Kazakhstan’s $10 Billion AI Gamble: Can a Nation Built on Oil Become Eurasia’s Next Tech Powerhouse?

Astana, Thursday, 18 June 2026.
Kazakhstan just placed the largest bet in Central Asia’s history—$10 billion—to build a Nvidia-powered AI data center hub by 2027. The project, dubbed ‘Data Center Valley,’ aims to generate $3 billion in annual export revenue, positioning the oil-rich nation as Eurasia’s next digital epicenter. The twist? It’s not just about tech; it’s about transforming Ekibastuz’s energy surplus into a new export: computing power.