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
Palestine Economy in Crisis, World Bank Reports According to a recent World Bank report, restrictions put in place by Israel are having a devastating effect on the Palestinian economy, reports Lena Odgaard. Palestine
Speculation Over Iran's Role In Iraqi Dinar Devaluation Iran has been accused of meddling in Iraqi financial affairs after the Iraqi dinar lost value against the dollar at the beginning of March, writes Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
Knesset Members Spend Big On 'Contact With the Electorate' Knesset Members spend unnecessarily large sums of money in the context of ''sustaining contact with the electorate," writes Idan Grinbaum. Israel
Palestinian Shoe Industry Declines in Hebron Once boasting a thriving shoe industry, Hebron is struggling to compete with cheap Chinese imports and Israeli control of the economy, Jihan Abdalla reports. Palestine
No Prospects for Palestinian Currency With Israeli maintaining control of the Palestinian economy and internal divisions stalling reconciliation, a Palestinian currency seems little more than a dream, writes Omar Shaban. Palestine
Iraqi Oil Pipeline Through Aqaba In Final Stages Iraq is reaching the final stages of a project that would bring oil from Iraq through Aqaba to Jordan and Egypt, reports Omar al-Shaher. Egypt
Maliki Puts Kurds on Spot Over Oil Payments After the Iraqi Council of Representatives passed its 2013 budget law despite a boycott by Kurdish parliamentarians, the Kurdistan Regional Government is struggling to determine how it will pay foreign oil contracts, writes Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
Oman Curbs Corruption To Quell Dissent Oman is actively tackling corruption in response to the 2011 Omani Spring, Ahmed Ali M. al-Mukhaini writes. Oman
Syrian Kurdish Militia Takes Over Oil Fields Syrian Kurdish groups have seized control of several key oil fields, provoking concerns among the Syrian opposition and Turkey about the coming division of Syria, writes Wladimir van Wilgenburg. Syria
Iraqi Politician Attacks Central Bank Corruption The Iraqi Sunni politician Ahmed al-Alwani claims that Iraqi private banks have been involved in schemes to bypass the sanctions imposed on Syria and Iran, reports Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
Gaza Farmers Lament Israeli Blockade Despite Israel allowing limited agricultural exports from the Gaza Strip, Gazan farmers continue to struggle with diminished incomes and difficult working conditions due to the blockade, reports Hazem Balousha. Palestine
Ahmadinejad’s Budget Is About Iran’s Elections Iranian President Ahmadinejad has proposed a budget that empowers the president’s office and shows that he is still up for a political battle in his final months in office, writes Mohammad Ali Shabani. Iran
