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 Egypt plans to boost tech partnerships with US companies A delegation from Egypt's Communications and Information Technology Ministry has returned from a successful US tour to promote cooperation and investment in information technology. Egypt
Egypt’s first female plumber is flushing out the competition A Cairo woman who found herself needing to make an income after she and her three children were abandoned by her husband was able to overcome her difficulties by becoming a plumber. Egypt
Palestinian government hopes ancient shrine can lure in tourists The Palestinian ministries of Tourism and Endowments are planning to renovate Jericho’s Shrine of the Prophet Moses to boost tourism and revive the economy. Palestine
Cairo metro drowns in debt, risks shutdown The Cairo metro system owes vast sums to electrical, water and maintenance companies, and this week's move to double the price of a ticket to about $0.11 a ride isn't enough to solve the debt problem. Egypt
Turkey's drive to attract Iranian tourists hits political snags Scrambling to compensate for lost markets, Turkey’s tourism sector aims to attract 2 million tourists from Iran this year, but Ankara’s erratic foreign policy could throw this target into jeopardy. Turkey
Do oil shipments to Egypt mark new chapter for Egypt, Saudi relations? Egypt has announced the resumption of Saudi oil shipments in what appears to be a move toward reducing the tension between both countries that has escalated over the past years, mainly over the Syrian crisis. Saudi Arabia
Imminent anti-monopoly move angers some Gaza traders Gaza's Ministry of National Economy will abolish exclusive commercial import licenses effective April 1. Palestine
Solar car race shines light on renewable energy in Egypt For the first time, the United Solar Challenge was held in Egypt as innovators and engineers race solar-powered cars and try to spark interest in renewable energy sources. Egypt
Ahead of presidential vote, Khamenei attacks Rouhani’s economy During Iranian New Year speeches, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani painted starkly different pictures of the Iranian economy, which is turning out to be a weak spot for the president’s re-election campaign. Iran
How TV series can create new reality for traumatized Turks Riding the populist wave of patriotism, Turkey’s entertainment sector has tuned to stories of bravery on the battlefield. Turkey
Why Egypt is moving forward on free trade Experts consider Egypt's recent actions supporting the Agadir Agreement significant, as Egypt has the largest market among the free-trade agreement's member countries, which will enjoy greater trade and investment opportunities with the help of Egyptian labor and investment opportunities. Saudi Arabia
How did humanitarian funds end up in Hamas' pockets? Israeli authorities are accusing Hamas of stealing funds from humanitarian organizations working in the Gaza Strip, but any action to stop the embezzlement could harm the Gaza population the aid is intended for. Palestine