Source: Город, которого еще нет: как бизнес обживает Алатау Сити

Alatau City, located directly along the southern edge of Almaty and stretching nearly 48 kilometers toward Konaev, is emerging as one of Kazakhstan’s most ambitious urban and economic projects. Still largely undeveloped on the ground, the future city is being shaped through master plans and large-scale investment expectations. According to Forbes Kazakhstan, the territory-divided into functional districts such as Growing, focused on industry and logistics-remains a mix of open fields, former settlements and early construction sites, highlighting the contrast between long-term urban vision and present-day reality.

Despite infrastructure and land allocation challenges, Alatau City is actively positioning itself as a hub for both domestic and foreign investors. The special economic zone (SEZ) Alatau currently hosts several anchor residents, including the Zhetygen Transport and Logistics Center, Mars Petcare Kazakhstan, Sunny Paper and Etasa Fiber. Major global companies such as PepsiCo are constructing large production facilities nearby, attracted by the city’s strategic location within the Almaty agglomeration, access to transport corridors and labor resources. PepsiCo’s snack production plant, the company’s first in Central Asia, is set to become a regional export hub, with investments reaching $368 million and plans to source raw materials from local farmers.

At the same time, businesses already operating in the area note that Alatau City is still in transition from a former rural landscape to a fully functioning urban economy. While some companies benefit from proximity to logistics infrastructure and future growth prospects, others point to unresolved issues such as utilities, transport connectivity and the pace of SEZ development. Experts emphasize that the success of Alatau City as a true business city will depend on accelerated infrastructure rollout, coordinated management and the attraction of strong anchor investors. If these conditions are met, Alatau City could evolve into a major industrial, logistics and innovation center for Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asian region.