• Bulat Utemuratov

    Philanthropy

    The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation is involved in efforts covering healthcare, education, disaster relief, sport, culture and urban development.

Bulat Utemuratov
Bulat Utemuratov

Philanthropy

The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation is involved in efforts covering healthcare, education, disaster relief, sport, culture and urban development.

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Sport


Bulat Utemuratov is a passionate supporter of tennis. He has been President of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation (KTF) since 2007 and is also Vice President of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and a member of its board.  

To date, Mr Utemuratov has invested over USD 100 million in the development of tennis in Kazakhstan, with funds directed towards launching training programs for children and establishing new academies. In 2017, Mr Utemuratov’s efforts “for outstanding success in the development of tennis” were recognized by the ITF and the Asian Tennis Federation.

One of Mr Utemuratov’s major priorities is growing participation in the sport across the country. As a result of his efforts, tennis lessons are much more affordable today than previously, with a month’s worth of lessons today costing the same as one hour of lessons two decades ago. Meanwhile, the ITF’s tennis centers, which operate in all of Kazakhstan’s major cities, reinvest their earnings in development projects.

The funding provided by Mr Utemuratov has been transformational: currently both the men’s and women’s national teams are in the Top 15 globally, and the sport is more popular than ever before, with 33,000 registered players at all levels.

Individual Kazakh players have also surged to the top of global rankings:

  • Elena Rybakina: In 2022, Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina won her first Wimbledon title. Then, in 2023, she won both the Indian Wells and Rome WTA 1000 tournaments, played at the WTA Finals, and is currently ranked as the world number four in women’s singles by the Women’s Tennis Association.
  • Anna Danilina: Anna Danilina became a Grand Slam mixed doubles champion in 2023, winning the US Open with Harri Helioevaara (Finland).
  • Alexander Bublik: Alexander Bublik won his maiden grass court ATP 500 title in Halle in 2023.
  • Junior players: In the ITF Junior World Ranking, two Kazakh players have reached the Top 100: Amir Omarkhanov (57th) and Asylzhan Arystanbekova (66th).

In October 2020, Astana hosted the inaugural ATP 250 Astana Open, which went ahead despite coronavirus restrictions and was a great success, leading to the tournament returning in 2021. The event received a one-time elevation to ATP 500 status in 2022 and looking ahead, from 2024, the tournament will be played in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city.

Bulat Utemuratov
Bulat Utemuratov

Disaster Management


A central focus of the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation is to support low-income families and people affected by natural and man-made disasters.

The Foundation works with the International Red Crescent to give financial aid to people affected by natural disasters. Since 2018, this collaboration has helped more than 15,000 Kazakhs affected by spring floods, providing over USD 1 million in aid.

The Foundation has also provided USD 3.4 million for the construction of housing for 350 families in densely populated areas of the country since 2019.

In 2023, the Foundation donated USD 5 million to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority to support the Turkish people after the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria on 6th February.

In November 2023, the Foundation donated USD 1 million to support the family members of 46 miners who were killed in a devastating accident in an Arcelor Mittal mine in Kazakhstan.

Urban development and social infrastructure projects


The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation is committed to investing in urban development and the construction of social facilities.

In 2020, the Foundation completed a USD 15 million reconstruction of the Almaty Botanical Garden, a popular public space in the city.

In 2022, Verny Capital, the leading Kazakhstan investment group in which Bulat Utemuratov is the key investor, announced the opening of the newly renovated campus at Narxoz University. The reconstruction of the university’s main academic building, with a total area of 30,000 square meters, was completed in a record 11 months. A new dormitory for 420+ students, with a co-working area and a roof-top terrace is due to be commissioned by November 2024.

Bulat Utemuratov

Environmentally-friendly technologies, materials and equipment were used in the construction of the campus and the dormitory – a priority for all of the Foundation’s development projects. More than 30,000 trees and other shrubs were planted across the campus to improve the air quality and offset the carbon footprint of the new campus.

On 1st September 2023, the Foundation announced the opening of a new municipal school in Kosshy, in Kazakhstan’s Akmola region. The Foundation fully financed the USD 17 million project, which caters for 3,000 pupils, and donated the completed school to the local government of Kosshy to own and operate.

The school has state-of-the-art educational facilities, including bespoke classrooms, recreational areas, modern workshops, an information technology (IT) center, laboratory and art studio. Additionally, the school has numerous sports facilities, including a basketball and volleyball court, a stadium with a mini football pitch and racetracks, as well as playgrounds. To help tackle ongoing overcrowding and aging buildings, two municipal school are to be built in Esik and Shelek, in the Almaty region, in 2024.

Elsewhere, the Foundation has funded the construction of a new passenger terminal at Kyzylorda airport which is currently underway. The 13,000 square meter, two-story terminal will welcome its first passengers in May 2024.

Looking ahead to 2025, the Foundation is developing a new community center with facilities for sports, arts, entertainment, and co-working in Kosshy.

Education


Beyond his work through the Foundation, Bulat Utemuratov is also directly involved in a number of education-focused projects. He has a keen interest in his alma mater Narxoz University and has provided funding for its redevelopment for many years.

Mr Utemuratov also supports the British-run Haileybury Schools in Almaty and Astana, which pioneered an innovative approach to education in Kazakhstan.

Both the University and the schools are non-profit institutions, and the proceeds from their activities are spent on fostering young talent, upgrading facilities and improving educational opportunities.

Bulat Utemuratov
Bulat Utemuratov

Health and social care


The Foundation’s flagship project “Autism. One World for All” provides early intervention programs for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and support for their families. More than 16,000 children with ASD have benefited from the Foundation’s 13 Asyl Miras Autism Centers since they were founded 9 years ago.

By working with children at an early age, supplying resources for their families, and raising awareness of ASD, the Foundation helps to foster a more open, inclusive, and informed society.

In addition, Mr Utemuratov donated USD 1 million for the creation of a rehabilitation center for children with cerebral palsy in Almaty.

Arts


Bulat Utemuratov is Chair of the Council of Trustees of the Foundation for Development and Support of Ballet and National Dance. He also supports the Batyrkhan Shukenov Foundation and the Kazakh National Conservatoire of Music. Mr Utemuratov is a regular patron of the Kulanshi Centre of Modern Fine Arts in the Forte Bank Kulanshi Art Space.

Bulat Utemuratov
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