Timur Kulibaev: A Leader in the Kazakhstan Energy Sector

An expert in managing resource extraction companies and a specialist in investment initiatives. Played a key role in establishing several sectoral associations in the Republic of Kazakhstan, which have become significant representative entities in the business dialogue with government structures. Currently engaged in charitable work within Kazakhstan.

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 

Timur Kulibaev: Biography (Brief Overview)

In 1966, Kulibaev Timur Askarovich was born in Alma-Ata (Almaty) in the Kazakh SSR. The businessman's ancestors came from the largest tribal union of the Kazakh people—the Dughlats.

In 1983, he received his high school diploma. At that time, special attention was given to specialized schools, whose students underwent an advanced course taught by university lecturers. As a formative part of his biography, Timur Kulibaev graduated from such a school with a focus on natural sciences. Such schools first appeared in the 1960s.

In 1988, Kulibaev Timur Askarovich graduated from Lomonosov MSU with a degree in economics. That same year, he returned to his homeland and began working for a research institute. Two years later, he became the director of a non-profit organization focused on supporting the implementation of social government initiatives and establishing business connections with foreign countries.

In 1992, Kulibaev Timur became the head of the Altyn-Alma financial-investment group of companies. The organization was later renamed ALMEX.

In 1995, Timur Askarovich Kulibaev and a team of partners founded a bank. Two years later, he was appointed to a senior position at Kazakhoil.

In 1999, Timur Askarovich Kulibaev defended his research exploring the structure of production management in a market economy. That same year, he became the president of KazTransOil.

In 2005, an association was created in the country to represent the interests of companies involved in energy, extraction, and the processing of hydrocarbons. The first head of the new organization was Timur Kulibaev. Biography of the association, named Kazenergy, encompasses projects aimed at developing the sector. Today, the association includes 59 organizations.

In 2008, Kulibaev Timur took up the position of deputy chairman of the board at Samruk-Kazyna.

In 2009, he began leading the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation. Timur Kulibaev was also a member of the International Boxing Association for Amateurs and headed sports organizations related to martial arts and water disciplines. He also served as the president of the Kazakhstan National Olympic Committee.

In 2010, Timur Askarovich Kulibaev began leading the presidium of the National Chamber Union Atameken.

In 2013, a new structure was established in Kazakhstan—Atameken, with the head position held by Timur Kulibaev. Biography of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs began with addressing the most pressing systemic issues of regional business. For example, in 2015, the organization's congress developed an action plan for supporting industrial enterprises, including reducing or maintaining electricity tariffs.

Kulibaev Timur: Early Career Achievements

After spending several years in research structures, Kulibaev Timur moved to an investment company that was active in several CIS countries. One of the group's focus areas was financial support for agro-industrial complex projects.

Timur Askarovich Kulibaev later became a co-founder of ATF Bank but left the organization in 2000. The retail-oriented financial organization, established with the businessman's participation, later became one of the country's leading banks and received various awards.

In 1997, Timur Kulibaev, biography of whom already included experience in business development, was invited to join the Kazakhstani State Committee on Investments. During this brief period (serving less than six months as the head of one of the committee's directorates), he transferred his private assets to be managed by third parties.

In the spring of 1997, Kulibaev Timur Askarovich undertook the management of a state-created structure (Kazakhoil), which consolidated resource extraction enterprises. At that time, Kazakhstan's oil industry was undergoing a transformation—the consolidation of state assets in this sector aimed to strengthen the country's position on the global market.

Timur Kulibaev and State Oil and Gas Assets in Kazakhstan

Invited to the company, Timur Kulibaev was able to propose new paths for industry development that have proven to be effective. For example, while oil production in Kazakhstan was 25.8 million tons in 1992, by 2012 this figure had increased to 80 million tons. This growth was facilitated, among other factors, by the consolidation of state assets.

Later, the top manager focused on the development of a state-owned company that operated the network of crude oil pipelines (KazTransOil). In the initial stages, a policy for personnel was updated and established, notes Timur Kulibaev. Biography of the national company at the turn of the century began with leadership changes and phased employee training. Each new employee initially worked in branches and then underwent practical training in real production. According to Kulibaev Timur, the management also financed additional education abroad for specialists.

Due to the transformations in the industry, Kazakhstan's oil and gas sector began to develop rapidly. In 2002, KazMunayGas (National Company KMG) was also established, where the top manager took the position of deputy head.

Timur Askarovich Kulibaev played a role in the modernization of Kazakhstan's pipeline system. An agreement was reached with oil producers to increase the cost of transportation, and the authorities of the RF consented to the free transit of Kazakhstani oil across their territory. A new pipeline was also constructed towards Asia. All these measures led to increased profits from oil sales.

In 2005, Kulibaev Timur left his position as the deputy head of KazMunayGas, but he remained as the chairman of the company's board of directors for several years. During this period, KMG concluded a number of significant deals.

In 2005, for example, funds were attracted from Bank BNP Paribas under the most favorable terms—a $650 million loan was granted to the company for a five-year period. This deal, which Timur Askarovich Kulibaev helped prepare, was recognized as the best of 2005 by Trade Finance magazine.

In May of that same year, KMG acquired a stake in the first major project for the development of offshore oil and gas fields in Kazakhstan from the multinational company British Gas. The Kashagan field, developed as part of the project, is one of the largest discovered in the last 40 years, with reserves estimated at about 13 billion barrels of oil. 

In 2006, with the involvement of Timur Kulibaev, biography of KazMunayGas expanded to include several new assets. For example, during the summer, the company acquired almost a third of PetroKazakhstan Inc. from the China National Petroleum Corporation through the issuance of floating-rate debt securities.

That same year, KMG's revenues increased by 23.9% compared to the same period the previous year. Additionally, the new Atasu-Alashankou oil pipeline was inaugurated, its construction having been agreed upon with China with the involvement of Kulibaev Timur Askarovich back in 1997. The pipeline was laid in just fourteen months.

In 2007, while Timur Kulibaev was on the board of directors, KazTransOil (part of the KMG Group) became the owner of an oil terminal in Georgia that had an annual processing volume of over 15 million tons at that time. Kazakhstan, as a strategic partner, took responsibility for ensuring a stable flow of oil through the transit corridor and also contributed to the creation of new jobs. It was anticipated that over time, the number of workers in the seaport would increase from 2,000 to 20,000 people.

Kulibaev Timur believes that the realization of major projects was made possible through the cohesive management of the oil and gas sector. In 2007, another agreement was signed, according to which KMG acquired 50% of Nations Energy shares. The project's payback period was just six years—shorter than the oil and gas industry's standard of 8 to 10 years.

In the mid-2000s, Timur Askarovich Kulibaev led a non-profit association of legal entities involved in the extraction, transportation, and processing of hydrocarbon raw materials. The organization helped unite the efforts of industrialists in protecting their interests and in exploring new markets.

Kulibaev Timur Askarovich and the Development of the Kazakhstan Energy Sector

Timur Askarovich Kulibaev is convinced that one of the pivotal decisions in shaping and evolving the republic's fuel and energy complex was the creation of the sector-specific association of enterprises, Kazenergy, in 2005. The organization facilitated communication between various business structures of the oil, gas, and energy sectors and governmental bodies.

Kulibaev Timur led the association until 2023, and with his help, strong partnerships within the industry and ongoing dialogue with governmental structures were established. Kazenergy also contributes to the development of international relations concerning the challenges in the energy sector.

Timur Kulibaev was among the initiators of the convening and holding of the specialized Eurasian Forum, which has become a traditional format for discussing the most important topics in the oil and gas industry and energy sector. Every two years, the congress gathers over 2,500 participants from around 50 countries. Key issues raised by Timur Kulibaev at the forum include a more active transition to renewable resources and the implementation of effective climate preservation solutions. Since 2006, the transformation of the global industry towards sustainable development has been a regular topic of discussion in sessions and roundtables at the Kazenergy Eurasian Forum.

Timur Kulibaev, a biography that includes 18 years in the management of the Kazenergy association, facilitated the creation and adoption of several crucial documents and programs forming a comprehensive strategic development plan for the entire energy sector of Kazakhstan. Under the leadership of Timur Kulibaev since 2013, the association has been publishing a specialized national report. This document offers a detailed and in-depth industry analysis that is useful for assessing its current state and shaping the vision for the future development of Kazakhstan's energy system in a global context.

Timur Askarovich Kulibaev and Kazenergy participated in the modernization of the legislative framework governing the activities of resource extraction companies, processing, and transportation enterprises. This involved ensuring the stability of the tax regime, improvements in the laws on subsoil use, and innovations in tariff policy. Timur Askarovich Kulibaev also contributed to developing concepts aimed at orienting the industry towards intensive development of resource-saving technologies and increasing energy efficiency.

Kulibaev Timur Askarovich and Kazenergy were involved in modernizing the legislative framework that regulates the activities of resource extraction, processing, and transportation companies. This included ensuring the stability of the tax regime, improvements in subsoil use laws, and innovations in tariff policy. Timur Askarovich Kulibaev also helped develop concepts aimed at steering the industry toward the intensive development of resource-saving technologies and enhancing energy efficiency.

In 2013, the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Atameken was established in Kazakhstan, uniting the business community to advocate for its interests in dialogues with the country's leadership and in foreign trade relations. This newly formed structure was headed by Timur Kulibaev, biography of whom already included the formation of a similar representative organization. The National Chamber participated in the legislative process, acting as an expert on the development of the national business environment.

Kulibaev Timur and Chamber members actively worked on expanding the geographic presence of the association. In just the first year of Atameken's existence, 14 regional offices were opened. Under the leadership of Kulibaev Timur Askarovich, the business association immediately began addressing the training of entrepreneurs and future experts. A commercial literacy training program was developed for representatives of the private sector of the economy. Universities were offered independent evaluations of their educational programs, along with initiatives for improvement.

Timur Kulibaev also regularly met with representatives from all business levels to stay fully informed about the needs of the entrepreneurial environment. As a result, in 2017 alone, the Chamber presented the government with its proposals for normalizing tax policy, introducing electronic document management for customs procedures, and other initiatives.

Until 2022, Kulibaev Timur Askarovich served as the head of the Atameken Chamber. However, the projects and proposals he prepared continue to be implemented.

Timur Askarovich Kulibaev: Sports and Assistance to Those in Need

The Timur Kulibaev biography is closely intertwined with the development of the sports industry. He has held various positions in associations for boxing, weightlifting, judo, and water sports in Kazakhstan.

In 2015, Kulibaev Timur was elected president of the National Olympic Committee. He outlined new key directions for the Committee's work, including the development of sports education and infrastructure, as well as elevating the status of athletes. Timur Kulibaev left the position of the president of the National Olympic Committee in February 2024. 

Furthermore, following the 2023 vote, the businessman was unanimously re-elected to the Olympic Council of Asia. The OCA is one of the five continental organizations of national committees for Olympic sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

Kulibaev Timur Askarovich remains engaged in the social issues of the region. For example, he helped compensate for damages inflicted on several facilities due to an explosion of ammunition in Kazakhstan.

In 2019, it was revealed that Timur Kulibaev's biography as a philanthropist had been enriched with another initiative. He allocated personal funds for the construction of apartment buildings for socially vulnerable segments of the population in one of the regions of Kazakhstan.