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
Is Mohammed bin Salman gaining upper hand in Saudi Arabia? Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed's visit to Washington this month has some observers believing he might be the man behind all the major decisions in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Chicken prices soar during Ramadan in Gaza Gaza residents are outraged as the government fails to control traders who have increased the price of chicken, which is the preferred meat during the month of Ramadan. Palestine
Online gallery gives Beirut's diverse art scene exposure to world As Syrian artists fleeing the civil war have found an arts haven in Beirut, some of them are gaining exposure to the wider world through the Artscoops website. Lebanon
Erdogan expected to put anti-Gulen movement in high gear The Turkish government has officially declared the Gulen movement a terrorist organization, paving the way for even speedier seizures of Gulen-affiliated universities. Turkey
Activists seek to rein in horse mistreatment on unique Turkish island Mounting criticism over mistreatment of horses could end the carriage trade on Buyukada, a picturesque island near Istanbul that remains off limits to motor vehicles. Turkey
Former Egypt FM says US election outcome won't dictate US-Arab ties In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy says that "the future of Arab-American affairs is 70% controlled by the Arab world and 30% in the hands of the United States," and hence does not depend on the next US president. Saudi Arabia
Boeing deal would reverse 1993 decision to sell to Saudis, not Iran A $17 billion deal by Boeing to sell Iran more than 100 civilian airplanes has major ramifications for US-Iran relations, say American and Iranian analysts. Saudi Arabia
Minor blast in Beirut bank will have major repercussions The bombing of the BLOM Bank in Beirut could have repercussions for Lebanon’s banking, financial, economic, political and security stability. Lebanon
Why sanctions relief has not been enough to kick-start Iran's industry Iran's industrial sector continues to sag despite the implementation of the nuclear deal, but there are some ways the government could shore up domestic production and stimulate the economy. Iran
Egypt launches new initiative to control goods prices during Ramadan In light of the difficult economic situation in Egypt, the Ministry of Supply announced May 20 the implementation of the initiative known as “Ahlan Ramadan,” offering goods at low prices. Egypt
Can the Chinese save Israel's tourism industry? As security concerns continue to weaken the Israeli tourism sector, Israel's Tourism Ministry is investing heavily in efforts to expand its still nascent Chinese market. Israel
Will new 5-year plan solve Iran's economic problems? Iran's incoming parliament is set to debate the government's ambitious five-year development plan, but will the plan be enough to address the country's economic needs? Iran
