Court plays an important role in the functioning of the AIFC and, accordingly, in the effective functioning of Kazakhstan’s investment programme.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

President of the Republic
of Kazakhstan

Looking back to this time last year, none of us could have imagined the challenges the world would face in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously impacted the entire global economy and brought unprecedented disruption to business activity around the globe. Despite the unpredictable nature of the pandemic, the AIFC managed to deliver solid results in the past year. Due to the limitations imposed by the pandemic, the AIFC prioritised supporting financial markets in the AIFC through providing relief measures for AIFC participants, and successfully bringing about a digital transformation and introducing a remote working format for AIFC Bodies and their organisations, which helped create the sense that it was business as usual.

Dr. Kairat Kelimbetov

Governor of the AIFC

The special legal regime is a free-standing commercial law system, designed to enable an independent international financial centre to operate. In order to ensure the introduction of the best global practice and the transposition of the relevant law of England and Wales, the AIFC established the Legal Advisory Council which I have the honor to chair. Representatives of London law firms such as Baker McKenzie, Herbert Smith Freehills, Hogan Lovells International, Michelmores, Norton Rose Fulbright, and White & Case are members of the Legal Council. This is a unique feature involved in creation of the AIFC.

Michael Blair QC

Chairman of the AIFC Legal Advisory Council, Leading Counsel in 3 Verulam Buildings

Historic decision to move the capital of Kazakhstan to Astana 20 years ago confirmed its function as a motor for the economic development of the whole country. I think that then not everyone appreciated the importance and significance of this decision. Currently, Kazakhstan is developing rapidly and is on the trajectory of entry into the top 30 of the most developed countries in the world. Today I am convinced that the creation of the AIFC will also be a similar transformational initiative and decision.

Dr. Jacob A. Frenkel

Ex-Chairman of JPMorgan Chase International

AIFC can become one of the main financial hubs of the Belt and Road project. The center will also help attract international investors to finance large-scale infrastructure projects. The AIFC development plays an important role in the overall reform agenda of the country: it will help channel domestic and foreign investments to Kazakhstan thus stimulating growth, setting new standards of corporate governance, skills transfer and green innovation. Also, the center will play a crucial role in the privatisation of large first-class companies, which is one of the key tasks in the country.

Sir Suma Chakrabarti

Ex-President of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development

I know that Kazakhstan and this region can offer a lot in terms of the development of innovations and entrepreneurship. I hope that today we will hear the voices of talents, we will see existing ideas. I am glad that Kazakhstan is now among the leaders of Islamic finance and is a developing market for this sphere. The country has all the necessary key requirements in order not only to become a successful domestic market of Islamic finance but also to position itself as a hub of Islamic finance in the region.

Dr. Bandar Hajjar

Ex-President of the Islamic Development Bank Group

The AIFC Court provides a common law court system for the first time in Eurasia. It operates to the highest international standards to resolve civil and commercial disputes in the AIFC. It has exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising out of the activities and operations of the AIFC and jurisdiction in the case of other disputes in which all parties agree in writing to give the AIFC Court jurisdiction.

The Rt. Hon. Lord Woolf CH

Ex-Chief Justice of the AIFC Court

Looking forward, the Astana International Financial Centre is capable of playing the same role in the development of the region as financial centres in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland or London do. AIFC will become an «investment beacon» for EAEU countries, Central Asia, the Caucasus and Mongolia.

Temirlan Mukhanbetzhanov

CEO

Why AIFC

Strategic
Location

AIFC strategically located between the eastern and westwern global financial and business centres with an english being an offical language of communication.

Why AIFC

Common Law Jurisdiction

AIFC is the first institution in the region to offer businesses a complete and comprehensive legal platform for attracting, implementing and protecting investments. AIFC jurisdiction is based on the principles, norms and precedents of the law of England and Wales

Why AIFC

Independent Financial Regulator

The Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) seeks to facilitate business processes by maintaining the safety and soundness of the AIFC financial system and ensuring that financial markets in the AIFC are fair, efficient, and transparent.

Why AIFC

Favorable Tax Regime

Until January 2066 AIFC tax regime grants various tax exemptions for AIFC participants and its investors

Why AIFC

Independent Court and Arbitration Centre

Judicial system based on the principles of the English Common Law and the standards of commercial courts in other international centres. AIFC Court is independent in its activities. It operates in accordance with the best international standards for resolving civil and commercial disputes in the AIFC.

Why AIFC

Talented Reserve Pool

12000 AIFC Reserve Pool members possess the essential set of knowledge, skills and abilities required for any profficient work opportunities

Financial Ecosystem

Leveraging its highly advantageous geographic position and proximity to Central Asian markets, the AIFC boasts a jurisdiction extremely conducive to establishing and carrying on a successful asset management business.

The AIFC platform presents opportunities for global and local private equity, hedge fund, and real estate fund managers to add diversity to their portfolios. Through its flexible legislative and regulatory regime, conceptually familiar to the world investor community, the AIFC can also support domestic and international investors who are in need of locally based specialists that are able to assess the emerging pools of wealth in Central Asia.

The Centre offers fund management framework that acknowledge intricate issues required for the successful management and distribution of funds.

AIFC welcomes new entities and existing bank representatives, from all around the globe, to take advantage of the positive economic change in Central Asia. The globalization and market growth of the region demand a full range of commercial and wholesale banking services, which in turn create opportunities for expanding wealth, as well as funding long-term investment projects.

The AIFC supports the development of the Private banking sector in conjunction with the development of the asset management market and expertise. The AIFC with its dynamic and sound course of action opens investment opportunities for High Net-Worth Individuals in the region and invites international Private Banking firms and External Asset Managers to set up their offices within the Centre.

As private wealth management is globally experiencing a shift towards Asia, and as emerging economies are drawing more investments and fueling further wealth generation, AIFC aims at positioning Astana as an important regional wealth management hub in Central Asia for a selected customer base from CIS/EAEU and other parts of Asia by creating a new platform for private banking.

Recognizing the importance of effective regulation and supervision of sustainable insurance market, the AIFC has implemented world-class regulation on insurance business.

AIFC allows foreign institutions to use its financial services and take advantage of the privileges offered within its territory. These incentives can attract investors and business development of the region. Insurance license allows the participants to provide financial coverage on different aspects such as monetary, legal, transport, physical and materialistic. We recognize the need to increase the effectiveness of the transfer of risk and facilitate growth in the reinsurance and captive insurance markets.

Additionally, it is a goal of the Centre to facilitate growth in the reinsurance and captive insurance markets to increase the effectiveness of the transfer of risk.

The AIFC Regulator (AFSA) is accepted as a member of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS).

AIFC is the first platform in the region to provide businesses with systemic access to Islamic finance, a rapidly growing and promising investment segment. By various estimates, this segment now totals over $2.5 trillion globally and is expected to reach $3.8 trillion by 2023, which accounts for 1% of the world’s total financial markets assets. Islamic banking represents the largest segment (estimated at $1.7 trillion or 70% of total Islamic finance assets). The Islamic insurance industry (takaful) and capital markets have shown strong growth as well.

Kazakhstan plans to develop Islamic finance industry in order to create alternative sources of financing for state and municipal projects, as well as for private ones. For this purpose, a special regulatory and legal regime has been set up in the AIFC that is consistent with international best practices and standards. AIFC’s Islamic finance industry includes a range of participants, including Islamic banks, asset management companies, investment funds, takaful and retakaful companies and other Islamic financial organizations, as well as leading international Islamic financial institutions.

Our mission is to develop a deep and liquid capital market in Kazakhstan and in the Central Asian region by providing clear and favorable conditions for attracting local and foreign investors as well as creating a platform to finance the growth of private businesses and the economy as a whole.
The Kazakhstan capital market is of great interest to international investors searching for new opportunities in emerging markets.

Astana International Exchange (AIX) ooffers investors and issuers all of the main instruments of the capital market: initial and secondary public offerings, stock trading, sovereign and corporate bonds, sovereign and corporate Eurobonds, depositary receipts, exchange-traded funds and notes, as well as Islamic financing instruments and bonds in yuan.
AIX is functioning in the AIFC jurisdiction. Its technological platform was designed jointly with NASDAQ and complies with the high requirements and expectations of global market participants. To implement this technological potential, a regulatory framework, unique for the region, based on English common law, has been created.

The AIFC Tech Hub is a meeting point for global startups, entrepreneurs, investors, industry’s top experts and great talent pool.

Our role is to help develop a more diverse and knowledgeable fintech space in Kazakhstan and the region with a pipeline of opportunities for venture capital funds and financial institutions. The modern infrastructure, flexible regulations, easy communication environment and legal transparency are aimed to attract tech companies and become one of the leading fintech hubs.

AIFC and Tech Hub are determined to increase the expansion of domestic technology companies and startups. Growing Globally will help to enhance the number of Kazakhstani companies contracting with international businesses, improve and level up their competencies and increase their income. In the long-term perspective, it may pay off in tight transnational cooperation, magnifying Kazakhstan as a regional hub for techpreneurship.

Professional services play a vital role in successful development of financial business in the AIFC.

Companies that offer professional services have opportunity to provide various services under the license Ancillary Service Provider, such as providing legal, audit, accountancy, business consulting, credit rating services.