Staff Report
Dubai, UAE
Presight, an ADX-listed public company and a global big data analytics and applied intelligence company, has signed a US$190 million, six-year agreement with the municipal government of the City of Astana in Kazakhstan to deploy an AI-powered smart city project to digitise urban infrastructure, enhance traffic management, and modernise public services.
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 wellbeing.
Kazakhstani companies will be responsible for 60 percent of the total project scope of the smart city project, ensuring that jobs, in-country value creation, and investment remains in Kazakhstan.
The smart city project closely 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 startups in Central Asia, to power venture financing deals for startups.
To complement the Astana smart city project and Presight’s other nation-building initiatives in Kazakhstan, Presight also announced the expansion of its Astana office to improve service of in-country projects as it grows operations in Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asia region.
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.”
Through the responsible and ethical implementation of AI-driven solutions, citizens of Astana will experience improved public services, digitised infrastructure, enhanced healthcare access, and safer, more efficient urban environments.
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.
Ends
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