The main industries are: Cement Chemical products Brick Factories Oil refinery The fast-growing numbers of factories has resulted in fairly serious pollution of the area and of the Gulf of Gabès. In recent years the government is working on new programs and laws to decrease the amount of pollution. Transport Gabès – Matmata International Airport is in the city. Gabès will soon be upgraded with one light rail system under the number 7 that will run from the railway station to the port of Gabès. Featuring rolling stock made by Alstom, Gabès will receive 15 new train sets. Railways Gabès is terminus of a narrow gauge branch railway from the capital, and is the nearest railway station to the Libyan border at Ras Ajdir. Gabès has also one of the biggest ports in Tunisia; it is used usually to ship the mineral products from the city of Gafsa. Roads Gabès will be linked soon with the national motorway A1 (Tunis – Ras Ajdir). Climate Gabès has a hot arid climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), bordering upon a hot semi-arid climate (BSh), characterised by hot summers and pleasant winters. Rainfall is low throughout the year and negligible during the hot summer. Tourism Overview Gabès is famous for its traditional Souqs in Jarah; it is known also for its attractive beach and the unusual seaside oasis (Gabès is located on the coast of the Mediterranean). The best parts of the beach are in the south of the city (Road to Djerba). The best one is the Lemawa or Lemaya beach. The government is planning to build a tourist zone there in the coming years. Gabès has a unique feature in the world, in this city you find the mountain, the sea, the oasis and the desert. The streets of Gabès come alive at night during Ramadan, where sooks (shops) are open on the streets and parties happen almost every day in the night during Ramadan. The most visited place in Gabès is the town Matmata. Place to visit: The traditional souks The Kornich Mosque of Sidi Boulbaba The Mouradi school Zaouia Sidi Ahmed Toujani Gallery World Heritage Status This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on May 28, 2008, in the Cultural category. Notable people Gladys Adda, activist, was born here in 1921 Juliette Bessis, Tunisian historian, was born here (1925–2017) Silvan Shalom, Israeli politician, former minister and