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 this group is fighting corruption in Gaza The Coalition for Accountability and Integrity - Aman is distributing awards to those reporting on all forms of corruption cases in Gaza, in an effort to fight this rampant phenomenon. Palestine
Yemenis turn to alternative energy amid power crisis As the war continues in Yemen, increasing power cuts have driven more and more citizens to install solar panels. Yemen
Will new tax law save Egypt from budget deficit? While the Egyptian government is confident that the new value added tax bill will not increase consumer prices, others say it is too early to tell. Egypt
Have Putin and Erdogan found common ground? At a meeting Aug. 9, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed to have agreed on coordinating their country's roles in the Syrian conflict in light of the "common goal" they share. Turkey
PA upset as 'VIP' travelers breeze over Allenby Bridge The Palestinian Authority is accusing Israel of intentionally stifling the flow of travelers through a border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan to promote a new and expensive VIP service. Palestine
Dam construction going full steam while Egypt-Ethiopia talks stall Ethiopia wooed the press during a recent open house at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, but declined to answer specific questions that could help assess the risks the dam might pose for Egypt. Egypt
One year on, are 'new' Suez Canal revenues sinking? Although the Suez Canal has not generated the expected revenues after expansion, future development plans in the canal zone could yield great economic benefits for the Egyptian economy. Egypt
Iraqi parliament in the dark about $2.7 billion loan deal Iraq's parliament was not involved in the negotiations for a $2.7 billion US loan package and still hasn't been fully briefed on the deal, leaving many Iraqi lawmakers uneasy. Iraq
How corrupt is Egypt's wheat industry? In an interview with Al-Monitor, Egypt's Minister of Supply Khaled Hanafy rebutted all accusations of importing substandard wheat and explained the government's plan to fight rising grain prices. Egypt
Can Iran go around Turkey to reach Europe? The regional turmoil, and particularly the unstable situation in Turkey, is prompting Iran to speed up plans to establish alternative trade routes to Europe. Turkey
Why Egyptians are angry about this supermodel's wedding Egyptian citizens are wondering if they helped pay for a supermodel's wedding with money her new father-in-law is accused of looting. Egypt
Turkish deputy PM: Coup's economic wounds 'easy to manage' In an interview with Al-Monitor, Mehmet Simsek, Turkey’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, expresses optimism on the recent coup attempt's economic effects, saying the only real damage was to Turkey's image in the West. Turkey