PHOTO
* Some local retail investors enthused by Saudi reform scheme
* Saudi Electric surges; reshuffle could speed its restructuring
* Dubai index rebounds from near technical support
* Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank continues rebound
* Kuwait's Burgan Bank outperforms after Q1 earnings
By Andrew Torchia
DUBAI, May 8 (Reuters) - Most major Gulf stock markets rose on Sunday in response to a modest recovery on Wall Street and in oil prices at the end of last week, while a sweeping reorganisation of Saudi Arabia's economic policy-making apparatus boosted shares there.
The Saudi stock index
.TASI
closed 0.2 percent higher after rising as much as 1.0 percent at one stage. Petrochemical blue chip Saudi Basic Industries
2010.SE
gained 0.3 percent.
The Saudi reorganisation replaced the oil minister and central bank governor and restructured some major ministries, creating a super-ministry under Khalid al-Falih to manage the growth of industry and resource extraction.
Many fund managers still have questions about how a wide-ranging economic reform programme unveiled on April 25 can be financed and whether it can be fully implemented, but local investors have been reacting bullishly.
State utility Saudi Electric
5110.SE
climbed 1.8 percent. Saturday's reshuffle moved the electricity portfolio to the new super-ministry; this could give fresh impetus to a restructuring of Saudi Electric, which has been discussed for years with little progress.
Insurers were also strong, with Saudi Arabian Cooperative Insurance
8100.SE
jumping its 10 percent daily limit.
Dubai's index
.DFMGI
gained 0.6 percent to 3,326 points, bouncing from near technical support on the late March lows of 3,248-3,253 points, though trading volume was low.
Dubai Parks & Resorts
DUBA.DU
, the most heavily traded stock, rose 2.3 percent. Trading in rights to a major share issue in the company began last week and will continue through next week.
Abu Dhabi's index
.ADI
gained 0.5 percent as Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
ADCB.AD
rebounded for a second day from a slump following its first-quarter earnings. The stock rose 1.3 percent.
Qatar
.QSI
edged down 0.2 percent although Dlala Brokerage
DBIS.QA
added 2.7 percent in unusually heavy trade.
Kuwait's Burgan Bank
BURG.KW
rose 1.5 percent after reporting an 18.5 percent fall in first-quarter net profit to 14.3 million dinars ($47.66 million), largely because of lower foreign exchange income; HSBC had forecast the bank would make 12.68 million dinars. Kuwait's index
.KWSE
edged down 0.1 percent.
Egypt
.EGX30
rose 0.3 percent, buoyed by gains in a few blue chips such as Orascom Telecom Media
OTMT.CA
, which was up 2.7 percent.
SUNDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
SAUDI ARABIA
* The index
.TASI
climbed 0.2 percent to 6,672 points.
DUBAI
* The index
.DFMGI
rose 0.6 percent to 3,326 points.
ABU DHABI
* The index
.ADI
gained 0.5 percent to 4,449 points.
QATAR
* The index
.QSI
fell 0.2 percent to 9,730 points.
EGYPT
* The index
.EGX30
rose 0.3 percent to 7,572 points.
KUWAIT
* The index
.KWSE
edged down 0.1 percent to 5,371 points.
OMAN
* The index
.MSI
rose 0.3 percent to 5,996 points.
BAHRAIN
* The index
.BAX
edged down 0.1 percent to 1,112 points.
((andrew.torchia@thomsonreuters.com)(+9715 6681 7277)(Reuters Messaging: andrew.torchia.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
* Saudi Electric surges; reshuffle could speed its restructuring
* Dubai index rebounds from near technical support
* Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank continues rebound
* Kuwait's Burgan Bank outperforms after Q1 earnings
By Andrew Torchia
DUBAI, May 8 (Reuters) - Most major Gulf stock markets rose on Sunday in response to a modest recovery on Wall Street and in oil prices at the end of last week, while a sweeping reorganisation of Saudi Arabia's economic policy-making apparatus boosted shares there.
The Saudi stock index
The Saudi reorganisation replaced the oil minister and central bank governor and restructured some major ministries, creating a super-ministry under Khalid al-Falih to manage the growth of industry and resource extraction.
Many fund managers still have questions about how a wide-ranging economic reform programme unveiled on April 25 can be financed and whether it can be fully implemented, but local investors have been reacting bullishly.
State utility Saudi Electric
Insurers were also strong, with Saudi Arabian Cooperative Insurance
Dubai's index
Dubai Parks & Resorts
Abu Dhabi's index
Qatar
Kuwait's Burgan Bank
Egypt
SUNDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
SAUDI ARABIA
* The index
DUBAI
* The index
ABU DHABI
* The index
QATAR
* The index
EGYPT
* The index
KUWAIT
* The index
OMAN
* The index
BAHRAIN
* The index
((andrew.torchia@thomsonreuters.com)(+9715 6681 7277)(Reuters Messaging: andrew.torchia.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))