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
Morsi Manages Egypt’s Economic Decline Nervana Mahmoud writes that Egypt’s economy today recalls the worst days of the 1970s, and that President Morsi’s priority will be to appease the Islamists on the right and prevent a food riot. Egypt
Iraq Central Bank Boosts Gold Reserves The Iraqi Central Bank has adopted a policy of buying gold for its central reserve at a time when gold prices are at an all-time high, writes Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
Turkey-Israel-Cyprus Triangle And Mediterranean Gas Tulin Daloglu writes that Israel’s strategic partnership with the Republic of Cyprus, including over Mediterranean gas fields, is yet another complication in Israeli-Turkish relations. Turkey
Afghan Water Infrastructure Threatens Iran, Regional Stability Afghanistan has not yet built the needed infrastructure to utilize and reserve its water, a source of tension with its neighbors, writes Fatehmeh Aman. Iran
Yemeni Girls Turn to Solar Energy To Keep Power On A team of teenage girls who were “tired of darkness” invented solar-powered appliances and created a company that is selling and distributing them around the country, writes Nafeesa Syeed. Yemen
Sadr and Maliki Battle Over Iraqi Oil Ali Abel Sadah examines the complex relationship between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Muqtada al-Sadr. Iraq
Iraqi Pipeline to Aqaba Sparks Memories of Kirkuk-Haifa Line The oil pipeline to be constructed between Baghdad and Aqaba raises fond memories among Israelis of the Mandate-era Kirkuk-Haifa oil pipeline, a time that many would be happy to resurrect, writes Jacky Hugi. Iraq
Iraq's Central Bank a Political Battleground In the midst of ongoing political disputes within Iraq, the country’s central bank is facing a number of problems, writes Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
The Fiscal Cliff, Israel-Style Israel is facing its own fiscal cliff, which will mean higher taxes, writes Idan Grinbaum. Israel
