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
Israel's ultra-Orthodox skip Passover cleaning, go on vacation The exhausting pre-Passover cleaning needed to rid observant houses of leavened bread has inspired many ultra-Orthodox families to celebrate Passover in hotels instead of at home and even led to specialized overseas vacation packages. Israel
Khamenei says US pushing 'Iranphobia' to block foreign investment Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized the United States for removing the sanctions on paper but in effect scaring large banks from doing business with Iran. Iran
Did Israel’s reaction to BDS drive movement's growth? Former Ambassador Gideon Meir argues that Israel has engaged itself in a high-profile battle against the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, turning it from an insignificant organization into a powerful force. Palestine
Saudis refine blueprint for post-oil economy Establishment of the Public Investment Fund to diversify Saudi Arabia's sources of income must be coupled with a sound strategy to achieve the country's goals. Saudi Arabia
Will Sisi fulfill his 'Sinai promise'? Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has promised that a new development project will eliminate terrorism and revive the economy in the Sinai Peninsula, but past failures raise doubts about its effective implementation. Egypt
Could economic ties be key to calming Egypt-Italy tensions? Although tensions are high between Cairo and Rome following the murder of Italian graduate student Giulio Regeni, the strong economic ties between the two will likely persist. Egypt
Why Egyptians' anger at island handover is misplaced Angry Egyptians decried the return of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia while ignoring possible economic benefits and returns for Egypt as part of the agreement. Saudi Arabia
How sanctions relief became a tool in Iran’s domestic battles Opponents of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani have stepped up their criticism, claiming that Iran has not yet been reconnected to the global financial communications system. Iran
Is this the death of print media in Egypt? To cut down on costs, Egypt’s newspapers may stop publishing their print editions. Egypt
Gaza needs new housing, but where will it build? It seems that the growing need for housing units has prompted Gaza's government to build in high-risk buffer zones near the eastern border. Palestine
Gleam of hope in gold trade fades in Gaza Israel banned the export and import of gold in the Gaza Strip after allowing its resumption in February. Palestine
Red Sea bridge project resurfaces Backers hope to calm old concerns with new plans for a bridge between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
