AFD 2023 AGENDA

June 7th

The discussion will evolve….

Addressing a diverse range of policy, technology and regulation issues, the POWERING PERSPECTIVES ON THE MACRO OUTLOOK session will bring together influential industry leaders and government figures to discuss the opportunities for Kazakhstan as it works towards a sustainable, resilient and inclusive economy, and robust capital market.

By positioning itself as the crossroads between Europe and Asia, Kazakhstan offers excellent opportunities for investing in the creation of a new Silk Road, and with this in mind, the AIX is working on creating products that expose investors to this exciting initiative and make Kazakhstan’s capital market enticing and competitive the world over.

In the dynamic landscape of global finance, Kazakhstan stands at a pivotal juncture, poised to attract substantial investments. As part of the Astana Finance Days forum, this panel session delves into the critical role financial institutions play in harnessing this potential and fostering sustainable economic growth not only within Kazakhstan but also across the wider region.

In June 2023, it will be exactly one year since the official launch of the Pilot Project took place. The industry representatives going to present the results of the project in June 2023.

The financial sector, particularly banking, has been one of the major beneficiaries of emerging breakthrough technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, big data, robotics, and more, for several decades now. Fintech, being the main driver of the sector, has radically transformed our daily lives in recent years by making financial products more accessible, affordable, and convenient.

During this panel session, we will discuss the latest achievements of Kazakhstani banks in the field of fintech, analyse the key trends and barriers to the development of the financial sector in Kazakhstan and the world, and attempt to forecast potential industry changes in the coming years.

We invite everyone interested in the topic of financial technology to join our discussion. Together, we can gain a better understanding of how fintech helps overcome challenges and address social and economic issues, as well as identify new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.

Leveraging its highly advantageous geographic position and proximity to Central Asian markets, the AIFC boasts a jurisdiction that has successfully demonstrated its extreme conduciveness to establishing and carrying on a successful asset management business.
The session will focus on the opportunities the AIFC’s comprehensive regulatory regime presents for global and local private equity, hedge fund, and real estate fund managers to add diversity to their portfolios. The speakers will also explore the challenges and opportunities of investing in frontier and emerging markets, in Central Asia, the EAEU, sectors and strategies for investing and the role financial hubs and regulators play in such markets.

The AIFC Court and IAC commenced operations on 1 January 2018. Since then, the AIFC Court and IAC have achieved considerable case volume and continue to implement a sustained enhancement programme for greater efficiency and innovation to ensure that they provide the most up to date and user friendly international standard commercial dispute resolution. During […]

The panel session will elaborate on latest perspective on the diverse and complex world of alternative investments. This session will gather leading minds in the industry to shed light on the latest strategies that are driving success in alternative investment funds, including private equity, hedge funds, real estate, commodities, and beyond. While wealth opportunities are […]

The AIFC’s comprehensive legal framework boasts an array of concepts and mechanisms widely used by the business community when structuring various deals and effecting transactions, including as part of major joint ventures. During the session representatives of the AIFC’s most prominent market players will discuss their experience and important practical considerations in planning, structuring and executing deals in accordance with the Acting Law of the AIFC.

Innovation has become the key driver of success in the modern world, with businesses and organizations constantly seeking new ways to grow and stay ahead of the competition. But what is it that drives innovation?

By bringing together local business representatives, as well as local and overseas investors, the INVESTING IN PRIORITY SECTORS OF KAZAKHSTAN session aims to facilitate discussion on how to make more informed decisions in the current investment landscape.

The carefully selected companies will have a valuable opportunity to present their strategic and financial plans and communicate their potential to the investor community.

A deeper and more liquid market will increase the availability of equity capital and lower the cost of capital for businesses, making investment more attractive and increasing economic growth rates.

Investment funds are estimated to manage close to $63 trillion of assets globally and account for 20% of global financial assets. While most of these funds are still domiciled in a handful of traditional fund jurisdictions, the competition in this space has picked up significantly in the last decade. With an attractive regulatory and tax environment, AIFC has gradually started gaining traction as a funds jurisdiction of choice for regional asset managers and their investors. Will AIFC be able to keep this momentum and become a regional hub for investment funds?  To answer this question, the panel discussion will seek to explore both global and AIFC-wide developments in domiciling and managing of investment funds from the perspective of regulatory environment, market access and operational considerations.

Demands for better regulations have grown following the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchanges.
While the European Union and others have created regional rules, global policymakers have been criticised for facilitating a regulatory vacuum.
We would like to invite academic circle and industry representatives to discuss crypto regulations issues.
The interviewer and the participants of the session will discuss about trends and challenges, share views that reflect the whole picture of the industry and try to “look” into the future.

Immersive technologies, such a virtual reality and augmented reality, have found their way into higher education and are increasingly being used by companies as part of talent development programmes. Immersive technology creates a distinct experience by merging the physical and digital or simulated reality worlds. This session will explore the potential of immersive technologies in education and accelerate talent development.

The Harvard Growth Lab and the AIFC conducted extensive research on the complexity of Kazakhstan’s economy and exports. The primary objectives of this study were to identify export and investment opportunities, as well as to develop a set of evidence-based recommendations on economic growth and export diversification.

The research analysed the exports structure of Kazakhstan in terms of product economic complexity and, based on that, the regions of Kazakhstan with similar export capabilities were grouped into macro regions. A list of recommended products was compiled for each macro region to diversify exports of Kazakhstan.

The presentation of the results of the research will include the methodology and approach description, rationale behind the formation of macro regions, factors considered to identify investment opportunities, and tailored product recommendations for each macro region to improve economic complexity of Kazakhstan.

The panel session will discuss current problems in the field of electric power industry, including prospects for using Smart Grid technologies, current pilot projects, abstract architecture, green technologies and the role of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the above areas. The speakers at the panel session […]

Islamic banking services in AIFC are now available alongside conventional financial services. These developments underscore a clear trend in which Shari’ah-compliant banking products and services have gained traction among businesses and individuals. So what is the stage for Islamic finance in AIFC? How attractive is this market? How active are participants? What instruments can we […]

Human Capital Drives Innovation by building the necessary capabilities within organizations to foster innovation. This includes developing the skills and competencies required for innovation, providing employees with training and development opportunities, and creating a culture that supports experimentation and risk-taking.
Capability building within organizations is essential to driving innovation, as it enables employees to develop the knowledge, skills, and creativity needed to generate new ideas and solutions.
Participants in the panel will discuss strategies and practices for capability building on topics such as:
The role of leadership in promoting a culture of innovation within the organization.
The importance of investing in employee training and development to build capability for innovation.
Strategies for encouraging collaboration and knowledge-sharing across different departments or teams within the organization.
The role of diversity and inclusion in driving innovation by bringing together people with different perspectives and backgrounds.
The use of technology and digital tools to facilitate innovation and streamline processes?

The panel session will be dedicated to issues of the practical application of the AIFC Jurisdiction, including aspects of doing business in the AIFC, providing legal consulting services on corporate structuring, dispute resolution, and commercial transactions.

Sustainable finance can play a crucial role in promoting low-carbon development by channeling investment towards environmentally sustainable projects and supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. There are a number of new tools emerging in the field of sustainable finance that can help to advance this goal: green and social bonds, SLB/SLL, ESG-investing, carbon offsetting and others. During this session we will discuss new financial instruments implemented in Kazakhstan and the region. 

Compelling panel discussion on the latest approaches and tools in visa-migration policy, aimed at enhancing the investment attractiveness of Kazakhstan and the region. This session will bring together esteemed panelists from local and foreign state bodies, organisations, and international experts to delve into the impact of visa regime facilitation on the countries’ investment environment for foreign business and human capital. As outlined in the Migration Policy Concept of Kazakhstan for 2023-2027, one of the key pillars of investment attractiveness is business immigration. Therefore, a crucial objective is the implementation of innovative initiatives to establish Kazakhstan as a financial and investment hub in the region, leveraging visa-migration tools such as the groundbreaking “AIFC Multipass” project.

During this panel session, we will discuss the emerging digital assets ecosystem, opportunities, and challenges of this rapidly evolving landscape. Speakers will share their expertise and insights regarding trends in this field. As well as the impact of digital assets on traditional financial institutions, and the potential for collaboration between traditional players and digital assets companies.

The ICM is a component of the overall capital market in AIFC. It plays a vital role in generating economic growth for the country. AIFC provides an attractive proposition to Sharia-conscious investors and issuers. What will further boost ICM in AIFC and Kazakhstan? How to nurture a facilitative ecosystem enabling the Islamic capital market to serve in moving towards the new frontier? How to bring new investors?

GREEN FINANCE AWARDS is an international award established by AIFC in 2019 and aimed at recognising and celebrating achievements in green and sustainable finance development in Central Asia, the Caucasus, of EAEU, Western China, Mongolia, and Eastern Europe. GREEN FINANCE AWARDS is designed to inspire and encourage individuals and organisations that are making a significant contribution to this important field. By highlighting best practices and innovation in the green finance sector, the awards help to drive progress towards a more sustainable and low-carbon future.

ESG Reporting is an important tool in terms of creating transparency, managing risks and attracting investments. The Session will be focused on sharing experience and outlining new perspectives in ESG Reporting by giving an overview and practical requirements of IFRS S1 and S2, the ISSB’s general and climate disclosure standards and discussing investors’ possibilities to assess climate transition risks. Moreover, the Session will also include discussions on SASB standards and TCFD recommendations. 

More than 100 countries around the globe offer wealthy individuals a residence and/or citizenship by investments. Kazakhstan became one of the destinations where high-net-worth individuals can obtain long-term investment visas and Kazakhstan tax residency under simplified conditions through the AIFC Investment Tax Residency Programme. The session will focus on recent investment migration trends, the importance of due diligence checks, and opportunities for individual investors in the AIFC.

Boards often mistakenly confuse luck with resilience. Luck, such as oil price recovery, can allow a company to bounce back, until a new price collapse comes along, for instance. Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from an external shock – such as a financial crisis, a pandemic, a major cyber-attack, or global climate change disruption – because of the company’s ability to manage virtually anything through the way it operates. During this panel we will discuss the types and nature of disruptive risks and how to respond to them to build a resilient organisation.

Positive changes in the Tax Code related to the investments of private investors in local and foreign recognized market will stimulate opening of new brokerage accounts, increase the number of transactions, thereby improving the culture of consumption of financial services and taking another step in the progressive advance of the financial industry.

Emissions trading system nowadays is one of the most significant steps towards achieving carbon neutrality. Bearing in mind the deadlines of achieving net zero by countries in accordance with international obligations, ETS provides countries with necessary platforms and infrastructures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
With the participation of government, industry  representatives and international experts,  this session will focus on Kazakhstan`s possibilities on improving carbon trading. The session will also serve to present a concept of a new carbon trading platform which will contribute to the goal on achieving carbon neutrality.