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
Iran's troubled bond market Even if sanctions are lifted, Iran's debt market faces several obstacles to realizing its full potential. Iran
Turkish men not so worried about worry beads The traditional use of worry beads, or tesbih, thrives in modern times as a tool for personal therapy, a status symbol and a faithful companion. Turkey
Possible EU sanctions alarm Israeli banks Following the recommendation of a prominent think tank, Israeli investors fear that the European Union will decide to "mark" Israeli banks that operate in the West Bank, devastating the entire Israeli banking system. Palestine
Turkey treads carefully on new gas pipeline with Russia Ankara doesn’t want to put all of its energy eggs into the Russian basket. Turkey
Egypt’s state-owned media ripe for restructuring The Egyptian Radio and Television Union has had major financial losses, mainly due to its $2.8 billion debt to National Investment Bank, which is why the government launched a restructuring plan. Egypt
Going gluten-free in Gaza Gluten-sensitive Gazans do not have easy access to flour they can easily digest, but two researchers have recently developed a gluten-free wheat that can be produced locally. Palestine
Iraqi dates shrivel awaiting production means Poor management of agricultural lands and a lack of planning and support by the government for farmers have whittled down Iraq’s production of dates. Iraq
After 500 years, Turkish coffee percolates in popularity On the brink of oblivion about a decade ago, Turkey’s ancient coffee culture is revived by a vibrant new generation of entrepreneurs and young consumers. Turkey
'New' Suez Canal might not save Egypt from austerity measures Despite praise for Cairo's economic achievements and a positive economic forecast, financial hardships are forcing Egypt to consider cutting back as revenues continue to trickle in. Egypt
Iran’s sagging housing market may face price shock With a nuclear deal in hand and the business environment improving, Iranian investors may begin piling cash into the country's ailing housing market — causing a price shock. Iran
The $55 billion cost of abandoning the Kurdish peace process The economic burden of the Kurdish conflict was one of the government’s key arguments when it launched the Kurdish peace process in 2013, but today, Ankara seems to be braving a hefty economic bill for the sake of its political interests. Turkey
Historic Iraqi homes, buildings fall to wrecking ball As urbanization is expanding in Iraq, construction companies are not taking into account the country's rich heritage and archaeological history, as historical landmarks are destroyed and replaced by modern buildings. Iraq
