On 4-5 September 2025, one of the year`s most significant financial events – the 8th Astana Finance Days – will be held in the capital of Kazakhstan, under the auspices of the Astana International Forum (AIF). This year`s theme, “Where Capital Empowers the Future”, plays on the dual meaning of the word capital: referring both to Astana – Kazakhstan`s capital city and a rapidly developing financial hub bridging East and West – and to capital as a driving force for sustainable growth.
In an era of global competition for capital, the effective use of these resources is essential to overcoming the challenges of our time – from tackling climate change to fostering economic development and technological progress.
This year, Astana Finance Days is expected to attract over 5 000 participants from more than 70 countries, including professionals from the financial and technology sectors – such as brokers, bankers, investors and innovators – as well as representatives from government bodies and quasi-state organisations.
The 2025 forum will focus on three core thematic areas: financial capital, infrastructural capital, and institutional capital. This broad scope will enable discussions on a wide range of topics – from current trends in finance, fintech, and sustainability, to regulatory developments and emerging financial products, spanning everything from traditional portfolio investments to cryptocurrencies.
One of the forum`s headline speakers will be Brett King – a renowned futurist, entrepreneur, and author of global bestsellers including Bank 4.0: Banking Everywhere, Never at a Bank; The Rise of Technosocialism: How Inequality, AI and Climate will Usher in a New World; and Augmented: Life in the Smart Lane.
Other confirmed speakers include: Oraz Zhandossov, Director of the RAKURS Center for Economic Analysis; Timur Turlov, Chief Executive Officer of Freedom Holding Corp.; Galim Khusainov, BoD Member at Teniz Capital Investment Banking; Jad Ellawn, Managing Partner and Head of the Middle East at Brookfield; Ryad Yousuf, Partner at Goldman Sachs; Hani Kablawi, Senior Executive Vice President and Head of International at BNY Mellon; and Meshal Jaber AlFaras, Head of the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia at Janus Henderson Investors – along with other senior figures from private enterprise, government, and quasi-state organisations.
A key feature of this year`s forum will be the AFD Exhibition Hub – a unified exhibition platform of Astana Finance Days. It will bring together companies operating in the capital markets and digital innovation sectors, providing a space to showcase solutions, strengthen market positioning, and establish direct links with strategic partners.
The forum is organised by the Astana International Financial Centre, ranked the leading financial hub in Eastern Europe and Central Asia by the Global Financial Centres Index. Astana Finance Days 2025 is supported by gold partners Freedom Broker and KAZ Minerals; silver partners Solidcore Resources, ITS and MYD Production; bronze partners ERG, LMAX Group and Teniz Capital Investment Banking; industrial partner Allur; and others.
For full details of the Astana Finance Days programme and to register, please follow this link.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.