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
As food prices soar, Egyptians asked to go hungry in protest The head of Egypt's Consumer Protection Agency has called on citizens to refrain from buying basic commodities for one day in an effort to drive prices down in a boycott that analysts say will be far too short to work. Egypt
Quarrying leaves West Bank villagers on shaky ground Residents of the West Bank village of Kur have been complaining for a decade that a nearby stone-crushing operation is harming the environment and threatening their historic landmarks and homes. Palestine
Turkish companies flout law for cheap Syrian labor Unemployment in Turkey has reached 11.3%, and Syrian refugees have become a convenient scapegoat. Syria
Iraq wrangling with $26.6 billion budget deficit The parliament is studying Iraq’s controversial 2017 budget this week, with the main challenges coming from a significant deficit and disagreements over allocations. Iraq
Qatar steps up its involvement in Tunisia with investment conference The Arab Spring’s nascent democracy is the latest theater where Gulf state rivalries are playing out. United Arab Emirates
Why Russia isn’t rushing to lift sanctions on Turkey Russia appears to be in no hurry to remove all of its sanctions against Turkey, even though it’s been a year since they were imposed. Turkey
Why can't Egyptians get the medicines they need? Egypt's decision to float the pound sent drug prices soaring, and drug companies have responded by curtailing imports, leading to a critical shortage. Egypt
How will Egypt spend its $12B from the IMF? The IMF has approved a $12 billion loan, but how will the Egyptian administration spend this amount, amid allegations of the misuse of previous Gulf loans. Egypt
Egyptians, Gazans move to strengthen economic ties During the Ain Sokhna conference in Egypt, Palestinian businessmen put forth the decade-old idea of a free trade zone between both parties, in a bid to ease the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Iran’s mega deal with Airbus inches closer to finalization Only days after the US House voted against the Boeing and Airbus deals with Iran, the US Treasury issued a second license for Airbus to sell 106 aircraft to Tehran. United States
Turkey’s 'big bosses' gather courage to speak out on economy Turkey’s most powerful business group, TUSIAD, long silenced by the government, seems to be regaining its voice as the country’s economic downturn worsens. Turkey
Why Iran’s private sector hasn't benefited from privatization Despite ambitious plans to downsize government and help expand the private sector, Iran’s efforts to privatize state-owned enterprises continue to face serious challenges. Iran