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
Syrian stars look to shine at Egyptian soccer academy An academy that helps gifted Syrian kids play in big soccer clubs sees talent and hope in Egypt. Egypt
Internet censorship a double-edged sword for Tehran As Iran is home to an increasing number of online businesses, the new internet restrictions imposed by the government in response to the recent unrest are hitting many entrepreneurs. Iran
Lebanon’s energy promise could be regional game changer If handled correctly and the status quo between Hezbollah and Israel is maintained, Lebanon’s oil and gas exploration process will lead to the production of energy in 2021-22. Israel
Egypt to switch to cash subsidies instead of bread The Egyptian Ministry of Supply’s plan to shift from in-kind bread subsidies to cash subsidies triggered controversy amid fears of an increase in the rate of inflation. Egypt
US sanctions hinder Iranian protesters’ ability to organize online As the Iranian protests die down, hawkish lawmakers and dovish advocates are united in their concern that US sanctions are inhibiting protesters’ ability to organize. United States
Rouhani’s bad news budget The Rouhani administration’s proposed budget for the coming Iranian year is set to be contractionary in real terms and could lead to a credit crunch. Iran
Netanyahu's 'family values' The recent scandal involving Yair Netanyahu, son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, renews questions about the Israeli leader's handling of a lucrative natural gas deal. Israel
Egypt moves to tame lawless e-commerce sector While Egypt's e-commerce activities witnessed significant growth in 2017, laws governing electronic sales and purchases are expected to further boost the sector. Egypt
Israel's endangered birds face growing threats A new report paints a worrisome picture of the condition of Israel’s wild birds, of which 65 species are in severe danger of extinction from various threats. Israel
Child poverty increases in Egypt as critical support languishes As independent organizations work to alleviate poverty and ensure access to education for Egypt’s children, the government’s NGO law is backfiring, hindering such attempts. Egypt
Israel seeks to revive long abandoned railway to Gulf Israel is currently discussing a project to reopen the old Hejaz railway to connect it with Saudi Arabia, though many Egyptians are concerned about its impact on trade through the Suez Canal. Egypt
Egypt eyes extensive role in Syria reconstruction efforts Egyptian companies are seeking to participate in the reconstruction of Syria and communicating with the concerned Syrian parties to discuss their involvement. Egypt