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
Turkey’s spectacular growth has darker side Turkey may have achieved an impressive 5.1% economic growth in the first half of the year, but the risks are still there with myriad problems accumulating on the other side of the coin. Business
Why are Turks flocking to Greece? A combination of economic, social and political factors has led to a significant increase in the number of Turks vacationing in Greece. Turkey
Gaza's clothing makers look to weave their way back into Israeli markets For the first time in 10 years, a Palestinian sewing company in Gaza exports a shipment of clothes to the Israeli market. Palestine
Jordan opens crossing with Iraq, makes nice with Syria Jordan hopes that the reopening of its border crossing with Iraq is a step toward economic recovery, a goal also leading it to maintain a more moderate approach toward the Syrian government. Iraq
The business of war: Egypt, others eye reconstruction bids Despite lingering security concerns, Egypt is seeking a substantial, lucrative role in rebuilding Syria and Iraq. Egypt
Egyptians make their way to Mecca by many means Many Egyptians resort to illegal methods to perform hajj in Mecca, and the government funds thousands of others, putting a strain on the country's already strapped economy. Saudi Arabia
Ancient Syrian mosaics crumble under weight of war The war in Syria has destroyed many of its ancient mosaics and threatens the craft of making them. Syria
Sabbath summit unites Israel's rival ultra-Orthodox parties The leaders of Israel's distinct ultra-Orthodox sectors united for a unique summit on Sabbath observation in the public space and formulated a joint political strategy. Israel
Why Turkey’s honey production is going sour Turkey’s honey production is the second largest in the world after China, but the sector is buzzing with allegations of fake honey. An upcoming international bee congress may be an opportunity to explain the matter. Turkey
Iranian shareholders face rocky road ahead While the Tehran Stock Exchange has recently reversed its downward trend, fundamental interest rate and exchange rate reform are necessary to maintain the upward momentum. Iran
Iranian Foreign Ministry set for sweeping change Having spent most of his first term negotiating the nuclear deal, Iran’s foreign minister is now set to implement sweeping structural changes in the Foreign Ministry. Iran
Israel's construction sector deadly for Arab workers Lawyer Hadas Tagari is collecting and publishing data on the troubling number of deaths in Israel's construction sector, mainly among Arab laborers, to bring attention to the problem. Palestine