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
Iran moves to tax its frequent travelers The Rouhani administration has come under fire for proposing higher departure taxes for Iranians who travel frequently. Iran
Wataniya Mobile’s shares in Palestine on a losing streak Wataniya Mobile’s share price on the Palestine Stock Exchange has dropped below $1 following the company’s entry into the Gaza Strip market. Palestine
Congress advances bill imperiling Iran nuclear deal The House today passed a bill that could undermine the Iran nuclear deal by complicating civilian aircraft sales to Iran, but its future in the Senate remains murky. Congress
Baghdad could take oil in new direction — away from Turkey Now that Iraq's central government in Baghdad has reclaimed oil-rich Kirkuk from the Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq is considering changes that could hurt Turkey's standing in the oil market there. Iraq
Turkey's tomato exports to Russia come at a price for Turks Turkish exporters resumed tomato sales to Russia in November after a two-year embargo, but only a month later, Turkish consumers discovered there is little to celebrate. Turkey
FSA opens new business crossing in northern Syria A Syrian rebel faction opened a business road crossing in the Aleppo countryside to collect funds for the local civilians and military. Syria
Turkey's 'shadowy' gold trade raises questions about Iran's involvement Unexplained rises in Turkey’s gold exports and imports have led experts to wonder whether Iran has reintroduced its trade mechanisms to circumvent international sanctions. United Arab Emirates
Israel continues to expand in West Bank through new tourist route The Israeli government approved the construction of a new tourist route that would pass through the West Bank to the Syrian Golan Heights, raising fears among Palestinians about Israel’s attempts to maintain a permanent presence in occupied territories. Palestine
Iranian oil minister moves to forge new regional partnerships At the recent OPEC meeting, Iran moved to protect its oil production and forge new regional partnerships. Saudi Arabia
Turkish military suffers from self-inflicted brain drain Turkey's military is having difficulty retaining qualified personnel, in part because of its rigid personnel policies and inability to take advantage of officers' interests and skills. Turkey
Egypt takes big step toward financial transparency and inclusion The Egyptian government ceased financial transactions by paper checks this month and implemented a new electronic payment and collection system, although only 10% of citizens have relationships with banks. Egypt
How Mideast turmoil boosts Turkey’s housing market Turkey enjoys a significant increase in real estate purchases by foreigners, but other foreign direct investments are on the decline. Turkey