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
Is Erdogan resettlement plan for Syrian refugees really viable? The Turkish president's proposal to build refugee settlements in the safe zone has already revitalized the Turkish construction industry. Neither refugees nor the Kurds are pleased, and the international community has lashed out at the plan. Syria
Going it alone: Saudi Arabia’s economic realities after oil attacks The energy sector is Saudi Arabia's lifeline, but it is more often a honey pot of domestic spending than a resource for future development. Saudi Arabia
Kurdish leaders support Iraq's embattled prime minister The Iraqi Kurdistan government is trying to calm protesters' demands for the central government's prime minister to be removed. Iraq
How currency float increased Egypt’s foreign reserves to all-time high The pound flotation has lifted Egypt’s foreign reserves to an all-time high topping $45.117 billion at the end of September, and to maintain the reserves at historic record highs, economists urge the government to boost local industrialization. Egypt
Iran faces challenges in privatization plans For privatization to succeed in Iran, the government must empower the real private sector as opposed to semi-state entities. Iran
What did Lavrov discuss in Baghdad and Erbil? Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Iraq to discuss a broad range of issues, with economy and security dominating the agenda. Iraq
Chinese energy giant bids farewell to $5 billion Iran project In what could be seen as yet another blow to Iran's sanctions-hit economy, China's state oil company has withdrawn from a major multibillion-dollar deal in the country's south. United States
Palestine Monetary Authority gets grip on terrorism funding A new network will help Palestinian banks crack down on illegal money transactions by collecting more data from their customers. Palestine
Israel-Palestinian tax deal has implications beyond economy The compromise over Israel's withheld tax revenues from the Palestinian Authority could present a step toward recognition of Palestinian sovereignty. Palestine
Volkswagen’s investment plan for Turkey fuels controversy Desperate to attract foreign investment, Ankara has offered lucrative incentives for Volkswagen to build a major plant in Turkey that will use outdated and polluting technology. Turkey
Palestine no longer a safe environment for investments Economic indicators show an increase in Palestinian investment outside Palestine, stirring fears about the Palestinian economy. Palestine
Islamic State's money transfer network busted in Turkey A Turkish police operation exposed how the Islamic State can still run cross-border money transfer networks despite its defeat in Syria and Iraq. Syria
