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
Iran’s seminaries debate financial independence amid budget cuts The Hassan Rouhani administration has slashed budget allocations for seminaries and other religious institutions, fueling a debate on whether Iran's theological seats of learning ought to be self-funded. Iran
How Iran can use rupees to build strategic trade with India Iran and India’s signing of an agreement for how Iranian oil export proceeds can be used could turn into a blessing in disguise for the Islamic Republic. Iran
Russia keeps plugging away at cooperation with North Africa During his tour around the Maghreb, Foreign Minister Lavrov showed Russia has a genuine interest in developing stronger ties with regional states, but the number of roadblocks in the way raise questions about Moscow's ability to go past "strategic declarations" anytime soon. Egypt
US-Gulf tensions mount over restrictions on Syria reconstruction Gulf states are seeking to become major economic players in post-war Syria, but US sanctions are causing some states to proceed with caution. United Arab Emirates
Turkey’s metal, building industries in coma Declining production in key industrial sectors is seen as an omen that the worst of Turkey’s economic crisis might still be to come. Turkey
Why Rouhani should think beyond price controls to contain inflation In Iran, the Rouhani administration’s tendency to turn to price controls to stave off inflation carries major long-term costs in exchange for only short-term benefits. Iran
Qatar sinks into Gaza quagmire Qatar wanted to please the United States and help Gaza residents with aid money, but has found itself trapped in a standoff between Hamas and Israel. Qatar
Egypt's stock exchange starts off 2019 on wrong foot After a punishing 2018, Egypt’s stock exchange started 2019 on a downward path amid fears of repercussions from the US-China trade war and the emerging markets crisis. Egypt
Qatar challenges Saudi influence in Lebanon There has been a vacuum created by a decline of Saudi influence in Lebanon that Qatar now seeks to fill. Saudi Arabia
Egypt declares support for Sudan during upheaval As deadly anti-government protests enter their sixth week in Sudan, Egypt has announced its full support for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in what could indicate improved relations between the countries. Egypt
Mercedes-Benz to breathe new life into Egypt's automotive market Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to establish a new assembly plant in Egypt after a four-year absence in the country. Egypt
Is new energy league an alliance against Ankara? A Cairo-based partnership among Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority is ready to explore energy sources in the eastern Mediterranean — whether Turkey likes it or not. Palestine