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
What's fueling opposition to Iran's new oil contracts? The future of a new framework for Iranian oil contracts remains blurry as political infighting seems to be preventing its finalization. Iran
How much will $15 billion IMF loan really cost Iraq? The International Monetary Fund's loan to the Iraqi government may come with too many strings attached. Iraq
Rouhani praises 'historic' day for Iran, India, Afghanistan The leaders of Iran, India and Afghanistan gathered in Tehran to sign an agreement to develop a transit system connecting their countries via the southeastern Iranian port of Chabahar. Iran
Is it time to tame Iran's lawless publishing sector? Iranians are debating whether to join the international Berne Convention on copyright, with advocates arguing that signing on will bring legitimacy to Iranian publishing and detractors fearing copyright enforcement will only benefit the corrupt and powerful. Iran
Rouhani’s greatest win on the verge of becoming liability Both ends of the bargain of the nuclear deal must be delivered to ensure the agreement will be a lasting legacy. Iran
Why camels mean more than just money to Gaza's Bedouin Bedouin families in the Gaza Strip continue to breed camels, which are considered a significant part of Bedouin tradition and an important source of income. Palestine
Will new agreement lead to increase in Palestinian exports? A new Palestinian-Jordanian agreement will allow the export of goods in small containers to Jordan for the first time ever, which Palestinians hope will increase their global exports. Palestine
Will opening of Israeli crossing help Gaza’s economy? Israel recently announced plans to reopen the Erez/Beit Hanoun crossing into Gaza, but many say it is not enough to relieve Gaza’s devastated economy. Palestine
The real reason Israel’s economy is slipping toward recession While recent figures indicate that the Israeli economy is heading toward a recession, are politicians suppressing the connection between the economy and the diplomatic stalemate? Israel
How Supreme Court decision to freeze Iran assets undermines US foreign policy The US Supreme Court’s decision to seize Iranian assets to compensate terror victims is creating a backlash that undermines US business interests and could sabotage US foreign policy. Iran
Can Lebanon make progress on oil, gas exploration efforts? A litany of more pressing crises has led to a delay in efforts to advance work on Lebanon's nascent oil and gas sector. Egypt
Can agriculture save Tunisia's economy amid tourism crisis? While terrorist attacks in Tunisia have led to a massive decline in tourism, some believe that agriculture can save the tiny North African country. Libya
