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
As EU mulls response, Ankara doubles down on Libya accords Facing EU sanctions over gas drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, officials in Ankara have reaffirmed plans to develop contested gas fields and assist the Tripoli government as Greek officials seek international support. Turkey
Pressure mounts against importing Israeli gas to Jordan While Jordan is expected to start receiving natural gas from Israel in a matter of weeks, demands that the government cancel the deal are growing. Israel
PA turns to Russia in a bid to break from US sponsorship As part of its efforts to economically disengage from Israel, the Palestinian Authority seeks to establish bilateral relations with Russia in the energy field. Palestine
Africa encourages its youth to become entrepreneurs The UN Development Program, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa organized the African Economic Conference, shedding light on jobs and entrepreneurship for a better future in the continent. Egypt
What is the fate of Baghdad-Erbil’s oil-for-budget agreement amid ongoing protests? Iraqi political sides vow to block a recent oil-for-budget agreement by Iraq’s caretaker government with the Kurdistan region. Iraq
Oil trail reveals Turkey funding Syrian Kurdish rivals Through oil, Turkey is helping to indirectly subsidize the very same Syrian Kurdish administration that it's seeking to crush. Syria
Turkey joins top tier in human development, UN says Government spending on health care and a long-term economic expansion helped Turkey achieve "very high human development" for the first time, according to a new UN report — but a shaky recovery from a currency shock last year could exacerbate inequality in the coming years. Turkey
Middle East lobbyists pay op-ed writers to sell their message A Kuwaiti firm and an armed Iranian opposition group are some of the latest examples of lobbyists paying for positive press coverage. Kuwait
Turkey sees greater partnership with Qatar than is apparent Turkey's commercial gains from its partnership with Qatar have been modest and the media fanfare over fresh bilateral accords is hard to comprehend. Saudi Arabia
Turkey-Libya agreement shakes up eastern Mediterranean Ankara is establishing a clear path to fulfill its eastern Mediterranean energy ambitions through an maritime boundary agreement with Libya’s internationally recognized government. Turkey
Turkey flirts with buying even more Russian missile systems Turkey seems to be offering a compromise to the United States to avoid sanctions for Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 fighter jets — even as Turkey is in talks to buy more. Turkey
Egyptian women represent vast untapped workforce In addition to improved education and workers' rights, a shift in workplace culture will be required for Egypt to harness the full potential of women in its economy. Egypt