Turkey lifts veil on unemployment data, revealing bigger army of jobless A new, broader set of labor statistics has exposed a big gap between Turkey’s official unemployment rate and the actual joblessness in the crisis-hit country. Turkey
Rights group criticizes Jordan over debt imprisonment Human Rights Watch has highlighted the plight of poor Jordanians imprisoned for failing to pay back loans taken out to meet basic needs. Jordan
COVID accelerates evolution of Gulf economies The economic policy response to COVID-19 is an acceleration of specific trends already underway across the Gulf Cooperation Council members, variously affecting tax policy, labor market regulation and immigration policy. Saudi Arabia
Iran receives COVID-19 vaccine from Cuba Iran enjoys warm relations with the Latin American state and the two countries are also developing a coronavirus vaccine together. Iran
Jordan, Syria reopen border Jordan hopes to make up for lost time as a key border crossing with Syria reopens for the first time since the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011. Jordan
Egypt celebrates new airport servicing Giza Plateau Egypt's new Sphinx International Airport promises to facilitate travel in Giza as tourism further rebounds in the area. Egypt
Palestinian property transfers to settlers anger Jerusalemites The recent transfer of a Palestinian-owned property in the Old City of Jerusalem to settlers caused anger in the Palestinian territories, as the seller and buyer exchange accusations. Palestine
India, Iran or Turkey: Iraqi students look abroad for post-grad studies Stiff competition for a very limited number of seats at public universities and high fees at private institutions are pushing Iraqi students to pursue post-graduate studies abroad. Iraq
Rouhani touts meeting with top economists on containing crisis Iran's president held a meeting with the country's top economists to discuss the ongoing crisis, but some hard-liners have lambasted the secrecy surrounding the talks. Iran
Egypt promotes government bonds on international tour Egypt is marketing its treasury bonds in Europe and Asia, though some analysts worry that expanding foreign debt will negatively affect the local economy. Egypt
Ongoing blockade will cause Gaza to explode in the face of Israel, Hamas warns Employees are being laid off and shops are closing down in the cash-strapped Gaza Strip, while the World Bank warns that the economy is collapsing after a decadelong blockade. Palestine
Why Palestinians put money in banks instead of investing The Palestinian Monetary Authority recently announced that customer deposits in local banks have reached $12.2 billion, a large amount that some economists question, given the deteriorating economy in the Palestinian territories. Palestine
Saudis skeptical about Russia's oil production prospects Saudi Arabia's projection that Russian oil production will dwindle significantly triggered a backlash in Moscow, which says it has options up its sleeve that will prove Riyadh wrong. Saudi Arabia
Analysis: Turkish economic crisis recalls Erdogan's 2002 rise — but don't expect replay An economic crisis in 2001 paved the way for the political ascent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but that doesn't mean the current crisis will now lead to his downfall, given the momentous changes that Turkey has undergone under his rule. Turkey
Analysis: How the Tehran Stock Exchange rally could benefit the Iranian economy The unprecedented bull run on the Tehran Stock Exchange has been a major boon to Iranian investors, but the upward trajectory is dependent on reforms to attract more liquidity. Iran
Liberman halts Qatar's $60 million fuel flow to Gaza Strip Qatar's efforts to supply the fuel-starved Gaza Strip with diesel oil have been stymied, at least temporarily. Qatar