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
Will Jenin’s only cinema be demolished to make way for mall? Jenin Cinema faces the risk of demolition after it was put up for sale by its owners, and businessmen have made offers and expressed their intentions to build a mall in its place. Palestine
Lebanon positions itself as hub for Syrian reconstruction Experts say that Lebanon has to prepare for Syria’s reconstruction once the war there ends or else it will be a missed opportunity to improve the Lebanese economy. Lebanon
Problems plague Egypt’s roads, rails Egypt's railroad safety is under discussion following recent train accidents. Egypt
Is Tunisia heading toward a 'thirst uprising'? Some analysts say the next revolution in Tunisia could be over water, as several areas in the country have been suffering from very low supplies. Tunisia
Why Israelis don't care about electricity agreement with PA Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon was disappointed when Israelis showed little interest in and even expressed disapproval for the groundbreaking electricity agreement signed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Palestine
Hajj is 'blessed season' for Gaza shop owners Added expense and problems with transport are leading Gazans to buy hajj gifts from local markets rather than in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Khamenei says manipulating numbers on economy is 'major sin' In a meeting with officials responsible for issuing statistical reports, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned against manipulation of statistics. Iran
Can Rouhani reel in the IRGC's financial empire? Still under fire by hardliners over the nuclear deal, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is now confronting them over compliance with international banking regulations. Iran
Can Palestinian Authority cope with decline of international aid? International aid to the Palestinian Authority fell by 70% over the last four years, significantly affecting the Palestinian government's budget, and consequently, the economy. Palestine
Water pressure plummets in Tehran After years of warnings about an impending water crisis, Tehranis are experiencing dramatic drops in water pressure and now face the likely prospect of water rationing. Iran
Egypt hopes to use soccer to score influence in Africa Is Egyptian media group's $600 million plan to purchase the broadcasting rights to African soccer games good business or an attempt to boost Egypt's diplomatic prestige? Egypt
How long can the Houthis hold on to Yemen? It seems the Houthi rebels are the only ones benefiting from the ongoing war in Yemen, as Saudi Arabia’s and Yemen’s economies have been badly affected. Gulf