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
Dubai welcomed 8.68 million international tourists in the first five months of 2025, up 7% year on year from 8.12 million in the same period in 2024. In May 2025 alone, the city welcomed 1.53 million tourists, according to the Tourism Performance Report (January–May 2025) issued by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). The surge follows Dubai's outstanding tourism performance in 2024, when it welcomed 18.72 million international tourists, its second consecutive record-breaking year. Western Europe contributed the largest number of tourists to Dubai during this period, acc
Thailand's automotive sector reported 10.32% year-on-year production growth in May 2025, breaking a 21-month downward trend. Monthly vehicle output reached 139,186 units, up 33.51% from April. The rise was fuelled by significant increases in battery electric cars (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The production of BEVs increased by 641.16% year-on-year, while PHEV output increased by 130.49%. Passenger car production for domestic sales increased by 63.88%, while pickup passenger vehicle output increased by 138.65%. However, overall output in the first five months of 2025
Saudi Arabia achieved a significant milestone in 2024 by admitting 116 million tourists, exceeding its annual visitor target for the second consecutive year. This includes 29.7 million overseas arrivals, up 8% from the previous year, and 86.2 million domestic travels, which rose by 5%. The government had already exceeded its original objective of 100 million tourists by 2023, considerably ahead of the 2030 date. A new, more ambitious aim has been set: 150 million yearly tourists by 2030, with 70 million international and 80 million domestic visitors. Tourism spending reached SAR 283.8 b