PHOTO
An investor walks through the Dubai Financial Market after Joe Biden won the U.S. presidency, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates November 8, 2020. Image used for illustrative purpose
Major stock markets in the Gulf rose on Monday led by the Abu Dhabi benchmark on higher oil prices, while shares in Egypt continued to ease for a second straight session.
Oil prices - a catalyst for the Gulf's financial markets - gained, as attacks on Russian energy facilities intensified with Brent rising 0.8% to $86.02 a barrel by 1330 GMT.
In Abu Dhabi, the benchmark index rose 0.7%, ending its previous session of losses. The index encountered a technical glitch earlier in the day displaying inflated gains, before the issue got fixed towards the end of the trading session. First Abu Dhabi Bank, UAE's largest lender, gained 1.1% while Abu Dhabi National Oil's (ADNOC) units ADNOC Drilling and ADNOC Logistics climbed 1.8% and 1.3%, respectively. The state-owned energy major ADNOC signed a 15-year deal to supply 1 MMT a year of LNG to a unit of Germany's state-owned Securing Energy for Europe.
Dubai's benchmark index advanced 0.3%, with blue-chip developer Emaar Properties rising 2.2% and Dubai Electricity adding 1.2%.
Saudi Arabia's benchmark index edged up 0.1%, extending its rally to a fifth straight session with Saudi National Bank, the kingdom's largest lender, advancing 1.9% and Saudi Awwal Bank gaining 2.5%.
The Qatari benchmark index was up marginally, helped by a 2.9% gain in Qatar Gas Transport and 1.3% rise in Industries Qatar, while Doha Bank and Masraf Al Rayan slipped 4.7% and 1.9%, respectively.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index extended its losses to a second consecutive session and ended 6.3% lower, the steepest fall since Jan.31 with almost all stocks in the red. E-Finance declined 14.3% and El Sewedy Electric dropped 13.6%.
- SAUDI ARABIA rose 0.1% to 12,772
- KUWAIT fell 0.4% to 8,118
- QATAR ended flat at 10,260
- EGYPT dropped 6.3% to 29,091
- BAHRAIN gained 0.2% to 2,035
- OMAN lost 0.1% to 4,770
- ABU DHABI up 0.7% to 9,289
- DUBAI rose 0.3% to 4,275
(Reporting by Md Manzer Hussain; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)