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 Turkey’s plan to bring in billions succeed? Scrambling to lure funds from abroad, the Turkish government has outlined unprecedented incentives for those who put money in Turkey, including Panama-style advantages and Turkish citizenship. Turkey
The downfall of Israel's top tycoon Nochi Dankner's financial empire has been revealed as a house of cards, and now the Israeli tycoon may be on his way to prison. Israel
Lebanon reels under weight of Syrian refugee crisis Lebanon's foreign and labor ministers are extremely worried about the consquences of Lebanon's hosting of Syrian refugees, particularly in light of the June 27 suicide bombings in the Bekaa Valley. Lebanon
Egypt to cultivate digital data from agricultural sector The government hopes “smart cards” for farmers will curtail Egypt’s black market in subsidies. Egypt
Why Netanyahu's Africa visit is worth the cost Those criticizing the cost of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Africa are missing the point; it could open doors to African markets and strengthen Israel both economically and diplomatically. Israel
Does Iran need to join Shanghai Cooperation Organization? The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has not moved to bring in Iran, though the international sanctions the organization said precluded it have been lifted. Russia
New Islamic bank to set up shop in West Bank, Gaza The founders of Palestine's brand-new Al-Safa Islamic Bank are working to open two branches in the West Bank and Gaza, where commercial banks vastly outnumber Islamic ones despite the wide demand for them. Palestine
How education reform could curb Palestinian unemployment To reduce unemployment among young people, the Palestinian government is developing vocational and technical education programs to meet Palestinian and Arab labor market needs. Palestine
Why Jordan’s plan to integrate Syrian refugees into workforce has faltered The Jordanian government’s plan to issue free work permits to Syrian refugees has not produced the desired results. Jordan
Will leaked payslips scandal bring down Rouhani? Iranians are more outraged by the day over revelations of exorbitant pay for executives at state-controlled banks and insurance firms as the fallout from their leaked payslips continues. Iran
Bus Map Project to untangle Beirut's bewildering transit routes To address the heavy traffic and disorganized public transportation in Lebanon, a small team of volunteers is working to create an interactive bus map and encourage commuters to take advantage of the redeveloping services. Lebanon
Fed up with talk, Iranians demand action on jobs Three years into his term, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is running out of time to fulfill his campaign promise of lowering unemployment. Iran