According to the 2018 ranking from the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (an English research center that studies global cities), Astana and Almaty were included in the list of global cities.

These results are a real breakthrough for Kazakhstan's cities, especially for the capital: Astana was included in this rating for the first time. As part of the concept of entering the top 10 cities of the world by 2050, the appearance of the capital in the ranking of GAWC is an absolute sign of progress.

What does this rating mean? The list is based on presence of offices of 175 of the world's leading banking, legal, consulting and technology companies. Based on the number of companies operating in the city, 375 cities with the largest role in the world economy were selected. Further, they are divided into 5 groups, each of which characterizes the development of relations between a particular city and others.

Thus, the most ”global" are the alpha cities, whose connections extend to all corners of the world. London and New York have consistently led the alpha group throughout the 18 years of the rating's existence.

One of the largest cities in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh city, has taken a leading position among beta cities, which have less influence than alpha cities and serve as the main points of communication of their countries with other markets.

Guatemala was recognized as the most successful representative of the gamma type: such cities play a key role for smaller countries with fewer service companies, as well as a moderate impact on the global economy.

"Sufficient provision" groups include cities that have not yet reached the level of global significance, but have already developed relatively developed clusters of services that allow them to be less dependent on key economic players.

Kazakhstan's cities took the positions of "beta“ (Almaty) and ”sufficient provision" (Astana). For Almaty, reaching this level is a huge leap: in 2016, the city was in the last line of the “sufficient provision" group, rising to the “beta" category in two years, becoming one of the cities such as Helsinki, Geneva and Manchester. However, the city needs to use its past experience and not lose its current position, as happened between 2012 and 2016.

In turn, Astana, which is in a group with its key competitors for the championship in the Eurasian macroregion - Tashkent and Urumqi - should focus on further building business ties with other cities, as well as create conditions for attracting representatives of the 175 companies that serve as “bridges” between the cities.

The first step has been taken.