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
Rouhani Stresses Regionalism In Iranian Foreign Policy Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani will consider improved ties with Iran’s neighbors as a priority in his foreign policy. Iran
Emir Signals Change by Replacing Head of Qatar Investment Authority In the second article of a two-part series, the new Qatari emir seeks to separate politics and business. Qatar
Baghdad Delays New Iraqi Customs Law As disagreements persist with Erbil, Baghdad has requested that an unimplemented customs tariff law be postponed in what some see as a bid to buy time for tensions to cool. Iraq
The Decline of Israel's Labor Union Chairman Ofer Eini, chairman of Israel's labor union federation, once a major decision-maker within Israeli politics, has lost his relevance since the social protest movement in 2011, perceived by many as part of the "old system." Israel
Russia Winner in Energy Transit Deal With Turkey Turkey chooses cooperation with Russia on South Stream energy project. Turkey
Hamas Feigns Optimism As Gaza Limps Toward Crisis Though Hamas downplays the effects on Gaza of the unrest in Egypt and the closure of the Rafah crossing, economists worry that conditions in the Strip are about to reach a new low. Palestine
Failed Banking System Prompts Iraqis to Hoard Gold As Iraq continues to suffer from an array of security problems, citizens have lost faith in the banking sector and are converting their money to gold to store at home. Iraq
Iraqi Provinces Consider More Autonomy in Managing Oil Wealth An Iraqi researcher suggests that provinces across the country producing oil take advantage of the autonomy provided by amendments to the provincial administration laws. Iraq
What Did Turkey Lose When EU Lost Nabucco? Turkey has lost an opportunity to redefine the implicit rules of the energy sector for itself and other transit countries. Turkey
Turkey's Political Fallout On Iraqi Kurdish Crude Relying upon Ankara as a sole energy transit route without an agreement with Baghdad may further delay the Kurdistan Region’s energy production potential. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan Seeks Cinema Revival With Erbil slated to be the 2014 Arab Capital of Tourism, the city has teamed up with the private sector to build 14 movie theaters, decades after general interest in cinema had dwindled. Iraq
Iraq: Iran’s Economic Gateway To the World Amid strict international sanctions, Iranian exports are increasingly flowing into Iraqi markets as one of its few remaining lifelines in the region and around the world. Iraq
