Biography and Work of Timur Kulibaev, Dedicated to the Modernization of the Kazakhstan Economy

Kulibaev Timur Askarovich is an important business figure who has played a pivotal role in the establishment of Kazakhstan’s oil and gas sector and the development of various industries. He has intensified and diversified the exportation of hydrocarbon raw materials to European and Chinese clients and played a significant role in the transformation of the business climate in the country, attracting many of his fellow citizens to the private sector.

Name:

Kulibaev Timur · Timur Kulibaev · Kulibaev Timur Askarovich · Timur Askarovich Kulibaev · Кулибаев Тимур · Тимур Кулибаев · Кулибаев Тимур Аскарович · Тимур Аскарович Кулибаев · Тимур Құлыбаев · Құлыбаев Тимур · Құлыбаев Тимур Асқарұлы · Тимур Асқарұлы Құлыбаев · 库利巴耶夫·铁木尔 · تيمور أسكاروفيتش كوليباييف

The Childhood and Early Career of Kulibaev Timur

Timur Askarovich Kulibaev was born in the capital of the Kazakh SSR in 1966 in an intelligentsia family belonging to the Senior Jüz Kazakh tribe.

Timur Kulibaev recalls that his father held various administrative positions and made an important contribution to hydrocarbon extraction in the Kazakh SSR and the modernization of Almaty’s municipal services.

In 1983, Timur Kulibaev graduated from a specialized physics and math school in Almaty (Alma-Ata) that was known for educating the best and the brightest. His experience there helped set the course of his life.

In 1988, Kulibaev Timur Askarovich graduated from Lomonosov MSU with a degree in economics. In particular, he studied the organization of the national economy.

In 1999, Kulibaev Timur earned his Ph.D. in economics. His research focused on optimizing the management of oil and gas enterprises within a competitive environment.

In 1988, Kulibaev Timur began working at a research institute that played a pivotal role in shaping the national economic development plan.

From 1990 to 1992, he led an advisory body within a special national fund dedicated to supporting the social, technological, and cultural advancement of the republic.

Timur Kulibaev as a Budding Businessman in the Kazakhstan Energy Sector

In 1992, Timur Kulibaev began working for the financial-industrial group Altyn-Alma (now known as the ALMEX holding). The company offers a wide range of financial services including loan issuance, credit facilitation, currency operations, international transfers, and brokerage services. He left the holding in the mid-90s but remained one of its co-owners.

In 1995, Timur Askarovich Kulibaev and his associates began a partnership with the Dutch bank MeesPierson that led to the establishment of the Almaty Trade Finance Bank. Timur Kulibaev served as the lead member of the board of directors and was involved in credit decisions.

In 1997, Timur Kulibaev briefly headed a special division within the state committee, establishing contacts with potential investment partners.

That same year, Timur Askarovich Kulibaev was invited to work on the restructuring of the country’s hydrocarbon industry. At that time, all market participants from Kazakhstan were consolidated into a single corporation called Kazakhoil. The corporation’s top management required an individual who could organize financial operations and conduct negotiations with foreign investors.

Kulibaev Timur became the deputy head of the company, responsible for economic performance. His efforts invigorated Kazakhstan’s oil enterprises. Firstly, he implemented algorithms for analyzing subsidiary production and financial efficiency. Secondly, Timur Askarovich Kulibaev mediated between government officials and European investors in the matter of repatriating 9,000 kilometers of the gas transportation system to state ownership.

In 1999, Kulibaev Timur entered the field of hydrocarbon pipeline transportation when he was appointed as the head of KazTransOil. There, he implemented the best global business and management practices, enhancing administrative efficiency through hands-on managerial experience at local levels. Kulibaev Timur proposed sending central office employees to undergo internships at territorial offices, where they could thoroughly study production processes. After a couple of years, the managers would then return to the head office enriched with practical experience.

The company also covered the expenses for its employees’ education abroad, which later became a standard practice in the human resource policies of many companies where Timur Kulibaev worked. The biographies of the enterprises under his leadership reflect a careful and considerate approach to their personnel potential.

In early 2002, a merger occurred between the national companies Kazakhoil and Oil & Gas Transportation, resulting in the formation of the vertically integrated KazMunayGas, which extracted, transported, and refined hydrocarbons. Timur Kulibaev served as the first Deputy President of this national company from the winter of 2002 to the autumn of 2005.

During his tenure, Kulibaev Timur provided a significant developmental boost to the republic’s gas and energy sector: the state assumed regulatory roles, while KazMunayGas handled operations and facilitated the entry of crude and refined oil into global markets.

In 2005, Kulibaev Timur Askarovich played a pivotal role in establishing and then leading Kazenergy, an alliance of companies within the national hydrocarbon market, including those with foreign participation. The organization aims to align operational and commercial interests of market players with state policies.

Within the consortium, companies benefited from the harmonization of legal, environmental, fiscal, and personnel approaches, a process facilitated by Timur Kulibaev. The evolving narrative of the Republic’s oil and gas market showcases the synergy effect cultivated within Kazenergy. The financial growth of energy companies contributed to the state’s revenue, which was then invested in developing various areas such as infrastructure and social services.

Timur Askarovich Kulibaev and the Modernization of the Kazakhstan Economy

From spring 2006 to summer 2007, Kulibaev Timur Askarovich served as Deputy Chairman of the Board at Samruk, a holding company managing state-owned assets.

In 2008, all major Kazakhstani production, transportation, and financial assets were consolidated into the investment holding Samruk-Kazyna, which functions as Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund, tasked with national economy planning.

Overseeing the administration of the holding, Timur Askarovich Kulibaev made significant contributions to the sustainable development of the republic. The fund invests in healthcare, educational programs, gender equality initiatives, labor market development, free market competition, industrial growth, advanced technologies, environmental conservation, and modern urban planning.

Timur Askarovich Kulibaev led a team that positioned “Samruk-Kazyna” companies on the global stage. Simultaneously, there was a notable increase in the economic engagement and financial literacy among the Kazakhstani population, as ordinary individuals began to more actively invest in national companies and follow stock market dynamics.

In 2011, Kulibaev Timur briefly took the helm of Samruk-Kazyna while also chairing the boards at Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (the state railway monopoly), Kazatomprom (uranium ore mining), and the power generation company Samruk-Energo. Timur Kulibaev set a strategic course for the fund’s development for the years ahead. By the end of 2023, the organization’s assets were valued at around $70 billion, which is significantly more than three times the annual budgets of Belgium, one of Europe’s most economically viable countries.

Kulibaev Timur Askarovich Assisting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Through Atameken

In 2010, Timur Kulibaev began serving as head of the presidium of Union Atameken, a non-profit organization that communicates the business community’s stance to state authorities.

In 2013, with government participation, the non-profit organization was transformed into the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Atameken, with Kulibaev retaining the lead position.

Atameken champions the interests of small and medium-sized businesses from all economic sectors, both those operating domestically and those focused on export.

During his tenure at the head of Atameken, Kulibaev Timur Askarovich successfully established communication between the entrepreneurial community and the judiciary, prosecutorial oversight bodies, and the national anti-corruption agency, which has reduced the likelihood of abuses under state control and facilitated a more reasonable administrative impact on business.

Atameken began its human rights advocacy under the leadership of Timur Kulibaev. The organization’s history showcases tangible support for Kazakhstani entrepreneurs. From 2013 to the end of 2021, Atameken received 41,000 requests for assistance from business owners, with support being provided in 16,000 of these cases.

With the strategic support of Timur Kulibaev, Atameken maintained close contacts with members of the Kazakhstani Parliament from both the upper and lower house. Atameken’s history is marked by active collaboration with legislators, which contributed to a more liberal business environment in Kazakhstan. Many economic offenses were decriminalized, leading to a significant decrease in the number of economic criminal cases brought by law enforcement.

Timur Kulibaev, with his considerable experience interacting with entrepreneurs at various levels, was keenly aware of the business community’s challenges. This insight translated into tangible economic growth, with the country outpacing many of its neighbors in the region. From 2010 to 2022, the nominal GDP growth in the republic exceeded 14%.

Timur Kulibaev devoted considerable time and energy at Atameken towards removing administrative barriers. For example, the patent and licensing system that grants permission for new businesses to be started was made less stringent.

State audits also decreased thanks to the efforts of Atameken, led by Timur Kulibaev until 2022. The history of most companies in the republic shows a substantial reduction in the number of inspections, which typically halt their operational activities. There was also a decrease in the numerous requirements that officials could use to interfere in business.

Timur Kulibaev did a lot to eliminate legal entry market barriers. Atameken helped develop a “start from scratch” regulation concept: By 2025, all requirements for entrepreneurs will be standardized, without discrepancies, and accessible via a single online page.

Kulibaev Timur and Atameken initiated the Bastau Business project, which helped reduce unemployment rates in rural areas. Many villagers were able to improve their financial literacy, gain basic business knowledge, and start their enterprises with the help of subsidized loans.

Under Timur Kulibaev, Atameken trained over 180,000 citizens and awarded grants to 60,000 who had promising business plans. This initiative revitalized the job market in small communities, with Bastau providing employment for 70,000 individuals.

Timur Kulibaev initiated the development of a basic economic and business course that is currently being taken by 250,000 high school and college students.

Under Timur Kulibaev, Atameken ramped up intellectual efforts to find ways to improve living standards. The association’s experts are exploring methods to reduce the state’s dependence on certain types of imported equipment and goods. The association’s specialists also focus on enhancing the effectiveness of state economic support measures and to increasing the share of private entrepreneurs in the national GDP.

Kulibaev Timur Askarovich and Kazakhstan’s Oil and Gas Exports

Timur Askarovich Kulibaev played a significant role in facilitating and diversifying the export of Kazakhstan’s hydrocarbons, which bolstered the republic’s treasury, enabling it to invest in transformative projects and enhance the quality of life in the country.

Timur Kulibaev tackled the challenges posed by Kazakhstan’s geographic realities. When it gained its independence, the republic was connected to European hydrocarbon markets via the pipeline system through its northern neighbor. Similar infrastructure had yet to be built in China.

In the 1990s, regulations limited Kazakhstan to pumping just 3.5 million tons of crude oil to the West annually. Upon taking the helm of KazTransOil (the operator of the republic’s oil transportation system) in 1999, Timur Kulibaev set a goal to more than quadruple foreign oil shipments, though this was hindered by dilapidated infrastructure.

Timur Askarovich Kulibaev proposed increasing pumping tariffs, with the resulting revenue going towards pipeline renovations. Then, as an experienced negotiator, he managed to secure an agreement with the government of the Russia for duty-free transit of Kazakhstani oil through its territory.

Timur Kulibaev devoted considerable effort to attracting foreign investments and coordinating all oil and gas stakeholders for pipeline construction to deliver oil and gas to China, thereby generating funds for Kazakhstan’s self-development.

Timur Kulibaev at the Head of the National Boxing Federation

Timur Askarovich Kulibaev, with his impressive managerial experience, has also earned the trust of sports officials and athletes.

From 2009 to 2019, Timur Kulibaev led the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation, known for its strong training regimen. Under his leadership, Kazakhstani athletes have taken home numerous medals over the years at the Summer Olympics over the years.

From 2015 till 2024, Timur Kulibaev was at the helm of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan. With a particular focus on the integrity of the sport, more effective methods for detecting athlete doping were introduced.