Bulat Utemuratov
Biography
Biography
Bulat Utemuratov is a Kazakhstani 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 ATP 250 tournament was held in Almaty for the first time, attracting over 50,000 attendees. Representatives of the ATP and the players themselves praised the high level of tournament organization in Kazakhstan. The Almaty Open received top ratings from players, ranking among the top three tournaments of the year across more than 30 criteria, including court quality, locker room comfort, spectator support, atmosphere, and more.
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, Yulia Putintseva, 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.
In 2024, Amir Omarkhanov, Zangar Nurlanuly, Damir Zhalgasbai, Danial Rakhmatullaev, Sonia Zhienbayeva, Asylzhan Arystanbekova, Eva Korysheva, Sofia Isakova, Polina Sleptsova, and others delivered strong performances. They achieved notable success in junior tournaments such as the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open and have already begun winning in professional competitions.
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 standard of living, while also enabling the Foundation to respond to critical emergencies. Along with providing emergency response at the local level, in 2023 the Foundation donated $5 million to provide relief in Turkey following the devastating earthquake. $1 million was donated to the families of the miners who died in the Kostenko mine explosion in October 2023.
In 2024, the Foundation allocated approximately $22 million to address the aftermath of the large-scale floods in Kazakhstan. These funds were used to provide immediate assistance to flood victims and to ensure housing for over 400 families in the Aktobe region.
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. In September 2024, two more schools of the same type were opened in the Almaty region, and in November, a new airport was launched in Kyzylorda. The airport construction project received the award from Eurobak in Kazakhstan. In early 2025, a new community center is scheduled to open in Kosshy.
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 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 by the independent members of the Kazakhstan Growth Forum’s Expert Council in recognition of the Foundation’s social projects. In June 2024, the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation received the American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan award in the «Community Service» category. The winners were selected by an independent panel during the annual AmCham ceremony held in Astana.
Bulat Utemuratov is a Kazakhstani 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 ATP 250 tournament was held in Almaty for the first time, attracting over 50,000 attendees. Representatives of the ATP and the players themselves praised the high level of tournament organization in Kazakhstan. The Almaty Open received top ratings from players, ranking among the top three tournaments of the year across more than 30 criteria, including court quality, locker room comfort, spectator support, atmosphere, and more.
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, Yulia Putintseva, 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.
In 2024, Amir Omarkhanov, Zangar Nurlanuly, Damir Zhalgasbai, Danial Rakhmatullaev, Sonia Zhienbayeva, Asylzhan Arystanbekova, Eva Korysheva, Sofia Isakova, Polina Sleptsova, and others delivered strong performances. They achieved notable success in junior tournaments such as the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open and have already begun winning in professional competitions.
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 standard of living, while also enabling the Foundation to respond to critical emergencies. Along with providing emergency response at the local level, in 2023 the Foundation donated $5 million to provide relief in Turkey following the devastating earthquake. $1 million was donated to the families of the miners who died in the Kostenko mine explosion in October 2023.
In 2024, the Foundation allocated approximately $22 million to address the aftermath of the large-scale floods in Kazakhstan. These funds were used to provide immediate assistance to flood victims and to ensure housing for over 400 families in the Aktobe region.
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. In September 2024, two more schools of the same type were opened in the Almaty region, and in November, a new airport was launched in Kyzylorda. The airport construction project received the award from Eurobak in Kazakhstan. In early 2025, a new community center is scheduled to open in Kosshy.
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 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 by the independent members of the Kazakhstan Growth Forum’s Expert Council in recognition of the Foundation’s social projects. In June 2024, the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation received the American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan award in the «Community Service» category. The winners were selected by an independent panel during the annual AmCham ceremony held in Astana.
