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 Egypt sell its artifacts to boost economy? Some Egyptians believe selling or "renting" Egypt's national treasures could end the country's stifling economic crisis. Egypt
Palestinians see little gain in Netanyahu's economic offer Palestinians are not buying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s promises to offer economic concessions to them, saying that it would only be a "partial lifting" of Israeli restrictions. Palestine
Why are Sylvester Stallone, Salma Hayek, Will Smith visiting Egypt? Egypt’s Tourism Ministry is investing in a “tourism of stars” to try to revive the tourism sector by bringing A-list celebrities to the country. Egypt
See Palestine by donkey Five young Palestinians are organizing tours of Nablus on donkeys to promote domestic tourism and the traditions of their ancestors. Palestine
Sights, tastes of India charm Egypt in popular festival Egypt's fifth annual Indian cultural festival is attracting enthusiastic crowds in a celebration of friendship and strengthening ties between Cairo and New Delhi. Egypt
Library projects in Egypt bring stories to life Bookmobiles, book-exchange projects and even living "books" are serving Egyptians without access to libraries. Egypt
Egypt's small farmers left in the dust by Sisi's agricultural project The first round of the 1.5 Million Feddan Project, launched by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to fight unemployment through sustainable agriculture, stirred angry reactions from small farmers who only received 1% of the lands, while the rest was allocated to big companies. Egypt
How Palestinian female inmates are getting a second chance The General Directorate for Correction and Rehabilitation Centers in the Gaza Strip held a two-day exhibition to display and sell handicrafts and handmade products made by female inmates. Palestine
Could an offshore seaport be Gaza's salvation? Israeli Transportation and Intelligence Minister Israel Katz continues to promote his idea of an artificial island and port off the Gaza coast and recently pitched it to President Donald Trump’s envoy. Palestine
Is freedom of expression on the rise in Saudi Arabia? The decision to list 5% of Saudi Aramco’s shares has raised wide criticism from the Saudi public while sheding light on the issue of freedom of expression and disapproval in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Why did Erdogan sign emergency decree on laser hair removal? In a last ditch effort to mobilize the "yes" vote for the April 16 referendum, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan resorts to unconventional methods, shocking Islamists and seculars in Turkey. Turkey
Egypt to develop major Cairo slum despite concerns of residents Residents of Cairo's Maspero Triangle neighborhood are being asked to vacate their homes to make way for a new development project. Egypt