Mongolia Signs ADB Loan Agreements for Education and Health Projects www.montsame.mn

Mongolia has signed loan agreements with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for projects supporting the development of the country’s education and health sectors.

Under the Second Additional Financing for the Sustaining Access to and Quality of Education During Economic Difficulties Project, nine new schools and five kindergartens will be constructed, 17 schools and one kindergarten will be expanded, and the construction of one school will be completed. These measures will increase the capacity of schools and kindergartens by 11,140 places.

Meanwhile, the USD 225 million Provincial Health Service Strengthening and Modernization Project will strengthen the capacity of health organizations in 19 aimags and gradually modernize aimag hospital infrastructure, emergency care, intensive care and surgical services.

The project will also modernize health centers in 11 remote soums and soums located along border crossings, improve the provision of necessary medical equipment and vehicles, and construct a new 300-bed model provincial hospital in Uvurkhangai aimag.

The two projects are being implemented under the General Financing Program agreed between Mongolia and the ADB in 2025.

During the signing of the agreements, Minister of Finance Mendsaikhan Zagdjav noted that cooperation between Mongolia and the ADB has successfully expanded over the past 35 years. He expressed appreciation to the ADB for making major investments and supporting the development of Mongolia’s education and health sectors, and expressed confidence that bilateral relations and cooperation would continue to strengthen.

Mongolia Welcomes 841,506 Tourists in First Nine Months www.montsame.mn

Mongolia received a total of 841,506 international tourists as of September 30, 2026, according to the Mongolia Tourism Organization.

A total of 107,233 tourists visited Mongolia in September alone, marking an increase from the same month last year.

The number of tourists received by September 30 in recent years was as follows:

2023: 468,175
2024: 574,688
2025: 602,987
2026: 841,506
The number of tourists in the first nine months of 2026 increased by 238,519, or 39.6%, compared with the same period in 2025.

Tourists from Russia, China and South Korea accounted for the largest numbers, followed by visitors from Japan, the United States and Kazakhstan.

August recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals in 2026, while arrivals in September also increased year-on-year.

Mongolia, UK Discuss Expanding Study Opportunities for Mongolian Students www.montsame.mn

Minister of Education Enkh-Amgalan Luvsantseren met with British Ambassador to Mongolia Edwin Samuel on October 1 to discuss ways to expand cooperation in education.

The talks focused on improving the quality and accessibility of English language education and supporting teacher development. A project implemented in cooperation with UNICEF, with support from the UK Government, helped strengthen the skills of English teachers in rural areas. A total of 739 teachers from 219 public schools in eight aimags took part, accounting for more than 20% of English language teachers nationwide.

The sides also discussed cooperation with Cambridge Partnership for Education to strengthen teacher training, build the capacity of the Mongolian National University of Education, update teacher education curricula, and support the professional development of teachers and researchers.

On higher education, Minister Enkh-Amgalan expressed appreciation for the Chevening Scholarship programme, which has supported Mongolian students pursuing master’s degrees in the UK. He also highlighted the need to turn a memorandum of understanding between the National University of Mongolia and NCUK into concrete study opportunities and to help other Mongolian universities establish partnerships with UK institutions.

The Mongolian side expressed interest in developing joint degree programmes, including 2+2 and 1+3 arrangements, under which students complete the first part of their studies in Mongolia and the remainder in the UK, expanding access to international education, according to the Ministry of Education.

PM Uchral Highlights Government Focus on Investment Environment www.montsame.mn

Prime Minister of Mongolia Uchral Nyam-Osor met with Japanese business representatives on September 30 as part of his official visit to Japan, listened to investors’ views and concerns, and expressed his readiness to address them promptly.

Japanese companies investing in Mongolia presented their projects and programs to the Prime Minister. For instance, Aeronext has been transporting blood by drones in Mongolia since 2023 with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Drones currently deliver blood to 23 locations from the National Center for Transfusion Medicine. The company is working to establish drone manufacturing and maintenance capabilities in Mongolia and has asked the Mongolian Government to support efforts to turn the initiative into a reality.

The Japanese side also highlighted broad opportunities for cooperation in the field of critical minerals. It stressed that purchases by Japan from Mongolia are important for the effective implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into force in 2016.

Prime Minister Uchral said the Government will promptly address obstacles facing businesses operating in Mongolia. He also expressed the Government’s readiness to work closely with Japanese banks and financial institutions if they demonstrate concrete interest in Mongolia.

He emphasized the importance of marking the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and Japan next year by forging new business partnerships. He expressed confidence that the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) will play an important role in turning investment proposals into concrete projects in Mongolia. The two sides also discussed establishing a JETRO representative office in Mongolia.

The Government of Mongolia is placing particular emphasis on supporting the private sector, improving the business and investment environment, reducing administrative procedures for permits, and creating a stable and competitive environment that protects investors’ rights and legitimate interests, according to the Media and Public Relations Department of the Government.

Fuel shortage sparks protests in Mongolia www.news.mn

Months of fuel shortages and rising prices have fueled public frustration in Mongolia, prompting hundreds of people to gather at Sukhbaatar Square in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, on Oct. 1 to protest. Cars lined both the eastern and western sides of Sukhbaatar Square as drivers stepped out of their vehicles and stood still in protest. Some repeatedly sounded their horns to express their anger.

The demonstration drew not only drivers but also students, elderly people and representatives of different age groups.

Participants voiced a wide range of grievances. While the fuel shortage was the immediate trigger, many protesters also expressed concern over taxes, rising food prices, increases in electricity, heating and water tariffs, declining household incomes and what they described as excessive government spending. Some demonstrators said the fuel shortage could partly be explained by the international situation, but argued that external factors alone could not justify the current crisis.

Since the shortages began, many drivers have spent nights sleeping in their vehicles or waiting in long queues at filling stations. Others said they had been forced to buy fuel at inflated prices from resellers. Although the government has repeatedly said it is taking all necessary measures to address the situation, prices of everyday consumer goods have continued to rise, while inflation has placed increasing pressure on household finances.

Brown bears kill 162 head of livestock in northern Mongolia www.xinhuanet.com

At least 86 brown bear sightings have been reported in residential areas of Selenge province in northern Mongolia since the beginning of spring, with the animals killing and eating 162 head of livestock, the provincial department of environment said Wednesday.

"These figures are based on reports submitted by nomadic herders. We cannot rule out the possibility that there have been additional incidents that have not been reported or registered," the department said.

In recent months, there have been multiple reports of bears being spotted in or near residential areas in several provinces across Mongolia. In particular, several bear sightings have been reported in the capital, Ulan Bator, in recent days, prompting authorities to urge the public to remain vigilant and take precautions to protect themselves and others from potential risks.

Experts said encounters between bears and livestock, as well as bear sightings in residential areas, have increased in recent years. They cited several contributing factors, including climate change, food shortages in bears' natural habitats, the overexploitation of natural resources, and forest fires.

India's SAIL flies in Mongolian coking coal as it seeks new supplies, sources say www.reuters.com

Steel Authority ​of India (SAIL) (SAIL.NS), opens new tab has airlifted coking coal from Mongolia for the first time, testing the landlocked ‌nation as a potential new supplier as India seeks to reduce its dependence on Australia, two sources said.
The state-backed steelmaker flew in a 1-metric-ton sample earlier this month and will assess whether the coal meets its steelmaking requirements, the sources said, declining ​to be identified because the development has not been made public.

SAIL, one of India's largest steelmakers, ​planned the trial last year, in a move first reported by Reuters.
India, the world's second-largest crude ⁠steel producer after China, imports about 95% of its coking coal needs, with Australia supplying at least ​half. Coking coal accounts for nearly 40% of steel production costs.
The trial is aimed primarily at diversifying supplies, though ​transporting coal from Mongolia to India remains a major challenge, the sources said.

Indian authorities ​have previously said they favour the Russian route because of strategic concerns involving China.
Relations between India and China ​have remained tense since a deadly clash along their disputed Himalayan border in 2020, despite recent steps to improve ties, ‌including the ⁠resumption of direct flights and easier visa procedures for Chinese professionals.
SAIL will decide whether to pursue long-term supplies from Mongolia based on the suitability of the coal, and the cost and feasibility of transporting it, the sources said.
Shipping the coal via Russia would make it significantly more expensive than competing supplies, although its quality is ​superior, a metallurgical coal analyst ​said.
SAIL and Mongolia's Ministry ⁠of Mining and Heavy Industry did not respond to requests for comment.

India and Mongolia agreed, opens new tab last year to work towards securing coking coal and copper supplies for Indian ​companies.
India's coking coal imports are expected to rise 3% to 5% in 2026/27 from ​64 million ⁠tons a year earlier, commodities consultancy BigMint has said, as domestic coal does not fully meet steelmakers' requirements.
Australia is expected to remain India's largest supplier, although imports from Russia, Mozambique and the US are also forecast to increase, analysts ⁠said.
As ​India expands steel production, it will require substantially more coking coal, most ​of which will need to be imported, increasing pressure on global supplies.
Indian steelmakers have raised prices in recent weeks as coking coal costs ​increased and domestic demand revived, Reuters reported earlier this month.

Reporting by Neha Arora. Editing by Mayank Bhardwaj and Mark Potter

Mongolia eyes C919s for national carrier MIAT www.ch-aviation.com

Mongolia is interested in introducing C919s as part of the renewal of its national carrier's fleet. Following talks with COMAC in Shanghai on September 24, 2026, transport minister Borkhuu Delgersaikhan said any introduction of the aircraft into the fleet of MIAT - Mongolian Airlines (OM, Ulaanbaatar) would depend on factors including airworthiness certification, safety, operational suitability. Previously this year, MIAT expressed interest in purchasing ten Airbus jets and acquiring additional Boeings, while also preparing for future network growth to the United States.

Cable car offers small hope for Mongolia's gridlocked capital www.afp.com

Mongolia's capital Ulaanbaatar has long been plagued by notorious traffic jams and suffocating winter smog -- the result of breakneck urban growth and infrastructure that has struggled to keep up.

Developers now hope that a 4.2-kilometre (2.6-mile) cross-river cable car might help on the margins, cutting a three-hour journey to just minutes.

Weary residents, however, have long wished for a more ambitious response to the city's heavy traffic and pollution problems.

"I think (the cable car) might improve things a bit," 68-year-old Narantsetseg Aleksandr told AFP in one of Ulaanbaatar's sprawling northern suburbs.

"For families living up on these -remote hillside areas, cable cars could be very beneficial since they wouldn't have to rely entirely on buses," he said.

Authorities have long touted various plans to reduce pollution and traffic, which sound "effective on paper" but ended up being "mostly talk", he said.

"There isn't much actual work or real tangible progress being made."

For more than a decade, an underground metro system has been touted for the city to tackle congestion -- but work has yet to begin.

For 25-year-old truck driver Enkhbayar Myanganbayar, metro promises always seemed "far beyond realistic expectations" as congestion in the capital has worsened.

"Ever since I was a child, various ministers have promised to build a metro," he told AFP.

"It was obvious from the start that it was untrue."

In contrast, the Tuul River cable car -- spearheaded by French firm Poma with a concessional loan from the French government -- is already under development and expected to be completed by the end of the year, potentially followed by more lines.

"The project's cost is low and construction is very fast compared with a metro," project manager Cecile Broi told AFP.

Mongolia's capital has expanded significantly since the end of the Soviet-allied communist era.

In 1990, it was home to around half a million people. Now, Ulaanbaatar's population exceeds 1.5 million.

While the city centre is nestled in the Tuul River valley, its sprawling suburbs stretch into the surrounding mountainous areas.

The project is a "perfect illustration of a situation where cable transport makes a lot of sense", Broi said.

By car, getting between the line's two stations can take as long as three hours when traffic is at its worst, she said, while a ride on the cable car will take just 12 minutes.

Construction on the electric cable car, which Poma says will be capable of transporting 2,300 passengers per hour, began last March.

The line will soar over a major thoroughfare, as well as the wide Tuul River floodplain and the Trans-Mongolian Railway.

During cold winters, Ulaanbaatar is frequently ranked as one of the world's most polluted cities and regularly exceeds World Health Organization recommendations for air quality.

For 42-year-old resident Erdenejargal Khorolsuren, solutions could not come fast enough.

She told AFP that the city's incessant traffic has negatively impacted her son's education.

Five years ago, when he began attending a school across the city, "he was full of energy and enthusiasm, but over time the long commute exhausted him", she said.

"His motivation to attend school plummeted and he became constantly fatigued and sick with frequent headaches."

Narantsetseg said that air pollution severely affects quality of life, particularly during the frigid winters when residents in the "ger" districts -- named after traditional nomadic dwellings -- burn coal or other solid fuels to heat their homes.

"Schoolchildren cough a lot from the smoke and catch frequent colds... Buying medicine when (they) get sick puts a real financial strain on us," he said.

Broi, the project manager, acknowledged that a single cable car line will not be a panacea for all of Ulaanbaatar's longstanding woes.

"The usual model is to build a cable transport system that... allows the public to discover the technology, understand how it works and become familiar with this mode of transport," she said.

"Of course, the idea afterwards is to build more of them."

From Rome to the Steppe: Raphael and Bernini Masterpieces Make Historic Asian Debut in Mongolia www.montsame.mn

A landmark art exhibition titled “The Wind of the Great Ocean Across the Steppe: Raphael and Bernini” opened Wednesday at the Chinggis Khaan National Museum in Ulaanbaatar, bringing iconic Italian masterpieces to Mongolia for the first time.

Jointly organized by the Chinggis Khaan National Museum of Mongolia and the Borghese Gallery of Rome, the exhibition marks the first time these works are being displayed anywhere in Asia. It features a portrait attributed to High Renaissance master Raphael Sanzio and a small bronze edition of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s celebrated marble sculpture "Neptune and Triton."

The exhibition explores the concept of power through contrasting artistic expressions. Raphael’s piece conveys strength through composure, symmetry, and inner peace, while Bernini’s work embodies power through fluid motion, physical intensity, and outward energy. The museum’s spatial design guides visitors on a sensory transition from the dramatic dynamism of the Baroque period into the quiet contemplation of the Renaissance.

"We named this exhibition the Wind of the Great Ocean Across the Steppe to symbolize the historic arrival of artistic masterpieces originating from the shores of the great ocean into the vast Mongolian steppes for the first time. That is why these two magnificent Italian works of art are visiting the homeland of nomads today," said Chuluun Sampildondov, Director of the Chinggis Khaan National Museum.

Chuluun noted that despite being established just four years ago, the museum has rapidly expanded its international reach, including an exhibition in Italy earlier this year that showcased works by the 17th-century renowned sculptor and spiritual leader Undur Gegeen Zanabazar.

Presenting these artworks in Asia for the first time, and specifically in Mongolia, is an extraordinary event. This joint project is a tangible result of professional cooperation between the Chinggis Khaan National Museum and the Borghese Gallery, serving as a vivid expression of cultural relations between Mongolia and Italy.

Professor Francesca Cappelletti, Director of the Borghese Gallery, emphasized the emotional depth of the selected pieces. "Artists of that era sought to capture not just physical appearances, but internal human emotions," Professor Cappelletti said, adding that Bernini's 17th-century innovations in movement continue to resonate across time and borders.

Giovanna Piccarreta, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Mongolia, called the exhibition a modern continuation of the legacy of the Silk Road. She noted the initiative stems from bilateral discussions held between the President of Mongolia, Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, and the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, in December 2025 to deepen cultural ties between the two countries.

"Art remains one of the most effective tools for building cross-border understanding and connecting peoples through shared human values," Ambassador Giovanna Piccarreta said.

The exhibition will remain open to the public through November 1, 2026.