Middle East Experience

Turkey has secured a fresh source of foreign exchange from Qatar as authorities scramble to find foreign reserves to prop up the country’s stumbling economy.Turkish and Qatari central banks are tripling the limit of their existing swap deal to $15 billion to facilitate “bilateral trade in respective local currencies and to support the financial stability of the two countries,” according to a statement Wednesday. The lira briefly swung to a gain after the announcement, before erasing its advance to edge lower against the dollar.Qatar has continued to support Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, offering a credit line to at the height of Turkey’s currency crisis in 2018.The new deal could effectively raise Turkey’s battered reserves by up to $10 billion, adding to a stockpile whose size was called into question by investors because the central bank boosted them by including dollars borrowed from commercial lenders in its foreign holdings.Authorities have been leaning on state lenders to flood the market with dollars, and finding a source of foreign exchange has become increasingly urgent with gross central bank reserves down $17 billion since the beginning of the year to $89.2 billion.Analysts had earlier predicted that Turkey could run out of reserves by as early as July as the central bank has been spending around $440 million a day to prop up the struggling lira.Ankara and Doha have grown increasingly close in recent years since Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar more than two years ago over accusations that Qatar supports extremist groups across the region.Erdogan visited Qatar in November last year in his first official rip to an Arab country since Ankara’s forces began to intervene in northeast Syria last month against Kurdish-led forces.With Bloomberg.Read more:Coronavirus: No sign of funding crunch in Turkey for now, says FitchTurkey may run out foreign currency reserves by July: AnalystsTurkey’s Erdogan in Qatar on first Arab trip since Syria offensive
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Turkey leans on Qatar for billion deal as economy stutters amid coronavirus

Oman recorded 372 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 6,043, the Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The new cases include 152 Omani citizens and 220 non-Omani expatriates.Currently, the virus-related death toll in Oman is 27. Meanwhile, the number of recoveries rose to 1,661.Oman on Monday banned all social gatherings relating to Eid al-Fitr and violators will be fined or jailed.Eid prayers, livestock auctions, family visits, and group celebrations will be prohibited during the holiday as part of efforts to curb the coronavirus outbreak, the committee added.The Royal Oman Police has been authorized to monitor the public’s compliance and issue fines or jail penalties for violations, according to the committee.The ministry urged the public to adhere to precautionary measures at all times to ensure their health and safety.Read more:Coronavirus: Oman bans all Eid gatherings, will issues fines, jail time for violatorsCoronavirus: Oman imposes lockdown on industrial area housing migrant workers
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Oman records 372 new cases, total infections surpass 6,000

The nationwide disinfection program in the UAE will be extended for two hours in industrial areas, and will now be from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. as part of efforts in the country to curb the coronavirus outbreak, the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation announced on Wednesday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The UAE on Monday announced it would be expanding its nightly curfew across the country by two hours starting from May 20 until further notice.The new timing for the disinfection program is from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m.The decision to increase the curfew hours in industrial areas comes amid efforts to combat the spread of the virus in the densely-packed areas inhabited by migrant workers.Dubai had previously ordered complete lockdowns in several industrial areas, such as Naif and al-Ras.A list of stricter fines for those who violate coronavirus rules and restrictions were also released on Monday ahead of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday.Read more:Coronavirus: All you need to know about UAE’s stricter fines for violating rulesCoronavirus: Dubai’s Gold Souk reopens as restrictions begin to ease
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE extends disinfection program for two hours in industrial areas

A Chinese news outlet published, then deleted, reports that estimated 500,000 residents could have already been infected with coronavirus in the virus epicenter Wuhan amid pledges from officials to test the city’s 11 million residents, Taiwan News reported on Tuesday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Caixin media reportedly published results of a study from April that found 6 percent of 11,000 Wuhan residents had COVID-19 antibodies which means they had been infected and recovered, according to the report.“If extrapolated to the city's entire population, this would mean approximately 500,000 of the city's residents have been infected with the disease,” Taiwan News said.In a Google cache version of the original news report translated to English, news outlet Sina said with “more than 50,00 people [in Wuhan]” having been diagnosed, “90 percent of the patients have not been found.”The original report also claimed that “asymptomatic infections in Wuhan may be as high as 90 percent.”Taiwan News reported that cases across China’s 230 cities actually could exceed 640,000, based on data from the National University of Defense Technology.The United States has continuously accused China of lying about the extent of the outbreak, based on intelligence reports.The Associated Press had revealed in April that top Chinese officials waited six days to implement preventative measures after concluding in January that China was likely facing a severe coronavirus pandemic outbreak.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appUS President Donald Trump has, on many occasions, blamed China for the outbreak which has infected 1,528,661 Americans and killed 91,938 so far. He’s gone to the extent of referring to the novel coronavirus as the “China virus.”In April, China revised its Wuhan numbers after a “comprehensive review of its epidemic data," according to Reuters. The country reported a revised death toll of 3,869 on April 17, after adding 1,290 to its previously-announced figure. It also raised the total number of cases in the country to 82,692 from its previously reported 82,367, while claiming Wuhan has 50,333 total cases.Read more:China’s virus epicenter Wuhan revises total death toll by 1,290Trump wants China to be transparent about origin of coronavirusChina tests thousands to calculate the true spread of COVID-19
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Chinese media reports estimated 500,000 Wuhan cases, ‘quickly deletes’

Saudi Arabia has recorded a steady increase of 2,691 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, raising the total to 62,545, according to the health ministry.A ministry spokesman said 10 people who had previously tested positive for the virus have died, raising the Kingdom’s relatively low death toll to 339.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Saudi Arabia continues to expand its testing efforts with 18,094 new screenings conducted over the past 24 hours. The Kingdom has so far administered 636,178, according to the health ministry.Despite an increase in daily confirmed infections, the number of recoveries continues to grow as well with 1,844 new recoveries. A total of 33,478 individuals have recovered so far in the Kingdom.The spokesman said the virus outbreak may seem like it has become less aggressive, however, nothing about the virus has actually changed and it can still spread as fast and as aggressive as it has been. What has changed, he said, is the habits and actions of individuals as people comply with preventative measures resulting in a slower spread of the virus in the Kingdom.The country has the most total confirmed coronavirus cases in the region. However, it is also by far the largest country in the GCC, both in terms of population and area.The Kingdom confirmed its first cases on March 2 when an infected Saudi Arabian national returned from Iran. Government officials were quick to implement measures including lockdowns, curfew, shutting down domestic and international travel, as well as closing businesses and mosques. Saudi Arabia even suspended prayers in Islam's two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina.Despite easing some restrictions and re-opening malls and businesses under strict measures, family gatherings of more than five people are still banned throughout the country. All gatherings for occasions such as weddings, funerals, parties, and such have also been banned. Overnight, the Ministry of Interior announced that residents who violate any coronavirus-related precautionary measures will be deported and banned from re-entry.The Interior Ministry last week announced there will be a full day lockdown and curfew across the Kingdom during the upcoming Eid holidays from May 23 until May 27.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appRead more:Chinese media reports estimated 500,000 Wuhan cases, ‘quickly deletes’Saudi Arabia’s residents may be deported if they violate coronavirus rules in shopsSaudi Arabia’s residents may be deported if they violate coronavirus rules in shops
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia records 2,691 new cases, total now 62,545

Today, only 15% of Palestinian residents of Jerusalem say they want Israeli rather than Palestinian citizenship, likely a result of support from Turkey, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Few Palestinians in Jerusalem covet Israeli citizenship

The United Arab Emirates and Qatar registered more than 2,000 coronavirus cases between the two of them on Monday alone.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Gulf countries increase virus-related restrictions after new cases

Fake social media accounts have been spreading misinformation and leaked documents for political and criminal ends.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Iraq takes action against bogus social media posts

The April cyberattack on Israel’s water system and a May attack on an Iranian port might be the opening salvoes of a cyber war between Israel and Iran.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Israel, Iran trade cyber jabs

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refused to give an interview for State Department Inspector General Steve Linick’s investigation into a massive Saudi arms sale deal before asking President Donald Trump to fire the watchdog, Al-Monitor has learned.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Intel: Pompeo refused interview on Saudi arms sale investigation before firing Linick