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
Europe’s big eggs in Turkey’s economic basket Economic concerns lie at the heart of Turkey’s moves to repair ties with European countries, which, in turn, are open to Ankara’s overtures due to the significant stakes they have in the ailing Turkish economy. Turkey
Can Syrian refugees in Turkey benefit from amendment to citizenship law? The Turkish decision to ease some requirements to apply for Turkish citizenship will not help a large number of Syrian refugees in Turkey as they cannot meet the conditions required. Syria
Will EU’s ‘SPV’ be able to sustain Iran trade, investment? While a welcomed step, the SPV mechanism that Iran and the EU are working on is only the starting point of a process that needs to be further consolidated in order to enable trade and investment between the two sides. United States
Why do Palestinians opt for Israeli SIM cards? Due to the poor quality of Palestinian cellular companies that are crippled by Israeli restrictions, Palestinians in the West Bank are opting for Israeli SIM cards provided by illegal Israeli mobile network operators. Palestine
“Made in Jordan”: Are consumers buying it? The “Made in Jordan” campaign has been trying to instill a sense of pride in locally produced goods with the long-term goals of boosting industry and decreasing unemployment. Jordan
Consumer prices dropping in Iran as currency regains value Consumer prices are reportedly dropping in Iran after a period of untamed jumps rarely seen in the country's recent history. Iran
How Iran’s quasi-state firms intensify currency crisis The clash between the Rouhani administration and Iranian petrochemical companies over foreign currency earnings is another chapter in the battle between the government and quasi-state actors. Iran
Turkish inflation spooks Erdogan loyalists Inflation has scaled new heights in Turkey, prompting grumbles from even pro-government media commentators. Turkey
Egyptian MPs visit Ireland to boost economic ties An Egyptian delegation visited Ireland to boost economic relations between the two countries, while focusing on the exchange of expertise in the field of livestock. Egypt
Turkey steps up ties with Palestinian Authority Turkey and the Palestinian Authority have signed new agreements, indicating Ankara intends to broaden official dealings with the PA, but limit its financial assistance to the Gaza Strip to relief agencies. Palestine
Cyprus deal to turn Egypt into major gas exporter to Europe Egypt is hoping to rely less on natural gas imports after signing a deal with Cyprus to transport gas from the small Mediterranean island before it is liquefied in Egypt for exporting to European countries. Egypt