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
Will Libya devalue its dinar? In Libya, devaluing the dinar is not about creating jobs, but stabilizing public finances, preserving foreign currency reserves and solving the ongoing liquidity crisis. Libya
Ultra-Orthodox threaten Netanyahu’s coalition over Sabbath crisis Contrary to past Sabbath crises, this time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is refusing to cede to ultra-Orthodox demands. Israel
Turkey unveiling defense industry innovations it hopes will boost exports Turkey’s defense industry will exhibit ambitious products at the IDEF Fair, largely aimed at foreign markets. Turkey
Egypt’s economists laud new residency-for-deposits law In an effort to bolster Egypt’s economy, parliament passed a law that grants residency to foreigners in return for bank deposits in hard currency. Egypt
Palestinians flock to first Palestinian bank in Jerusalem The National Bank opened its branch in the Dahiat al-Barid neighborhood in Jerusalem on April 17, allowing Palestinians to fulfill their banking needs in Israel without having to cross into the West Bank. Palestine
Gulf carriers delight as Congress rakes US airlines over the coals Lawmakers fault lack of competition for plummeting US customer service; could this affect US airlines' campaign for fairer competition with Gulf carriers? United Arab Emirates
Cotton revival could keep Egypt’s economy spinning The production and export of Egypt’s most famous crop is seeing a revival after quality assurance measures are enacted. Egypt
Congress blames State Department after draft sanctions bill leaked to pro-Hezbollah media The Lebanese government is preparing to send a delegation to Washington to oppose the proposed new sanctions on the designated terrorist organization. Lebanon
Will Egypt start charging citizens to use Facebook? Egypt's parliament is considering a bill to control the use of social media platforms such as Facebook in the name of fighting terrorism and tracking cybercrime. Culture & Society
Can Turkey disprove IMF's dismal economic growth forecast? The International Monetary Fund expects the Turkish economy to further slow down in 2017, but Ankara believes it can disprove the forecast. Turkey
Egypt hopes gold city will revive industry, lure investments Egypt is hoping to cash in on its rich resources and become Africa’s only gateway where manufacturers can trade in and export gold. Egypt
Glory days for Cairo's hammams have returned High beauty care prices have driven Egyptian women to traditional bathhouses not only for personal hygiene but also for rest and relaxation at an affordable price. Egypt