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 Egyptians are responding to soaring costs A campaign to lower food prices for Egyptians has good intentions, but economic experts say it will have no lasting impact. Egypt
Risk indicators growing for Turkish economy Turkey’s growing economic, political and geopolitical risks have caused significant losses in foreign capital inflows, on which the country’s economic growth relies. Turkey
The brewing battle over coffee in Turkey Amid an increase in coffee consumption in Turkey, leading international coffee chains have stormed into the local market, luring the young clientele. Turkey
How oil is bringing Iraq, Egypt closer Iraq is planning to supply Egypt with a million barrels of oil as both countries face a deteriorating relationship with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Are Egyptian-Saudi disputes just a passing crisis or a decisive storm? Egyptian-Saudi squabbles over Syria and Yemen have gone viral, and some worry that this will have a lasting negative effect on the relationship between Cairo and Riyadh. Saudi Arabia
Welcome to Gaza's first deer farm A Palestinian citizen from the town of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip has started raising deer in his garden that already holds rare birds, with the hope of someday turning the farm into a public zoo. Palestine
Does Rouhani want to scrap Iran’s 5-year development plans? With the government’s sixth Five-Year Development Plan mired in controversy and yet to be approved after nine months, some Iranian economists now say these plans are a thing of the past. Iran
Gaza agriculture on brink of collapse With new Israeli encroachment in the name of security and restrictions on the importation of chemicals and fertilizers, even more of Gaza's farmers are being forced to abandon their lands despite a near-total lack of other employment options. Palestine
How Yemen’s war is now threatening international trade The recent attacks on vessels in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthis and the United States threaten international trade along this route. United Arab Emirates
Civil servants in Palestine prohibited from working second job Palestinian civil employees are worried that the new Palestinian government decision to ban holding a second job will cut their monthly income, as they can barely make ends meet in light of the harsh living conditions. Palestine
Can Iraq curb corruption among customs officials? Corruption on Iraq's borders is robbing the government of the customs income its budget depends on. Iraq
The death of critical journalism in Turkey Press freedom in Turkey is often assessed on the basis of jailed journalists, but this fails to fully reflect the gravity of the situation if one omits the huge number of journalists who have lost their jobs and are facing an uncertain future and struggling to survive. Turkey