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
Why Iran's currency is suddenly wobbling After years of relative stability, the Iranian rial is once again wobbling — but why? Iran
The year Saudi Arabia wants to forget For Saudi Arabia, 2016 has been fraught with many difficulties, including an ongoing war in Yemen, falling oil revenues, souring relations with allies Egypt and Pakistan, and the resurgence of Iran. Saudi Arabia
Why OPEC deal is double-edged sword for Iran While the OPEC deal to cut oil production will have tangible positive effects for Iran, it’s far from likely that the accord will fundamentally transform global energy dynamics. Saudi Arabia
Who is responsible for destruction of Iraq's cultural heritage? Iraqi leaders have not only failed to protect the nation's cultural heritage, but have also contributed to its destruction by demolishing historic homes and landmarks. Near East
WikiLeaks dump casts rare light on Erdogan inner circle WikiLeaks' dump of emails has put Energy Minister Berat Albayrak's dealings back in the news. Iraq
Turkey mobilizes against 'economic coup' For President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the steep decline of Turkey’s national currency is an “economic sabotage” by the nefarious powers that were also behind the coup attempt of July 15. Turkey
Meet Gaza’s top businesswoman Mona Adnan Ghalayini, Gaza’s top businesswoman, talks to Al-Monitor about her journey to reach the position she currently occupies despite the social restrictions. Palestine
Egyptian artist defies odds with Photoshop's newest cover After having his artwork featured on the cover of Photoshop's latest edition, Amr Elshamy hopes to transition from digital art to animated movies. Egypt
Iranian media praises OPEC deal as victory over Saudi Arabia Iranian media welcomes OPEC's agreement to exempt Iran from cutting output, characterizing it as a victory over Saudi Arabia. Iran
How the Turkish lira entered free fall The European Parliament’s vote to suspend Turkey’s membership talks is the latest move to worsen the rapid decline of the Turkish lira's foreign exchange rates. Turkey
Gaza organization recruits men to fight for women's rights In an interview with Al-Monitor, the Women's Affairs Center director Amal Siyam talked about the political, social and economic obstacles women face in the Gaza Strip and the novel approach the center is taking to help them. Palestine
Will Total deal pave way for other oil majors' return to Iran? After six years, French oil giant Total has become the first major Western energy company to return to Iran in what Tehran hopes is only the first step in the reopening of the Iranian market. Iran