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
Turkey’s wealth fund borrows to rescue companies Having borrowed 1 billion euros from foreign lenders, Turkey’s controversial sovereign wealth fund has turned to rescuing troubled construction companies. Turkey
Syrian reconstruction expo draws Russian businesses Russian companies continue to explore investments in Syria's reconstruction, which could be a boon to them given the Western sanctions against Russia. Syria
Russia’s future in Iran looks brighter as Europe, US fade Moscow hopes its efforts to help Iran work around US sanctions will pay off in trade, finance and politics. Russia
Baghdad sends delegation to Erbil to resolve disputes Baghdad sent a delegation, headed by President Barham Salih, to the Iraqi Kurdistan region to discuss the budget, oil and other contentious issues. Iraq
What Sisi-Trump meeting means for US-Egyptian relations US President Donald Trump met with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to discuss bilateral relations and Egypt’s counterterrorism efforts in New York recently. Egypt
Palestinians hope to import Iraqi oil, become more energy independent Palestinians are inching closer to the possibility of being able to import Iraqi oil to Jordan and have the Jordan refinery convert it to local products that can pass Israeli inspection. Palestine
Chinese investment in Iraq provides gains for Baghdad, Beijing Iraqi prime minister trip to China has paved the ground for China to invest in Iraq. Iraq
Is Iran-Turkey rapprochement sustainable? As Turkey and Iran's interests align their cooperation is expanding, but their newfound friendship won't last unless their potential for rivalry is curtailed. Turkey
Kahlon leak closes path around Deduction Law Efforts by Israel and the Palestinians to find solutions for alleviating the economic crisis facing the Palestinian Authority had met with some success, but a recent leak meant the end of the road for much-needed additional measures. Palestine
Airport rehabilitation project raising eyebrows in Egypt Egypt has already opened two new airports this year, which has people wondering if spending $62.4 million to renovate one in a remote desert area is necessary. Egypt
Will Lebanese wait hours in gas lines as fuel crisis bites? Lebanese citizens are living day by day the repercussions of the dollar scarcity crisis, as the fuel sector threatens an open strike next week if the government fails to find a proper solution. Lebanon
The shows go on amid tensions this festival season in Lebanon Music, art, and religious festivals, large and small, have become summertime staples in Lebanon, providing entertainment and generating tourist dollars. Lebanon