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
Finance minister says Iran seeks 'resilient' economy Iran's Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Ali Tayebnia tells Al-Monitor that Iran is boosting non-oil exports, unifying its exchange rate and increasing the independence of its Central Bank and that remaining US sanctions are the main impediment to Iranian-American investment. United States
Alevi faith protects rare goats in eastern Turkey The shy wild goats in the mountains of eastern Turkey enjoy a protected status both from the government and the still-strong traditions of the local Alevi population. Turkey
Can Iraq reach dam agreement with Turkey to protect marshes? Recent Turkish dam projects, in particular the Ilisu Dam, affect the level of water in Iraq significantly with the marshes drying and the agricultural industry witnessing a significant decline. Iraq
Why Iran’s central bank can’t control money markets The Central Bank of Iran appears powerless to compel thousands of "unlicensed" credit and finance institutions to comply with interest rate caps, leaving much to be desired about its monetary policies. Iran
Iraqi Kurds step into Ankara-Baghdad row Iraq has called on the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops from its soil. Iraq
How Palestinians hope to increase exports Earlier in September, the Palestine Trade Center announced the Palestine Exporter Award for 2016, a national recognition to promote an export culture among Palestinian firms, encourage diversification in exports and support access to new markets in a bid to achieve national economic development. Palestine
Birzeit protest ends as students strike tuition deal A heavy budget deficit — though lighter than those of other Palestinian universities — led Birzeit University to call for a tuition hike, sparking a protest movement by the student council that closed the school's gates for a month. Palestine
Turks cry economic warfare as Moody's lowers credit rating Turkey's freshly downgraded credit rating is fueling paranoia, though economists point out that Turkey's economic decline was well established before the coup attempt. Turkey
Jordanians fuming over gas deal with Israel Jordanians have taken to the streets in opposition to a deal quietly reached between Jordan and Israel to supply the kingdom with energy, with critics saying the agreement will validate and increase reliance on Israel. Israel
Will new social security law protect Palestinian workers? President Mahmoud Abbas ratified the social security law, after a campaign led to amendments that guarantees the rights of employees, women and people with disabilities. Palestine
Israel's 'death sentence' for Gaza's economy Israel has been revoking the travel and import permits of Gaza merchants and importers, threatening the collapse of Gaza's economy. Palestine
Why calls for independence are in decline in Iraqi Kurdistan The economic crisis in Iraqi Kurdistan has decreased independence ambitions significantly, while the social and political demands to turn toward Baghdad are increasing in the region. Iraq