(4 March 2026 | Source: Telegram channel ‘Kozachkov offside’)
While Kazakh citizens were queuing for evacuation flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a private VIP jet belonging to the airline ‘Euro-Asia Air’ was already departing Dubai. The aircraft is owned by the Kanybekov family, whose wealth is estimated at $95 million, and whose close relatives have held high-ranking government positions for years.
FROM KAZMUNAYGAS TO A FAMILY ASSET
As journalist Mikhail Kozachkov reported on his Telegram channel ‘Kozachkov offside’, the VIP jet in question is designed for 13 passengers with a ‘spacious cabin in a VIP configuration, combining modern interiors and exclusive lounge areas’. Who exactly was on board remains unknown.
What is known, however, is that the airline ‘Euro-Asia Air’ was once part of KazMunayGas, but has been owned by the Kanybekov family since 2017. The head of the family is Nurlan Kanybekov, a figure on Forbes’ list as one of the country’s most influential businessmen, with an estimated fortune of $95 million. His son, Talgat Assembek, is a co-founder of the enterprise.
GOVERNMENT POSITIONS NEXT DOOR
The Kanybekov story would perhaps be incomplete without mentioning its other branch. Nurlan’s brother, Saken Kanybekov, built a career in government. He served as deputy governor of the South Kazakhstan region, was a member of the Mazhilis, and in 2025 was appointed as acting chairman of the state inspection committee in the agro-industrial complex of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Saken Assembekovich’s son, Askar Kanybekov, also chose a career in public service. For a long time, he headed the department of agriculture in Shymkent, and a year ago was appointed deputy governor of the Mangystau region, but soon left the post.
LOCUSTS, DRONES, AND THE ACTING INSPECTOR
In this context, it is worth recalling one of the most resonant topics of 2025 — the fight against locusts in Kazakhstan. Saken Kanybekov, as chairman of the relevant committee of the Ministry of Agriculture, actively and confidently commented on the pest infestation, although, it must be said, the authorities were extremely reluctant to acknowledge the scale of the problem.
At the time, the FBRK editorial team reported in detail on how the state used up the remaining billions of tenge through procuring drones against locusts, how the single-supplier system faced questions about pesticide quality, and where the drones of the Ministry of Agriculture, costing hundreds of millions of tenge, ended up.
While some were waiting for an evacuation flight to the UAE, others were already in the air. With the locusts, by the way, it is much the same: they arrive suddenly and leave when they see fit. The main thing is that people on the ground don’t end up having to deal with the consequences for too long afterwards.
Let us remind you that on 28 February, the FBRK editorial team reported on Kazakh aircraft in the UAE. An Embraer Legacy 650 flew from Dushanbe to Dubai on 25 February — the aircraft had arrived there via transit from Phuket through Moscow. A second Embraer Legacy 650 belonging to carrier FlyJet.kz landed in Abu Dhabi from Moscow on 25 February.
Furthermore, we reported on private jets and cargo aircraft from Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus that landed in the UAE on the eve of military escalation.