Freedom House: Syria, Western Sahara worst in world for political rights The think tank also downgraded Jordan to "not free" in its 2021 democracy rankings. Al-Monitor Staff | Jordan | Mar 4, 2021 A man walks past trucks near the border in Guerguerat, Western Sahara, on Nov. 26, 2020, after the intervention of the royal Moroccan armed forces in the area. Morocco in early November accused the Polisario Front of blocking the key highway for trade with the rest of Africa, and launched a military operation to reopen it.
The Netherlands puts Qatar trade event on hold over foreign workers' deaths The Dutch government postponed a trade mission in Qatar after a report on thousands of workers dying there since the country was awarded the 2022 World Cup. Al-Monitor Staff | Qatar | Mar 2, 2021
Unions rally workers against controversial new Egyptian laws Hundreds of employees from Egypt’s Workers University, a private university, began a strike and sit-in because salaries of employees have not been paid in the past two months, as Egypt approves controversial amendments to the law on the public sector. A correspondent in Egypt | Egypt | Nov 9, 2020
UAE grants five-day paid paternity leave The United Arab Emirates grants paid paternity leave for the private sector, a first in the Arab world and a move widely welcomed by locals and expats. Kim Kelaita | United Arab Emirates | Sep 8, 2020
Jordan accuses teachers union of 'economic crimes' in crackdown Activists claim Jordanian government is applying "defense laws" to suppress dissent during economic downturn. William Christou | Jordan | Aug 21, 2020
Trump administration goes big with UAE-Israel peace deal Other Gulf states may follow. Week in Review | Gulf | Aug 14, 2020
Egyptian expats in Libya fall victim to political differences Egyptian workers in Libya have been repatriated after being detained and subjected to torture in Libya, which caused a national outcry in the streets and at the political level. George Mikhail | Originals | Jun 25, 2020
Report: Child soldiers deployed to Libya by Turkish-backed Syrian National Army An exclusive report, citing sources on the ground in Syria and Libya, says Syrian teenagers are being sent to Libya to take part in the civil war there. Amberin Zaman | Syria | May 8, 2020
Israel under coronavirus: Economic straits revive social protests In the spirit of the wave of social justice demonstrations in 2011, Israelis in desperate economic situations due to the coronavirus outbreak are taking to the streets of Tel Aviv. Danny Zaken | Israel | Apr 27, 2020
Africans in Istanbul victims of unemployment, red tape "We love it," say many members of the African community in Turkey, but add that there are few jobs — at least for them. George Winter | Turkey | Jan 13, 2020
Lebanese migrant workers celebrate despite turmoil A celebration of solidarity and resilience held for migrant workers in Beirut, amid economic crisis and political turmoil. Sam Brennan | Lebanon | Dec 18, 2019
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. Ahmed Elleithy | Egypt | Dec 10, 2019
PA seeks to protect rights of Palestinians working in Israel The Palestinian government is taking measures to end permit brokerage, which can cost job seekers half their salaries to work in Israel. Ahmad Abu Amer | Palestine | Oct 23, 2019
Is Middle East's young labor boom blessing or curse? By 2040, the Middle East and North Africa will see a sharp increase in young people who enter the labor force, which could lead to disaster if areas like education aren’t improved. Sam Brennan | Lebanon | Aug 23, 2019
Hamas raises $100,000 for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon Hamas’ recent fundraising campaign in the Gaza Strip to support Palestinian refugees in Lebanon received mixed reactions from Gazans. Entsar Abu Jahal | Palestine | Aug 16, 2019
A man walks past trucks near the border in Guerguerat, Western Sahara, on Nov. 26, 2020, after the intervention of the royal Moroccan armed forces in the area. Morocco in early November accused the Polisario Front of blocking the key highway for trade with the rest of Africa, and launched a military operation to reopen it.
