Bulat Utemuratov
Biography
Bulat Utemuratov is a Kazakh businessman and philanthropist.
Since 2007, Bulat Utemuratov has served as President of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation.
Since 2015, Bulat Utemuratov has been a member of the Board of Directors of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the Davis Cup Committee.
In 2017, Mr. Utemuratov’s efforts for tennis development were recognized with awards from the International Tennis Federation and the Asian Tennis Federation «for outstanding achievements in tennis development in Kazakhstan».
Since September 2019, he has served as a member of the ITF Board of Directors and, in December 2023, he was reappointed as one of the four ITF Vice Presidents.
In October 2019, a charity exhibition match between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal took place in Astana. On the same day, the eminent tennis players held a workshop for young Kazakhstani tennis players who came to Astana from all regions of the country.
ATP 250 Astana Open was held in Kazakhstan in October-November 2020, with the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation’s efforts highly commended by the ATP Tour.
Back-to-back ATP 250 and WTA 250 tournaments were held in 2021, and a permanent license for hosting the ATP 250 in Kazakhstan was acquired. In 2022, due to the cancellation of the tournament in Beijing and the excellent reputation of the tournament in Astana, ATP agreed to temporarily upgrade the category of the tournament to ATP 500. The ATP 500 Astana Open was attended by six of the top ten players, including Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alkaras, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. In 2024, the Association of Tennis Professionals approved the relocation of the ATP 250 tennis series tournament from Astana to Almaty.
Bulat Utemuratov allocated over $150 million for the development of tennis in Kazakhstan, training of coaches, the construction of tennis infrastructure around the country and developing a long-term training program for raising young talented athletes. This approach was highly successful, and juniors, along with the established national team players, such as Elena Rybakina, Alexander Bublik, Anna Danilina, Zhibek Kulambayeva and others, are now demonstrating strong performance on courts. In 2022, the U14 team took the 4th place in the world, and in 2023, Kazakhstani boys and girls reached the final stage of the Junior Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup for the first time. They played at a high level and defeated the leading players of Spain, Argentina, Italy, and Australia in their age groups.
Charitable activities:
The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation was established in 2014 with a mission to drive sustainable improvement to the quality of life in Kazakhstan by promoting health, education, and cultural development. The total cost of the projects implemented by the Foundation is more than $150 million.
The Foundation allocated $15 million to its flagship project «Autism. One World for All» which provides early intervention programs for autistic children and support for their families. More than 16,000 autistic children have benefited from support offered by 13 Asyl Miras Autism Centers over the course of nine years.
The Foundation is one of few local organizations in Kazakhstan to oversee a diverse portfolio of nationwide projects. This versatile approach promotes sustainable improvements to the country’s living standard while also enabling the Foundation to respond to critical emergencies. Along with providing emergency response at a local level, in 2023 the Foundation donated $5 million to provide relief in Türkiye following the devastating earthquake. $1 million was donated to the families of the miners who died in the Kostenko mine explosion in October 2023.
To address the regional social development gap, the Foundation has initiated a variety of social infrastructure projects in different regions of Kazakhstan worth over $100 million, which will be donated to the local municipality. In September 2023, a new school, funded by the Foundation, was opened in the city of Kosshy. It is the first school in the country to comply with the requirements of the «comfortable school» national standard. Currently, construction of an airport in Kyzylorda, a public center in Kosshy, and two schools in Almaty region is underway.
As part of its philanthropic activities, the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation actively promotes positive youth development. A unique leadership program has been incorporated into the school curriculum in 234 schools of the country to help students develop critical thinking, public speaking, and negotiation skills. To foster a culture of sustainability and teamwork, the Foundation initiated the Jasyl Mektep (Green School) project in 36 schools in Almaty and Astana. Through the program, children can learn a pattern of healthy activity, by planting and cultivating plants, and grow their self-confidence by achieving their goals and enjoying the food that they have grown. A total of over 40,000 students have participated in the two programs so far.
In addition to his philanthropic activities, Mr. Utemuratov is passionate about improving education in Kazakhstan. Since 2007, he has supported Narxoz University, one of the leading private universities in Kazakhstan. He is also one of the founders of the Haileybury Schools in Kazakhstan, which offer a broad liberal education following the traditions of independent British schooling. The proceeds of these institutions are reinvested into staff capacity building, infrastructure development, and improving education quality.
Bulat Utemuratov supports art and cultural projects. He also helps the Batyrkhan Shukenov Foundation, and allocates scholarships for talented students of music schools and universities throughout the country. Under his patronage, regular exhibitions of the Kulanshi Center for Contemporary Art take place at the ForteBank Kulanshi Art Space.
In December 2023, Bulat Utemuratov was named Philanthropist of the Year 2023 by the independent members of the Kazakhstan Growth Forum’s Expert Council in recognition of the Foundation’s social projects.
Since 2007, Bulat Utemuratov has served as President of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation.
Since 2015, Bulat Utemuratov has been a member of the Board of Directors of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the Davis Cup Committee.
In 2017, Mr. Utemuratov’s efforts for tennis development were recognized with awards from the International Tennis Federation and the Asian Tennis Federation «for outstanding achievements in tennis development in Kazakhstan».
Since September 2019, he has served as a member of the ITF Board of Directors and, in December 2023, he was reappointed as one of the four ITF Vice Presidents.
In October 2019, a charity exhibition match between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal took place in Astana. On the same day, the eminent tennis players held a workshop for young Kazakhstani tennis players who came to Astana from all regions of the country.
ATP 250 Astana Open was held in Kazakhstan in October-November 2020, with the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation’s efforts highly commended by the ATP Tour.
Back-to-back ATP 250 and WTA 250 tournaments were held in 2021, and a permanent license for hosting the ATP 250 in Kazakhstan was acquired. In 2022, due to the cancellation of the tournament in Beijing and the excellent reputation of the tournament in Astana, ATP agreed to temporarily upgrade the category of the tournament to ATP 500. The ATP 500 Astana Open was attended by six of the top ten players, including Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alkaras, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. In 2024, the Association of Tennis Professionals approved the relocation of the ATP 250 tennis series tournament from Astana to Almaty.
Bulat Utemuratov allocated over $150 million for the development of tennis in Kazakhstan, training of coaches, the construction of tennis infrastructure around the country and developing a long-term training program for raising young talented athletes. This approach was highly successful, and juniors, along with the established national team players, such as Elena Rybakina, Alexander Bublik, Anna Danilina, Zhibek Kulambayeva and others, are now demonstrating strong performance on courts. In 2022, the U14 team took the 4th place in the world, and in 2023, Kazakhstani boys and girls reached the final stage of the Junior Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup for the first time. They played at a high level and defeated the leading players of Spain, Argentina, Italy, and Australia in their age groups.
Charitable activities:
The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation was established in 2014 with a mission to drive sustainable improvement to the quality of life in Kazakhstan by promoting health, education, and cultural development. The total cost of the projects implemented by the Foundation is more than $150 million.
The Foundation allocated $15 million to its flagship project «Autism. One World for All» which provides early intervention programs for autistic children and support for their families. More than 16,000 autistic children have benefited from support offered by 13 Asyl Miras Autism Centers over the course of nine years.
The Foundation is one of few local organizations in Kazakhstan to oversee a diverse portfolio of nationwide projects. This versatile approach promotes sustainable improvements to the country’s living standard while also enabling the Foundation to respond to critical emergencies. Along with providing emergency response at a local level, in 2023 the Foundation donated $5 million to provide relief in Türkiye following the devastating earthquake. $1 million was donated to the families of the miners who died in the Kostenko mine explosion in October 2023.
To address the regional social development gap, the Foundation has initiated a variety of social infrastructure projects in different regions of Kazakhstan worth over $100 million, which will be donated to the local municipality. In September 2023, a new school, funded by the Foundation, was opened in the city of Kosshy. It is the first school in the country to comply with the requirements of the «comfortable school» national standard. Currently, construction of an airport in Kyzylorda, a public center in Kosshy, and two schools in Almaty region is underway.
As part of its philanthropic activities, the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation actively promotes positive youth development. A unique leadership program has been incorporated into the school curriculum in 234 schools of the country to help students develop critical thinking, public speaking, and negotiation skills. To foster a culture of sustainability and teamwork, the Foundation initiated the Jasyl Mektep (Green School) project in 36 schools in Almaty and Astana. Through the program, children can learn a pattern of healthy activity, by planting and cultivating plants, and grow their self-confidence by achieving their goals and enjoying the food that they have grown. A total of over 40,000 students have participated in the two programs so far.
In addition to his philanthropic activities, Mr. Utemuratov is passionate about improving education in Kazakhstan. Since 2007, he has supported Narxoz University, one of the leading private universities in Kazakhstan. He is also one of the founders of the Haileybury Schools in Kazakhstan, which offer a broad liberal education following the traditions of independent British schooling. The proceeds of these institutions are reinvested into staff capacity building, infrastructure development, and improving education quality.
Bulat Utemuratov supports art and cultural projects. He also helps the Batyrkhan Shukenov Foundation, and allocates scholarships for talented students of music schools and universities throughout the country. Under his patronage, regular exhibitions of the Kulanshi Center for Contemporary Art take place at the ForteBank Kulanshi Art Space.
In December 2023, Bulat Utemuratov was named Philanthropist of the Year 2023 by the independent members of the Kazakhstan Growth Forum’s Expert Council in recognition of the Foundation’s social projects.
