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
Arak distillery promotes ambitious new brand in defiance of alcohol ban A small home distiller wants to revive the long tradition of alcohol production in the Iraqi town of Bashiqa, which was once a center of multiculturalism and revered for its booze. Iraq
Ankara pins electoral hopes on ignoring economic realities The Turkish government’s vacillations and zigzagging in the face of the country’s economic woes reflect how squeezed it has become economically and politically and how concerned it is about it with elections scheduled for March. Turkey
Iran maneuvers to win back public trust in the rial While the Iranian rial has jumped 25% over the past week, there are major questions about whether the Central Bank of Iran will be able to sustain the upward momentum. Iran
Turkish FM heads for Iraq to greet new leadership, discuss oil Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is set for a two-day visit to Iraq widely taken as an effort to re-assert Turkey’s heft in the country amid the receding fortunes of its local Sunni Arab allies. Iraq
Loans help Palestinian grads break into business world Unemployed college graduates can now benefit from a government loan program designed to integrate them into the labor market and boost the ailing Palestinian economy. Palestine
Outgoing Abadi signs blow to Turkish exports Turkey sees trouble in the new internal customs checkpoints the federal government has established in northern Iraq. Turkey
Will Egypt opt for controversial steps to fight tax evasion? Economists in Egypt are condemning statements by the head of the Egyptian Tax Authority, whereby the Ministry of Finance might be granted access to the bank accounts of some customers and companies in a bid to reduce tax evasion. Egypt
Aid for Palestinian farmers set to go, farmers cross fingers The Palestinian Authority says it is finally ready to launch a new loan institution to assist farmers, but many suspect it will remain inoperable, like other such entities, for lack of financial resources. Palestine
Will the PA be able to invest in Area C? Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah demanded that the Palestinian Authority be allowed to invest in Area C, considering it a way to achieve development, create jobs and increase the Palestinians' GDP. Palestine
Iran's launch of ‘Look East’ 2.0 The recent Regional Security Dialogue in Tehran is an indication that Iran sees security multilateralism as a mechanism to confront US pressure and maintain the regional balance of power in its favor. Syria
Iranian MPs pass anti-terror funding bill despite death threats Iran has taken an important step in gaining access to the international banking system. Iran
Egypt expected to become regional gas hub The Egyptian government has recently announced that the country stopped importing liquefied natural gas and managed to achieve self-sufficiency thanks to the Zohr gas field, raising hopes that Egypt would become a regional gas trading and exporting hub. Egypt