Can Saudi Arabia afford a stimulus? Oil-revenue-dependent Saudi Arabia still has $490 billion in reserve assets, but its massive foreign and domestic commitments and a long-term declining demand curve for oil could spell trouble down the road. By Karen Young In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy
Russian FM puts politics above economics on GCC tour Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has kicked off his tour of the Gulf, reflecting Moscow's ambition to capitalize on its regional recognition as a great power. By Yury Barmin
Turks fire back as Trump ends preferential trade status The United States removed Turkey from its list of countries that enjoy tariff-free access to the US market, a decision criticized by the Turkish government. By Jasper Mortimer
Exodus by big firms pushes Iran toward smaller Chinese enterprises To mitigate the impact of harsh US sanctions, Iran is increasingly turning to China by dispatching high-ranking delegations to Beijing to augment trade. But China is also mindful not to cross the red lines drawn by the United States. By Mohsen Shariatinia
Iran's government under fire for subsidizing pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia The Iranian government’s decision to subsidize the hajj pilgrimage has fueled anger among many Iranians who are struggling to make ends meet. By Al-Monitor Staff
Will latest interest rate hike break Tunisia’s back? Following Tunisia's third interest rate hike in 12 months, economic and political experts sound the alarm on shrinking purchasing power while the nation's largest trade union calls for protests. By Mohamed Ali Ltifi
Egypt finds its nationals new job markets abroad The difficult economic conditions and nationalization of jobs in Gulf states have caused a problem for Egyptians willing to work overseas, and prompted thousands to return home. By Hossam Rabie
Planning for Yazidi genocide museum underway in Iraq Officials have found nearly 70 mass graves of Yazidis slaughtered by the Islamic State in Iraq, and are working to create a memorial to the victims in cooperation with UNESCO. By Saad Salloum
Netanyahu’s war against the ex-generals Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sticks with the same strategy that worked for him in the past: depicting his rival as a "leftist." By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Hundreds of Jordanians march toward capital demanding jobs As unemployment rates rise, youths from different parts of Jordan have begun marching to the Royal Court in Amman for sit-ins demanding job opportunities. By Osama Al Sharif
Will Israel release Palestinian prisoners re-arrested in 2014? Thirty-one prisoners who were arrested in 2014, three years after their release in the Shalit prisoner-exchange deal, are now petitioning the Israeli High Court of Justice against their incarceration. By Shlomi Eldar
Egyptian public universities seeking to make profits Egyptian universities and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research are seeking to pass a law that will allow public universities to establish nonprofit universities in partnership with international universities, which raised fears over free education. By Amr Mostafa
Is Netanyahu’s election campaign on the way to war? Benjamin Netanyahu claimed in 2008 that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had no moral authority to launch peace talks in Palestinians, so he should now implement the same rule on himself and avoid generating a war. By Akiva Eldar
Moscow looks to boost support for Syria campaign with traveling exhibit As the Russian public's enthusiasm for the Syria campaign wanes, Moscow has sought to rally support for its Syria successes by hosting a traveling exhibit of war spoils. By Maxim A. Suchkov
Jordanian trail-blazer empowers women through kickboxing Lina Khalifeh began learning martial arts for fun, but helping a friend showed her it can do much more. By Marta Bellingreri
US shifts weapons from Iraq to Syria The Pentagon rerouted millions of dollars’ worth of weapons and vehicles from Iraq to Syria in the second half of 2018. By Jack Detsch