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<title>The Memri Economic Blog</title>
<description>
<![CDATA[Highlights /News of The Day]]>
</description>
<link><![CDATA[http://memrieconomicblog.org/]]></link>
<language>en-us</language>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Reduction in US-Iran Tensions Checks Crude's Rally]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2772]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ With crude prices wobbling near the top of the price range, and some movements to reduce Iranian-US tensions, the New York Mercantile Exchange's West Texas Intermediate benchmark fell four days out of five, falling over ten per cent for the week.  At Friday's close WTI stood at $128.83/bbl, down...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:55:34]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2772]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Saudi Wealth Enables Women to Buy Cars They Are Not Allowed to Drive]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2771]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[   Saleswomen check under the hood of a car at a showroom where women sell cars to women, even though they cannot drive them. AP  An Abu Dhabi paper covered the issue of women being granted the right to drive cars:  &quot;However, Saudi female activist Wajeha al-Huweider said: 'I think we will...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:52:08]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2771]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Gulf Economies to Soar 35% on Oil Windfall]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2770]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Gulf Arab economies will surge 35% this year on an oil price windfall, ING [Dutch bank] said on Thursday, drastically raising its average economic growth forecast for the six oil producers from 10% in February.  Top global oil exporter Saudi Arabia should witness nominal gross domestic product...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:31:31]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2770]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Arab Report on Unemployment Blames Foreign Workers]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2769]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The first comprehensive report on labor and unemployment in the Arab world was issued by the Arab Labor Organization [ALO].  The report, extending over 570 pages, provides detailed analyses on unemployment, which has reached a crisis stage due to the constricted opportunities for employment in...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:29:06]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2769]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Economic Importance of US Military Base in Bahrain]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2768]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ US naval presence in Bahrain goes back to 1946 when the country was a British protectorate. According to Admiral Cosgrave, until recently the commander of the 5th Fleet, which is headquartered in Bahrain, the US naval base contributes $150 million annually, or about 1.5% of Bahrain's GDP. ...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:19:48]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2768]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Discrimination Against Women: Most Visible Signs of Social and Economic Backwardness]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2767]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ This is the title of an article published in the Saudi daily al-Riyadh by Abdullah al-Ju'aithan, and sub-titled: &quot;Our Woman Walks on Thorns and Eggs&quot;.  Unemployment among Saudi women who desire to work is many times higher than unemployment among men. If we take into account the...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:09:11]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2767]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Qatar Becomes Barclays' Biggest Investor]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2766]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Qatar became the biggest investor in Barclays, Britain's third-largest bank, after the British bank raised £4.5 billion [$9 billion] with a share issue.  Qatar's sovereign wealth fund paid £1.4 billion ($2.8 billion) for a 6.2% stake in Barclays, and a member of...]]>
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<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:06:38]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2766]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Iraq Disposes of Uranium]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2765]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Iraq this month has sold 550 tons of uranium known as &quot;yellow cake&quot; to a Canadian company for $71 million, or $50 a pound. The Iraqi minister of science and technology, Ra'id Fahmi, said there were political, economic, environmental and security reasons behind the decision to...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:45:31]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2765]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Egypt: Significant Volume of Trade in Narcotics]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2764]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ According to an official Egyptian study the volume of trade in narcotics in 2007 reached 18.2 billion Egyptian pounds [$3.43 billion].  The study, carried out by the Egyptian bureau of statistics, warned about the negative impact on the Egyptian economy since the expenditure on narcotics amounts...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:41:48]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2764]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Iran Announces New Oil Discovery]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2763]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Iran's minister of oil, Ghulam Hussein Nozari, announced the discovery of a new oil field in the Aslawiya area with estimated reserves of 525 million barrels. He said other oil fields were discovered but announcements about them will come at a later date.  al-Vefagh, Iran, July 21, 2008]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:14:00]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2763]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Iran Seeks to Be Iraq's Biggest Trade Partner]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2762]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The commercial attaché at the Iranian embassy in Baghdad said that given the 1,200 km border [750 miles] between the two countries and the existence of 15 customs stations Iran could become the biggest trade partner of Iraq. Presently, Iran's exports to Iraq are estimated at $2...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:12:24]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2762]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Iraq to Pay Civil Servants Highest Salaries in Region Within Four Years]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2761]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Iraqi minister of finance Baqir Jab al-Zubeidi revealed a &quot;strategic consideration&quot; according to which the Iraqi civil servants would be the highest paid among their counterparts in the region.  al-Sabah, Iraq, July 15, 2008]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:10:24]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2761]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Syrian Trade at a Record]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2760]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ 'Amer Lutfi, the Syrian minister of economy and trade, said the volume of Syrian foreign trade in the last year reached $29 billion, indicating a record volume despite the decline in oil exports.  The minister attributed the results to the opening of the Syrian economy to world economies and...]]>
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<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:08:46]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2760]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Pakistan's Angry Investors Stone Bourse as Stock Markets Plunge]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2759]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[   Angry Pakistani stock brokers break a door of Karachi Stock Exchange to protest against huge decline of stock market in Lahore, Pakistan.  Hundreds of angry investors, upset by plunging Pakistani share prices, smashed windows of the Karachi Stock Exchange, and scuffles broke out during a protest...]]>
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<![CDATA[Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:06:57]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-22]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2759]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Changes in The MEMRI Economic Blog]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2758]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ As we have informed our readers, The MEMRI Economic Blog has ceased its daily publication and will be converted into a weekly publication.    Today, July 15, is the first weekly dispatch of material. The next dispatch will occur on July 22.]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:29:15]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2758]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Normalization to Boost Turkey, Iraq Trade to $30 Billion]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2757]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The normalization of Iraq would generate $250 billion in oil revenues and would boost Turkey's trade volume with its neighbor to $30 billion, Turkey's Trade Minister, Kursad Tuzmen, said on Sunday. Tuzmen added that the year-end target for the trade volume with Iraq is $5 billion. &quot;Turkish...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:57:05]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2757]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Halal Expo 2008 to Focus on Developing Standards and Modernizing Middle East Halal Sector]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2756]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Orange Fairs &amp; Events, the organizers of 'Halal Expo 2008' [Halal accords with Islamic dietary laws], the definitive event for the 'Halal' industry in the region, has rolled out the agenda for the event's second edition, which will focus on developing standards...]]>
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<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:55:27]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2756]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Partners for Change: Realizing the Potential of Arab Women in the Private and Public Sectors]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2755]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The Word Bank, Middle East North Africa Region, held the first US-based conference of the Arab International Women's Forum (AIWF), titled &quot;Partners for Change: Realizing the Potential of Arab Women in the Private and Public Sector&quot;, in Washington, DC from June 22-24. The...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:32:58]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2755]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Middle East Seaport Expansion Totaling $33 Billion Underway]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2754]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Massive economic growth is driving major seaport expansion in the Middle East worth in excess of $33 billion to handle record volumes of containers and bulk cargoes, say leading maritime industry observers.  According to the most up-to-date data on new seaport developments or expansions from...]]>
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<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:30:52]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2754]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Strong Growth Predicted by Deloitte in MENA Private Equity Market]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2753]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Deloitte business advisory firm has announced the results of its inaugural MENA Private Equity Confidence Survey, the first survey ever conducted to measure confidence and market sentiment in the Middle East and North African private equity market. The survey is based on interviews in March and...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:25:02]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2753]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[French Presidency Raises GCC-EU Trade Deal Hopes]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2752]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The implementation of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which has been negotiated for the last 20 years, will be one of France's main priorities during the rotating EU presidency, which began July 1. But the GCC said that it...]]>
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<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:19:56]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2752]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Iraq Aims for $70 Billion Record Budget]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2751]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Iraq's Finance Ministry wants to raise its budget for 2008 by 44% to a record $70 billion, cashing in on record oil prices to rebuild shattered infrastructure. The Ministry's submission of a supplementary budget of $21 billion, on top of February's budget of $48 billion, comes as revenues from...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:17:42]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2751]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Sumitomo Corp Wins $6 Billion Saudi Project]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2750]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Sumitomo Corp, Japan's third-biggest trading house, said on July 2 its consortium had won preferential rights to build and operate a $6 billion power and water desalination plant in Saudi Arabia. The plant, in Ras Azzour in eastern Saudi Arabia, will be capable of producing 1 million tons of water...]]>
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<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:14:49]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2750]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Study: Lifting of Price Subsidies May Hit Energy Demand Growth]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2749]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The recent removal of price subsidies in energy-hungry Asia may lead to a downward revision in demand growth for oil, according to the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK). Moreover, the main downside risk to crude prices stemmed from weaker than expected growth to global oil demand, the bank said in a...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:10:07]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2749]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Three Quarters of ME Managers Say Working Environment Not 'Innovation-Friendly']]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2748]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Some 75% of the regional business executives say their working environment is not innovation-friendly, a new survey uncovers.  The survey, which was commissioned by Leaders Present, the organizer of the Management Innovation Forum, reflects the opinions of over 100 regional business leaders and...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:02:58]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2748]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Abu Dhabi Buys New York's Chrysler Building]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2747]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[   The skyscraper at 405 Lexington Avenue, the world's tallest building until 1931, was acquired on Wednesday, July 9 by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council for an undisclosed price.  New York's Chrysler Building, the Art Deco icon that helps define the New York skyline, was bought by an Abu Dhabi...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:58:14]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2747]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[World Bank Calls for Structural Reforms of MENA's Economies]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2746]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ According to the World Bank, the GDP of the MENA region [Middle East and North Africa] grew by 5.7% in 2007, marking the fifth year in a row that average growth was above 5%. While this is impressive in relation to past performance, the Bank asserts, it is lower than the growth achieved in most...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:35:11]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2746]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Different Perspectives About Poverty in GCC Countries]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2745]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ It has been common among government officials in GCC countries to consider any reference to poverty in their countries as &quot;an affront to national dignity&quot;. And when governments have sought to control the supply or prices of consumer goods voices would rise quickly against such measures...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:21:38]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2745]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Rising Oil Prices and the Arab Countries-- Winners and Losers]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2744]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[   Source:  The Arab countries controlled 31% of global oil production last year while their consumption was limited to 7%, thereby leaving ample production output for export. This situation will prevail in the future as the Arab countries are likely to control 50% of global reserves. While the...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:07:26]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2744]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[New Census: Arabs Grew by 19 Million in Two Years, Shortage of Females]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2743]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ According to a census conducted by the Arab Labor Organization the Arab population reached approximately 338.4 million last year, an increase of 19 million in the last two years.  The report indicated that the declining quality of education and the lack of specialization are causing Arab...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:42:07]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2743]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Syrian-French Relations Enter New Phase]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2742]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ French spokesmen have been sounding a new note of optimism about the potential scope of economic cooperation between France and Syria. One spokesman, the French ambassador in Damascus, underscored the long historical relations between the two countries, which go back to the turn of the last...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:40:01]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2742]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Joint Syrian-Iranian Commission Discusses Joint Investment Projects]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2741]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The joint Syrian-Iranian Commission reviewed the status of the economic, commercial, investment, scientific and technical relations between the two countries and the possibilities of their expansion. The commission also reviewed the projects implemented in Syria by Iranian companies and the...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:32:05]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2741]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[FDI in Iraqi Kurdistan Reached $15 Billion]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2740]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ According to official sources in t he Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) the volume of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the last 18 months has reached $15 billion, and half of it was made by investors from the Arab Gulf countries.  Hersh Moharram, the head of the Kurdistan Investment Authority,...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:17:37]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2740]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[GCC Considered Unified Currency Cure to Inflation]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2739]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ There is a consensus among economists that the launching of a unified currency could curb the escalating inflation rates triggered by rising oil revenues, record economic growth, and the increase in reserves.  Projections indicate that real economic growth in the GCC countries will average 6.2% in...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:07:36]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2739]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Iran: Domestic Production Could Reduce Inflation]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2738]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ An editorial in the Iranian daily Keyhan, which reflects the views of the supreme leader Ali Khemenei, said the rate of inflation in the country, which is now estimated between 20% to 30% [the Central Bank of Iran said it was 26.3% in June], results from international factors and from the...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:05:13]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2738]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[One-Sixth of Iraqi Population-Refugees or Displaced]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2737]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ David Shirer, the UN representative in Iraq, said that one-sixth of the 27 million Iraqi population is either internally displaced or are refugees in other countries. Others maintain that the figure is as high as one-fifth of the population. Most of the deportees were victims of sectarian violence...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:02:16]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2737]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Annual Inflation Rises in Egyptian Cities]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2736]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The Egyptian central bureau of statistics said that inflation in the Egyptian cities rose in June to an annualized rate of 20.2% as a result of an increase in the prices of food products and entertainment costs. Rising inflation has been the cause of demonstrations and of political pressures on...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:53:13]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2736]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Brisk Business for Used Clothing in Syria]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2735]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Rising prices in Syria are causing people to resort to used [mainly imported] clothing, whose prices are also inching up.  Most of the used clothing is sold between $1 and $8 a piece. Clean pieces without blemishes sell for as much as $20-$30.  [Historically, the US has been the primary source of...]]>
<br />
<![CDATA[Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:51:07]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-07-15]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2735]]></guid>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Palestinian Businesswomen to Host Top US Executives]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2733]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ In 2006, a group of seven Palestinian businesswomen founded a national non-profit association, the Business Women Forum-Palestine (BWF-Palestine), with the core belief that women's economic participation plays an essential role in the development of the Palestinian economy.  On July 6-7 2008 the...]]>
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<![CDATA[Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:04:48]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-30]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2733]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Solution to Gulf Countries' Food Scarcity Lies in Africa]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2732]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ For the GCC states, ensuring medium- to long-term food security has to be a top policy priority, in order to avoid significant social unrest. As it stands, according to a Gulf Research Center (GRC) report on food inflation, in absolute numbers Saudi Arabia is the largest Arab food importer in the...]]>
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<![CDATA[Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:01:08]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-30]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2732]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Industry Leads Foreign Investment in Algeria]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2731]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The industry sector leads in foreign direct investment projects in Algeria, which amounted to 271 projects worth $6 billion.    Besides, the telecommunications sector is ranked 2nd with $2.3 billion, followed by the services sector with 81 projects valued at $1.5 billion, then the construction and...]]>
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<![CDATA[Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:19:40]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-30]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2731]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[End of the Blog]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2730]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ As we have informed our readers, The MEMRI Economic Blog will cease its daily publication and will be converted into a weekly publication.    The blog will next be updated on July 15.]]>
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<![CDATA[Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:22:21]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-30]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2730]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Turkish Economy Could Become Biggest Loser Due to Political Turbalance]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2729]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The Turkish economy is bound to be the biggest loser in the event the Turkish Constitutional Court rules for shutting down the Justice and Development Party, which is the ruling Islamic party of Prime Minister Erdogan, for violating the secular principles of the Turkish constitution. The party...]]>
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<![CDATA[Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:21:26]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-30]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2729]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Iran: US Ban Has No Effect on Petrol Imports]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2728]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[         Hojjatollah Ghanimifard  Iran says a US Congress resolution banning petrol sale to the Islamic Republic will have no influence on the country.  Iran supplies its petrol through non-American markets and firms, which are not listed on the US stock market, said Director of International...]]>
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<![CDATA[Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:03:31]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-30]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2728]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Remittances from Europe to Southern Mediterranean Countries Considerable]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2727]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ A recent study by the European Investment Bank estimates the remittances, through official channels, sent by immigrants in Europe to their homelands in the southern Mediterranean region, at 7 billion Euros [$11 billion]. However, the amount is twice as large if remittances through unofficial...]]>
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<![CDATA[Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:56:40]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-30]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2727]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Iran: Daily Oil Output Hits Record]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2726]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[        Iran's daily oil production has hit a record of 4.23 million bpd up from 4.1 million bpd last year, the managing director of the National Iranian Oil Company said.  &quot;Iran aims to raise its daily oil production to 4.28 million bpd by the end of the year,&quot; Seifollah Jashnsaz said. ...]]>
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<![CDATA[Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:46:47]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-30]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2726]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Iraq to Sue Those Involved in Oil-for-Food Scandal]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2725]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ A spokesman for the Iraq government announced that his government plans to take legal action against bodies and individuals who benefitted illicitly from the Oil-for-Food Program, which was adopted by the United Nations Security Council on April 14, 1995. The program, managed by the United...]]>
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<![CDATA[Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:41:47]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-30]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2725]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Inflation in Iran Rises]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2724]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Informed sources in Iran's central bank have estimated the inflation rate in the country at 26% in the last 12 months.  Etemad, Iran, June 29, 2008]]>
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<![CDATA[Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:33:54]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-30]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2724]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[UNDP to Improve Status of Arab Women]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2723]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The Arab Labor Organization signed a two-year joint program with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to upgrade the status of the Arab woman economically, socially and culturally and to reduce poverty through an employment strategy for women.  al-Sharq, Qatar, June 29, 2008]]>
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<![CDATA[Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:17:43]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-30]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2723]]></guid>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Jordan and Canada Sign MoU on Nuclear Cooperation]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2722]]></link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Jordan and Canada signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday on nuclear cooperation for peaceful purposes. The MoU will be replaced with an official agreement by the end of the year.  Under the MoU a study will be undertaken to choose a Canadian nuclear reactor which will utilize uranium as a...]]>
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<![CDATA[Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:07:22]]>
</description>
<author></author>
<pubDate><![CDATA[2008-06-30]]></pubDate>
<guid><![CDATA[/bin/content.cgi?news=2722]]></guid>
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