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
Iranian fishermen feel waves of tension from the US Friction between the West and Iran threatens to rile the waters for fishermen near the Strait of Hormuz. United States
Uptick in Turkish exports, tourism comes at a price Increased export and tourism revenues have helped limit the Turkish economy’s contraction in the second quarter, but the improved numbers have come at the expense of price cutting, economic data show. Turkey
A closer look into Lebanon’s fixed currency Lebanon's fixed exchange rate has been a pillar of stability for two decades. However, poor economic conditions threaten its sustainability. Lebanon
Petra bus attack exposes divisions within local Jordanian community A recent attack on a tourist bus in Petra seems linked to ongoing tensions between the Bdoul and Layathna tribes, who compete with each other for revenues in Petra’s souvenir and tourism hospitality economy. Jordan
Turkish regulator aims to hasten banking sector recovery as loan market remains weak A Turkish regulator instructed banks to write off $8.1 billion in bad debt, but analysts question whether the delayed move will suffice when it comes to reviving the nation’s troubled loan market. Turkey
Will Israel cut electricity supply to West Bank? The West Bank has started to witness partial electricity cuts as the Israel Electricity Corporation claims debt owed by the Jerusalem District Electricity Company. Palestine
Iran reinforces partnership with China for economic relief Tehran appears to be staking its financial future on China, a move full of potential rewards — and risks. Iran
Saudi oil facility attack challenges Washington's regional commitment While the recent attacks on two Saudi oil facilities will impact global oil prices, it is the US commitment in the region that is under attack. Saudi Arabia
Palestine launches its first agricultural cluster The Palestinian government decided to allow investors to use Palestinian endowment lands in the West Bank for new agricultural projects that contribute to the advancement of the Palestinian economy and to protect them from Israeli expropriation. Palestine
Turkey eyes amphibious jets after forest fire fiasco Following Ankara's embarrassing failure to control forest fires this summer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears to be negotiating to purchase Russian firefighting planes. Turkey
Turkey slashes interest rates to kickstart economy Turkey's central bank has cuts interest rates more than expected after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised that the measure would reduce inflation and ease Turks' pain. Turkey
As pound improves, Egypt floats customs dollar rate The Egyptian Ministry of Finance recently floated the customs dollar rate, after having imposed a fixed rate in 2017 in an attempt to contain prices after floating the pound. Egypt