Astana is digitising its urban infrastructure. The capital city of Kazakhstan will deploy an AI-powered smart city platform to transform the city’s infrastructure. The programme is in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based AI specialist Presight. It is aimed at achieving faster emergency response times, enhancing traffic infrastructure and modernising public service delivery.

The city has signed a USD 190 million six-year agreement with Presight. Kazakhstani companies will be responsible for 60% of the total project scope, which will be managed, implemented and resourced with a local Kazakhstan-based workforce. The Astana smart city project follows other Presight projects with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, Samruk-Kazyna and Astana Hub. Presight is expanding its Astana office as it grows its presence in Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asia region.

The Astana smart city project will deliver community-wide benefits from reduced traffic and congestion to faster emergency response times. The AI-powered nation-building project is designed to enhance Astana’s liveability, sustainability, citizen services, and digital transformation agenda. It will see the introduction of sensors and IoT-enabled infrastructure to create a digital twin of the city, which will improve liveability, safety and community well-being.

The smart city project follows other major announcements for Presight in Kazakhstan. In 2024, the Kazakhstan Ministry of Digital Development, in collaboration with Samruk-Kazyna, the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Kazakhstan, appointed Presight to develop an AI supercomputer and data centre cluster to enable the country’s digital transformation initiatives.

In 2023, Presight also partnered with Astana Hub, the largest international technology park for IT start-ups in Central Asia, to power venture financing deals for start-ups.

Thomas Pramotedham, Chief Executive Officer of Presight, said: “We congratulate the City of Astana for being a global leader in the adoption of world-leading AI for smart city applications. The Astana smart city project aims to develop an ecosystem powered by AI-driven video analytics, enhancing urban management, traffic optimisation, and public safety. By integrating advanced monitoring infrastructure and intelligent vision systems, the initiative will provide real-time insights to improve city operations and situational awareness.

“A key component includes AI-powered traffic management solutions designed to enhance road safety and streamline mobility. Additionally, existing visual data sources will be unified into a real-time digital twin of the city, enabling predictive analytics and faster response times to incidents. This initiative underscores a commitment to leverage AI and data-driven solutions for more efficient, secure, and sustainable urban development.”

Presight is committed to developing AI solutions that enhance communities while upholding privacy and security. This project aligns with the City of Astana’s digital transformation goals and ensures AI is used ethically and transparently to deliver tangible benefits to citizens.