Bhutan and the United Arab Emirates share strong and steadily expanding relations, with significant scope to deepen cooperation across sustainability, renewable energy, trade, and investment, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay has said. He emphasised the need to strengthen bilateral engagement in key economic sectors, highlighting Bhutan’s vast renewable energy potential as a major area of collaboration. “We need to do more in terms of trade and investments,” Tobgay noted, pointing to Bhutan’s fast-flowing rivers as a critical natural resource for generating clean hydropower that can s
Mauritius witnessed a strong surge in Indian tourist arrivals in 2025, with visitor numbers rising by 35 per cent to 75,808, according to the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority. The growth was largely driven by luxury travellers and multi-generational families, underlining the island’s increasing popularity among Indian tourists. MTPA Chairman Dinesh Burrenchobay highlighted India as a key source market, currently ranking fifth for Mauritius after the UK, France, Germany, and CIS countries. He said the island now aims to make India its fourth-largest tourism market by building on the
Dubai is set to get the world’s first ‘Gold Street’, a street constructed using gold, as part of the emirate’s newly launched Gold District. The announcement was made as Ithra Dubai officially unveiled the ambitious project, with further details to be revealed in phases. Positioned as the emirate’s new ‘Home of Gold’, the Dubai Gold District aims to bring together the entire gold and jewellery ecosystem under one destination. The district will feature retail, bullion, wholesale trade, and investment, offering a comprehensive platform for the global gold industry. It already h
Thailand’s Ministry of Finance has reaffirmed its optimistic tourism outlook for 2026, projecting that the kingdom will welcome about 35.5 million foreign tourists this year, a key driver of its economic recovery and growth strategy. The forecasted figure comes after Thailand registered 32.97 million international arrivals in 2025, a slight drop from the previous year but signalling a continued rebound in global travel demand. While still below the pre-pandemic high of nearly 40 million visitors in 2019, the 2026 projection underscores confidence that tourism will remain a central pillar
Qatari energy company Nebras Energy has strengthened its footprint in Oman’s power sector by acquiring significant stakes in two major gas-fired power projects awarded by Omani authorities over the weekend. Doha-headquartered Nebras Energy, recently rebranded from Qatar Electricity & Water Company (QEWC), has secured a 49 per cent stake in the 1,700 MW Misfah Power Project in Muscat Governorate and a 30 per cent stake in the 877 MW Duqm Power Project in Al Wusta Governorate. Both projects were awarded by Nama Power and Water Procurement Company, Oman’s single buyer of electricity a
Dubai has concluded the first international Green Artificial Intelligence Conference, organised by the Zayed International Foundation for the Environment under the patronage of Lt General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, in cooperation with Dubai Police Academy and Curtin University Dubai. The two-day conference, held from January 24 to 25 under the theme “Harnessing Technology for Environmental Sustainability,” brought together more than 150 researchers, policymakers, and green-economy experts from the UAE and overseas. Participants included environmen
UNICEF and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration in Cameroon in support of child rights, youth engagement, and responses to humanitarian and climate-related emergencies. The two-year partnership will combine the expertise, networks, and resources of both organizations to reach vulnerable children and young people, especially in regions affected by conflict, displacement,t and climate shocks. A key focus is expanding UNICEF’s U-Report and U-Responders initiative, which mobilizes youth as community leade
Maharashtra has emerged as a global leader in renewable energy with the launch of Asia’s largest solar power network for farmers, a landmark initiative aimed at providing reliable daytime electricity and reducing dependence on diesel and grid power. The scheme connects thousands of solar-powered feeders across the state, enabling farmers to run irrigation pumps using clean energy while cutting input costs and carbon emissions. Officials said the network is expected to significantly improve farm productivity, water management and income stability, particularly in drought-prone regions.
Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is collaborating with private companies to develop malapari (Pongamia pinnata) in Lembata District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), as an alternative fuel source to strengthen national energy security. The initiative positions malapari as a promising green energy crop with both environmental and socio-economic benefits. Speaking in Jakarta on Monday, Budi Leksono, a researcher at BRIN’s Applied Botany Research Center, said malapari is increasingly being recognised as a strategic renewable energy source for the future. He noted that t
Tourists arriving at Dubai International Airport on January 17 were welcomed with a special passport stamp commemorating the UAE’s Day of Solidarity, transforming a routine immigration process into a symbolic moment of reflection and unity. The initiative was shared by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) on social media, highlighting how arriving passengers at the world’s busiest international airport received the commemorative stamp. The gesture serves as a subtle yet powerful expression of the UAE’s core values of unity, resilience and s