DUBAI: Most major stock markets in the Gulf ended higher on Sunday, while falling oil prices continued to pressure the Saudi index, which extended losses for a second session.
In Abu Dhabi, the index rose 0.8%, with the country's largest lender First Abu Dhabi Bank rising 1.1% and Emirates Telecommunications Group climbing 1.3%.
Among other gainers, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for Distribution finished 1.8% higher following its inclusion in the FTSE Emerging Markets Index.
The changes will be effective from the close of business on Sept. 17.
Abu Dhabi, the second most populous of the United Arab Emirates, on Thursday ended a partial lockdown imposed last month as part of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 variants.
The benchmark index in Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, slid a further 1.1%, weighed by a 1.8% fall in Al Rajhi Bank and a 3.1% drop in Riyad Bank , as weakening crude prices curbed interest in Saudi stocks.
Elsewhere, Saudi mall operator Arabian Centres declined 0.7% after posting a drop in quarterly net profit.
Oil prices closed out their biggest week of losses in more than nine months with another down-day on Friday, as investors sold futures in anticipation of weakened fuel demand worldwide due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Dubai's main share index advanced 1.1%, buoyed by a 1.1% rise in blue-chip developer Emaar Properties.
The Qatari index added 0.4%, with Commercial Bank rising 2.6% and Qatar Islamic Bank up 1.1%.
The Gulf state's cabinet approved lifting the percentage of non-Qatari ownership in the capital of Qatar National Bank , Qatar Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank and Al Rayan Bank to 100%, which could attract more liquidity to the bourse.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index lost 1.1%, with most of the stocks on the index in negative territory including Fawry for Banking Technology and Electronic, which was down 4.8%.
SAUDI ARABIA fell 1.1% to 11,077
ABU DHABI rose 0.8% to 7,679
DUBAI gained 1% to 2,867
QATAR added 0.4% to 11,078
EGYPT lost 1.1% to 10,691
BAHRAIN was up 0.6% to 1,648
OMAN fell 0.3% to 3,972
KUWAIT lost 0.3% to 7,272.
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