Economy
Fuel Deliveries Add 40,740 Tonnes of AI-92 Gasoline
Published: 2026-08-22
Mongolia’s fuel-supply rapid-response headquarters reported that 37,740 tonnes of AI-92 gasoline entered through the Sukhbaatar border crossing on August 21. A further 3,000 tonnes of Euro-5 AI-92 arrived from Russia and China: 500 tonnes from Russia and 2,500 tonnes from China. The headquarters, established by order of the prime minister to improve fuel supply and distribution, said fuel deliveries were being dispatched to every district. As of 2 p.m. on August 22, M-Oil stations near the Trauma Hospital, along the Tasgan Ovoo road, at the Darii-Ekh intersection, opposite Uguumur Market, and opposite the road to Khilchin residential complex were operating normally. The update identifies these outlets as available locations for regular fuel sales.
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Infrastructure
Even-Numbered Vehicles Allowed on Roads Today
Published: 2026-08-22
Vehicles with license plates ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 are permitted to operate on August 22 under Ulaanbaatar’s temporary odd-even traffic restriction. The measure runs from August 15 through September 12 in connection with COP17 and preparations for the new school year. It applies daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. across the city, without zone-based exemptions. Vehicles with plates ending in odd numbers are not permitted during the restriction period on this date. During the regulated hours, only vehicles whose plates end in an even number may operate. The restriction applies regardless of zone and is connected to COP17 and preparations for the new school year.
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Russia Renews Proposal to Raise Ulaanbaatar Railway Tariffs
Published: 2026-08-22
Transport Minister B. Delgersaikhan met Russian Railways First Deputy Director General Sergei Alekseyevich Pavlov on August 21 to discuss Ulaanbaatar Railway operations, rolling-stock renewal, freight and transit traffic, and fuel transport from Russia. The Russian side again proposed raising Ulaanbaatar Railway tariffs. Delgersaikhan said higher tariffs could trigger wage demands without delivering substantial operational improvements, and called instead for investment and alternative financing. The sides also discussed transferring railway social facilities not directly related to core operations to state, municipal or local ownership to reduce costs. They discussed connecting the nearly 70 percent-complete Bagakhangai-Khushig Valley and Emeelt branch lines to the main railway network and starting trial shipments. They agreed to continue high-level discussions on issues affecting the network connection. The first 87-kilometre section’s substructure is complete and its track superstructure is 90.5 percent complete.
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City Expands International Partnerships for Tramway and Road Projects
Published: 2026-08-22
Ulaanbaatar said it will expand cooperation with the World Bank Group on flood-risk management, climate-resilient transport, project preparation and institutional capacity, following the mayors’ forum held during COP17. Mayor B. Purevdavaa said the partnership could advance the Tuul-1 flood collector, an expressway and a tramway project, which the reports say is to be implemented within two years. The city also signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s China Central Strategic Advisory Group to explore financing, technology, feasibility studies and implementation arrangements for infrastructure initiatives. These include first- and second-ring roads, new public-transport infrastructure, green infrastructure, waste-to-energy and energy-storage systems, energy-efficient detached housing, and recycling coal-combustion waste from Thermal Power Plant No. 5 into construction materials. The agreements establish cooperation frameworks rather than confirming construction or financing for each listed project.
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City Signs BYD Deal to Explore Electric Mobility and Energy Storage
Published: 2026-08-22
Ulaanbaatar Governor and Mayor B. Purevdavaa signed a memorandum of understanding with BYD Company Limited Vice President Zhao Tong during COP17 to pursue electric-mobility and energy-storage technologies. The agreement covers expanding electric-vehicle use, installing more fast-charging Green Stations, deploying battery energy storage systems, and introducing battery-powered Sky Shuttle public transport. The city said the measures are intended to address air pollution, road congestion and electricity shortages. The memorandum outlines planned cooperation rather than confirming that the technologies have already been deployed. BYD is a Chinese company active in electric vehicles, batteries and renewable energy. Reports cite its experience introducing Blade Battery-based Sky Shuttle systems in 10 Chinese cities and São Paulo, Brazil. They also say BYD had sold more than 17 million electric vehicles and built 60 GWh of energy-storage systems in 2025.
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COP17 Blue Zone Operations Coordinate 1,364 Staff
Published: 2026-08-22
A COP17 operations command center is coordinating 1,364 employees and officials across 28 workstreams in 11 sectors to keep activities in the conference Blue Zone running continuously. The COP17 Investment and Construction Office leads the center’s work. Its responsibilities include venue facilities, power supply, occupational safety, outdoor and indoor arrangements, conference-room equipment, food production and hygiene controls, veterinary oversight, communications and security. The operation also coordinates Red Cross volunteers, cleaning services, waste management, drinking-water supply, wastewater removal, disinfection, emergency medical response, the media center and rainwater pumping in outdoor areas. The staffing arrangement supports the day-to-day operation of the Blue Zone during the conference.
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Society
Police Guard COP17 Delegates at 40 Hotels
Published: 2026-08-22
The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, COP17, is being held in Mongolia from August 17 to 28. The conference is addressing desertification, land degradation, drought, ecosystem restoration and climate-change-related issues. Police officers have been assigned to protect participants and maintain public order during the international gathering. A total of 103 officers are deployed at 40 hotels where guests and delegates are staying. They are working around the clock and on assigned shifts to prevent potential risks. The deployment focuses on the accommodation sites used by conference participants while COP17 continues through August 28.
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Environment
City Signs Framework to Attract Up to $250 Million in Green Investment
Published: 2026-08-22
Ulaanbaatar and the Global Green Growth Institute signed a memorandum of understanding during the COP17 mayors’ forum to expand their cooperation and mobilize up to $250 million in green investment. The framework is intended to support the city’s climate-action plan and green-development policies through financing, technical cooperation and a formal basis for future joint work. The institute has worked with the city since 2016 on lower-carbon, climate-resilient and economically sustainable development. Its earlier cooperation includes a $32.5 million grant from the Mitigation Action Facility for an energy-efficiency retrofit project for Ulaanbaatar’s prefabricated apartment buildings. The new memorandum does not state that the full $250 million has been secured; it launches cooperation to attract investment up to that amount. The stated objective is to support a more climate-resilient, liveable and green city.
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EU-Backed Forest Finance Program Targets $250 Million by 2030
Published: 2026-08-22
The European Union-funded Finance for Forests program has been formally launched, with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the government Forest Agency signing a memorandum of understanding. The program aims to mobilize $250 million for Mongolia’s forest sector by 2030 through green bonds, blended finance and carbon finance, supplementing conventional budget funding. The money is intended to expand resources for forest protection, restoration and sustainable use. The government and GGGI also signed a host-country agreement that strengthens the legal framework for GGGI’s work in Mongolia and for technical cooperation and international investment. Since joining GGGI in 2013, Mongolia has mobilized more than $375 million in grants and investment with its support.
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Arts
Nomad World Culture Festival Continues at Taij Khairkhan
Published: 2026-08-22
The Nomad World Culture Festival, launched on August 21, continues through August 23 at the foot of Taij Khairkhan in Ulaanbaatar’s Nalaikh District. Organized at Mongolia’s initiative, it promotes the safeguarding and transmission of intangible cultural heritage. Khovd Province is presenting 18 heritage forms from four domains, while Ulaanbaatar’s nine districts have sent 45 heritage practitioners representing seven domains. The program includes 19 performances by 38 practitioners, traditional food displays in provincial gers, Buryat archery, youth knucklebone shooting, mounted archery, horseball and wrestling. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Culture and Arts Authority, Ulaanbaatar city administration and Nalaikh district administration are organizing the event. Free buses run from Sukhbaatar Square during the festival.
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