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 political risks wreck Turkey’s economic prospects Turkey has lost its investment grade status with all top three credit-rating agencies, falling behind many regional countries despite its geopolitical edge. Turkey
The truth behind oil theft in Iraq's Basra Iraqi members of parliament have recently addressed the Oil Ministry with allegations related to the daily theft of Basra oil due to the malfunctioning of oil counters, to which the ministry responded without offering any proof. Iraq
Herbal medicine industry flourishing in Gaza Strip Gazans believe that herbal medicine is a better option for the public health and the citizen’s pockets in light of the decadelong Israeli siege. Palestine
Will debt and poor financial prospects close Gaza's Al-Azhar Institute? Al-Azhar's administration is calling for funds in the face of declining enrollment and rising debt. Palestine
Will Turkey's new inflation calculations impact more than just economy? Realizing that double-digit inflation could negatively affect the upcoming presidential system referendum, Turkey has changed its method of calculating the inflation rate. Turkey
Will digital platforms revolutionize Turkish TV series? BluTV and Puhu TV, two Turkish companies that provide online broadcast content to their subscribers, have for the first time produced original TV shows. In Turkey, the change of switching from conventional TV to internet for watching shows will be gradual, but the potential is huge. Turkey
Iran’s Bank Mellat loses 37.5% in share value in one day The Tehran Stock Exchange tanks as market regulators allow resumption in trading of Bank Mellat shares. The key question is why there has been a sudden plunge. Iran
Young Gazans launch startups to battle unemployment Faced with rampant unemployment, talented young Gazans are creating their own innovative projects with no official funding and support. Palestine
How Tunisia's young entrepreneurs are hoping to boost the economy Co-working spaces support the rising entrepreneurship sector among the educated youth who are unable to get traditional jobs. Tunisia
Smuggling activities more than double at Israel-Gaza borders Israel has announced an unprecedented rise of goods smuggling through its border into the besieged Gaza Strip, despite the Israeli security measures at the crossings. Palestine
Is a bromance brewing between Sudan, the Saudis? Egypt gets the cold shoulder while Saudi Arabia helps get some US sanctions lifted from Sudan, and Khartoum remains committed to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. Saudi Arabia
Questions surround Egypt's plan to scrap subsidies for cash transfers Egyptian officials hope direct cash payments to the poor will be more efficient than current subsidies, but an economist wonders whether the nation has the necessary database for such a project to work. Egypt