According to a Vestian analysis, the demand for office space by Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India increased by 24% over the last fiscal year, reaching 31.8 million square feet across seven major cities. This represents an increase over the previous year's figure of 25.6 million square feet. According to the report, GCCs continue to be a key driver of India's office industry, owing to cost optimisation, a skilled talent pool, and favourable policies. In 2024-25, GCCs accounted for 42% of office space absorption in India, up slightly from 41% the previous year. Shrinivas Rao, CEO
Sharjah recorded a 25% increase in foreign real estate investment in the first quarter of 2025. The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) attributed the growth to increased demand for freehold ownership and long-term visa options. Projects such as Ajwan Khorfakkan have attracted international and regional investors looking for culturally rich investment opportunities. According to WAM data, the overall value of real estate transactions in Sharjah increased by 31.9% to Dhs13.2 billion, up from Dhs10 billion during the same period last year. Yousif Ahmed Al-Mutawa, Shuroo
During the first half of 2025, India experienced its strongest growth in renewable energy in three years. Renewable power generation increased by 24.4% to 134.43 billion kilowatt-hours between January and June, according to the analysis of government data. This is the quickest increase since 2022. Renewables, excluding hydropower, accounted for more than 17% of India's energy mix in June, hitting a record high. At the same time, coal-fired generation, which remains India's primary source of electricity, decreased by about 3% over the period. The reduction followed an early monsoon and a wa
Saudi Arabia's unemployment rate among nationals fell to a new low of 6.3% in the first quarter of 2025, the lowest level since official labour statistics began. The drop was caused by a significant increase in women's workforce participation, highlighting the Kingdom's economic diversification efforts under Vision 2030. The unemployment rate among Saudi women decreased drastically to 10.5%, down 3.6% points from the previous year and the lowest figure on record. Female labour force participation increased to 36.3%, while the employment-to-population ratio for women improved to 32.5%, indi
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the UAE's travel and tourism sector recorded a record $70.1 billion previous year, accounting for 13% of the country's GDP. This represents a 3.2% increase over 2023 and a 26% increase from pre-pandemic 2019 levels, putting the UAE in the top seven worldwide destinations for foreign tourist spending. International visitor expenditure increased to $59.2 billion, up 5.8% from 2023 and 30.4% higher than in 2019. Domestic tourism spending rose to $15.7 billion, a 41% rise from 2019. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum praised the tourist
Vietnam and Poland have agreed to strengthen tourism and sports cooperation during a meeting in Warsaw between Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong and Polish Secretary of State Piotr Borys. The Vietnamese delegation, which included Ambassador Ha Hoang Hai and other top officials, addressed ways to increase bilateral interactions and stimulate collaboration among travel companies. Deputy Minister Ho An Phong emphasised the 75-year diplomatic relationship and mentioned Vietnam's visa allowances for Polish people, which have increased tourist numbers. To expand tourism
Saudi Arabia plans to open 166 "schools without walls" as part of an ambitious effort to revamp educational infrastructure and encourage broader community involvement. The idea was announced by Tatweer Building Company (TBC), which oversees infrastructure projects for the Ministry of Education. These schools aspire to be multifunctional spaces that provide learning possibilities outside regular school hours and traditional academic boundaries. The new facilities will be created in residential areas developed by the National Housing Company (NHC) in six major Saudi cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, D
Tourism spending in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region is expected to reach $223.7 billion by 2034, according to figures issued by the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat). This expansion reflects the region's growing position as a global tourism destination, which is aided by considerable expenditures in cultural, entertainment, and hospitality infrastructure. According to data cited by Emirates News Agency (WAM), inbound tourism is predicted to account for 13.4% of total exports in 2034. This indicates that tourism is playing an
The UAE retail industry is expected to grow at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of 5.4% through 2028, driven by shifting consumer behaviour and a shift towards experience-led environments. While global mall visitation is declining owing to e-commerce, the Middle East continues to witness high consumer engagement in physical retail areas. Modern buyers need a combination of leisure, food, wellness, and social contact in a single location, forcing malls to grow beyond traditional formats. Retail interiors are being redesigned to create emotionally engaging spaces that use advanced digital techn
The Axiom-4 Mission successfully launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, with four astronauts aboard, including Shubhanshu Shukla of India. The crew completed a 28-hour journey to the International Space Station (ISS), marking an important milestone in global and Indian space exploration. Shukla became the second Indian to travel to space, nearly four decades after Rakesh Sharma's historic 1984 mission on a Soviet spacecraft. His involvement in this mission also makes him the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS), a permanently crewed orb