Gelephu Mindfulness City & trade push: Bhutan’s Gelephu bet is getting a major boost with the planned Gelephu International Airport, designed to serve the GMC special administrative region and strengthen cross-border connectivity with India. Tourism leadership: MICE Bhutan CEO Lizam Dorji has been named PATA Face of the Future 2026 Grand Winner, spotlighting Bhutan’s push to grow MICE while keeping sustainability at the core. Border economy & visitor rules: Bhutan is expanding the 24-hour SDF waiver in Phuentsholing from September, allowing regional tourists to visit Milarepa Lhakhang and the Pachu Community Ecotourism Site via approved packages and licensed guides. Energy & skills: Cleantech Industry Resources (CIR) has been selected by Royal University of Bhutan’s CST under STAR-C to train Bhutan’s next generation of solar engineers in PVsyst modelling. Finance & markets: Bhutan’s foreign reserves dipped to about USD 1.19bn in June-July amid higher import costs and fuel prices, while the Royal Securities Exchange of Bhutan reported July trading volume up 70% (value up modestly). Business climate: The Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) is calling for amendments to the Tenancy Act 2015 to better protect commercial tenants from short notice periods and rent/termination uncertainty. Infrastructure & sustainability: DANTAK and Green Road will resurface a 6.5 km stretch on the Chuzom-Babesa highway using shredded plastic waste, scaling up a long-running Olakha pilot.