Kazakh Official Reveals Details of Water Summit Co-Chaired with Saudi Arabia, France

Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Water Resources, Bekniyaz Bolat (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Water Resources, Bekniyaz Bolat (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Kazakh Official Reveals Details of Water Summit Co-Chaired with Saudi Arabia, France

Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Water Resources, Bekniyaz Bolat (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Water Resources, Bekniyaz Bolat (Asharq Al-Awsat)

A Kazakh official has outlined plans for a trilateral summit to organize a global event under the “One Water Summit” initiative.

The summit, which will be chaired by Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, and France, and supported by the World Bank, aims to build alliances, make commitments on water resources, and find practical solutions to global water issues.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Water Resources, Bekniyaz Bolat, said the summit is a key step toward the UN Water Conference in 2026.

The main goals of the summit include water sharing, expanding efforts to protect freshwater ecosystems, exploring innovative financial solutions, and minimizing water resource impact through measures like reducing water footprints and sharing information.

Bolat outlined seven key measures to address climate change, including developing strategies for adaptation, involving stakeholders like the private sector, and using new technologies. The plan also focuses on efficient water use in agriculture, water-saving irrigation, drought-resistant crops, and updating infrastructure.

Bolat stressed that the summit reflects Kazakhstan’s commitment to international cooperation, offering participants the chance to share knowledge and efforts on water management.

This collaboration will help introduce innovative techniques for measuring, managing, and using water, aiming to adapt to changing water cycles and preserve resources.

A key focus is investment in infrastructure, especially joint projects to modernize water systems. On November 12, 2024, Kazakhstan signed a $1.153 billion loan agreement with the Islamic Development Bank during the COP29 climate summit in Baku.

Strategic Cooperation with Saudi Arabia

Bolat also discussed opportunities for strategic cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan, particularly in environmental and natural resource management.

Both countries face climate change challenges, including water scarcity and desertification. Collaborative projects on restoring reservoirs, water-saving technologies, and anti-desertification efforts are seen as vital for strengthening ties.

He highlighted the potential for shared knowledge, with Saudi Arabia’s expertise in desalination and Kazakhstan’s projects like the Aral Sea restoration. Participation in global climate initiatives will further deepen this cooperation.

Adapting to Climate Change

Kazakhstan is actively working to adapt its water sector to climate change. Bolat emphasized the need for proactive measures to ease pressure on water resources.

In response to water shortages, Kazakhstan has focused on sustainable water management, including renewing reservoirs to store a record 75 billion cubic meters of water this year—15 billion more than last year. Over 12 billion cubic meters of this came from floodwaters.

He also mentioned ongoing work to modernize water infrastructure, which improves efficiency and ensures stable water supplies, even during droughts.

As a country reliant on transboundary rivers, Kazakhstan is committed to working with neighboring countries. Thanks to “water diplomacy,” it has secured sufficient water supplies for its southern regions, with water deliveries exceeding expectations.

Bolat concluded by emphasizing Kazakhstan's dedication to responsible water use, including implementing water-saving technologies, supporting farmers with modern irrigation methods, and promoting sustainable water practices among its citizens.



China's Xi Holds Rare Meeting with Business Leaders amid Slowing Economy, US Tensions

01 February 2025, Indonesia, Bandung: In this photo illustration, China Artificial Intelligence Deepseek Website and logo is displayed on a smartphone with Flag Of China in the background. Photo: Algi Febri Sugita/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
01 February 2025, Indonesia, Bandung: In this photo illustration, China Artificial Intelligence Deepseek Website and logo is displayed on a smartphone with Flag Of China in the background. Photo: Algi Febri Sugita/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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China's Xi Holds Rare Meeting with Business Leaders amid Slowing Economy, US Tensions

01 February 2025, Indonesia, Bandung: In this photo illustration, China Artificial Intelligence Deepseek Website and logo is displayed on a smartphone with Flag Of China in the background. Photo: Algi Febri Sugita/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
01 February 2025, Indonesia, Bandung: In this photo illustration, China Artificial Intelligence Deepseek Website and logo is displayed on a smartphone with Flag Of China in the background. Photo: Algi Febri Sugita/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a rare meeting on Monday with some of the biggest names in China's technology sector, including Alibaba founder Jack Ma, in what sources previously billed as an effort to boost private-business sentiment.

The meeting highlights a turnaround in Beijing's approach to its tech giants after a regulatory clampdown a few years ago, as well as more recent concerns about a slowdown in economic growth and efforts by the US to stunt its technological development, Reuters reported.

Liang Wenfeng, founder of DeepSeek, a startup that is threatening to upset the technology world order with its AI models, also attended, two sources familiar with the meeting said.
Liang was not pictured in CCTV's video, and DeepSeek did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Other private business leaders who attended the symposium included Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, Xiaomi's Lei Jun, BYD's Wang Chuanfu, Unitree's Wang Xingxing, and CATL's Robin Zeng, a video published by CCTV showed.
The meeting was also attended by Meituan's Wang Xing, China Feihe's Leng Youbin and Will Semiconductor founder Yu Renrong, the video showed.
Tencent's Pony Ma was there too, a source familiar with the matter said, declining to be named as the meeting details were not public. Tencent did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Xi delivered a speech after listening to representatives of private companies, official news agency Xinhua said. The report did not provide any details about the symposium, held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Reuters reported on Friday, citing sources, Xi planned to chair a symposium to boost private sector sentiment on Monday that would be attended by the country's business leaders, including Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma.
The symposium would be aimed at boosting private-sector sentiment, and Xi was expected to encourage company chiefs to expand their businesses domestically and internationally amid an intensifying China-US technology war, the sources had said.
Investors on Monday were scouring pictures and footage of the meeting to spot top bosses and trading accordingly, with Baidu shares down more than 8% - the largest loser on the Hang Seng index - after no top executive was spotted.
Founders of Baidu and Bytedance were among the prominent private business leaders in China who did not attend the meeting, two sources familiar with the matter. Neither company immediately responded to requests for comment.
The presence of top executives and companies at these high-profile events are typically seen by foreign investors as a sign of the businesses or individuals that are favored by the government.
ACHIEVING SELF-SUFFICIENCY
The meeting took place against the backdrop of US tariffs threatening to pile more pressure on the world's second-largest economy, which has been reeling from weak domestic consumption and a destabilizing debt crisis in the property sector.
The private business sector contributes more than 50% to China’s tax revenue, more than 60% of its economic output, 70% of tech innovation and 80% of urban employment, according to official estimates.
The meeting also comes as global excitement over DeepSeek's AI platform has spilled over into investor speculation about its potential positive effects on China's broader tech sector, and has triggered calls for an upward repricing of Chinese assets.
Xi has long stressed the need for China to achieve self-sufficiency in semiconductors and wants the country to use AI to drive economic development.
But China's efforts have been hampered by export control measures on chips imposed by Washington which is worried Beijing could use advanced semiconductors to boost its military capabilities.
"It's a tacit acknowledgement that the Chinese government needs private-sector firms for its tech rivalry with the US," said Christopher Beddor, deputy China research director at Gavekal Dragonomics in Hong Kong.
"The government has no choice but to support them if it wants to compete with the US."
'POTENTIAL RISKS'
Tech shares in Hong Kong have roared higher in recent weeks on a combination of optimism about the DeepSeek AI breakthrough and a thawing of authorities' approach to internet giants.
The Hang Seng technology index hit a three-year high in morning trade on Monday, having rallied on Friday after Reuters reported Xi was to chair Monday's symposium. It slipped in volatile afternoon trade and was last down 1.3%.
Xi first chaired a high-profile symposium for the private sector in 2018, six years after he came to power. At the time, he pledged tax cuts and a level playing field while reaffirming that private firms would have access to financial backing.
"Despite the rising opportunities in the case of DeepSeek, it is also about guiding the private sector in the government-led direction and containing the potential risks to compete with the US," said Gary Ng, senior economist at Natixis.
"Still, the regulatory environment is the black box. As most AI development happens in the private sector, we cannot entirely rule out the outcome of a tighter-than-market-expected regulatory environment than we see now."
Attendance by Jack Ma, in particular, has the potential to boost business confidence, analysts have said.
The once high-profile entrepreneur largely withdrew from public life after the IPO of his fintech company Ant was halted by authorities in 2020 – a move triggered by a speech he gave that year criticizing China's regulatory system.
His business empire and the wider technology industry were then targeted by a regulatory crackdown, with his time out of the limelight symbolizing a reversal of fortunes for China's private sector.