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
How Palestinians plan to overcome electricty shortages The Palestinian government is establishing a "new electricity market" that will draw power from various sources but will be supervised by a government-owned company. Palestine
Female plumbers in Jordan clear path for women in labor market Women in Jordan are trying to break the social barrier between women and the professions that men have monopolized with the first all-women Jordanian plumbing company leading the way. Jordan
How Israel's culture minister threatens national film industry, democracy Culture Minister Miri Regev is examining state funding of Israeli films with the intention of withholding support to productions she considers anti-Israeli. Palestine
Why Turkey’s growth data has economists scratching their heads Turkey’s latest growth data, which suggests the economy rebounded strongly in the fourth quarter of 2016, appears out of sync with other key indicators, fueling doubts over Ankara’s new calculation method. Turkey
How some Israelis plan to cash in with cannabis As the Knesset considers a bill to legalize exporting medical cannabis, dozens of Israeli kibbutzim are getting in on the lucrative industry. Israel
Structural issues cloud Khamenei's economic vision for Iran To realize Iran's economic potential, the supreme leader and the government need to take steps to allow genuine private sector expansion. Iran
Anger in Ankara over Iraqi Kurdish independence moves Given its close ties with the Kurdistan Regional Government, which it needs for economic, political and security interests, Turkey’s objections to Iraqi Kurdish plans remain low key, but a crisis between the sides may nevertheless be looming. Iraq
Does BDS ban hurt Israel? Jewish organizations in the United States are criticizing the Knesset for banning the entry of those who express support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Israel
Aswan solar power project brightens Egypt’s energy outlook By 2018, Upper Egypt will be home to Egypt’s largest and first-of-its-kind grid-connected solar power park. Egypt
Will tuition ruling impede American University of Cairo? The American University of Cairo will abide by a court ruling to cancel its decision to collect half of tuition fees in US dollars, but this compliance may jeopardize the university's educational quality in light of the decrease in funding. Egypt
Despite nuclear deal, EU firms still cautious on Iran Despite the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, European firms remain cautious about seriously re-entering the Iranian market during the current wait-and-see period. Iran
Lebanon's complacent politicians choose more taxes over reforms As the Lebanese government passed a new budget that includes tax hikes and spending increases, economic experts are calling on politicians to instead focus on fighting corruption and money waste in state institutions. Lebanon