A trader looks at the screens at Bahrain Bourse in Manama, Bahrain, February 7, 2018. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Major stock markets in the Gulf were mixed in early trade on Thursday, with the Dubai index falling the most after the United Arab Emirates said it intercepted three drones.
The UAE said it intercepted three drones that entered its airspace over unpopulated areas early on Wednesday in the fourth such attack on the Gulf commercial and tourism hub in the past few weeks. read more
Dubai’s main share index (.DFMGI) fell 0.8%, with blue-chip developer Emaar Properties (EMAR.DU) losing more than 1%, while sharia-compliant lender Dubai Islamic Bank (DISB.DU).
In Abu Dhabi, the index (.FTFADGI) lost 0.3%, hit by a 0.9% fall in telecoms giant Etisalat (ETISALAT.AD).
The first three assaults, including a missile attack on Monday during a visit by Israel’s president, were launched by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis in an escalation with a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and which includes the UAE.
Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index (.TASI) gained 0.2%, hovering near a 15-year high, with Al Rajhi Bank (1120.SE) rising 0.3%, while Saudi Telecom Company (STC) (7010.SE) added 0.7%.
STC said on Wednesday it would transfer its data centres, international submarine cables and other assets to a new wholly-owned company, a day after news it would invest $1 billion in those assets. read more
OPEC+ agreed on Wednesday to stick to moderate rises in its oil output with the group already struggling to meet existing targets and wary of responding to calls on its strained capacity for more crude from top consumers to cap surging prices. read more
However, crude prices eased following weak U.S. payrolls data and some profit taking, but remained underpinned by tight supply as OPEC+ producers stuck to planned moderate output increases.
The Qatari index (.QSI) rose 0.3%, led by a 2.2% gain in Qatar Islamic Bank (QISB.QA).
Among other gainers, Vodafone Qatar (VFQS.QA) climbed 1.1% after reporting an annual profit of 327 million riyals ($89.64 million), a 76.9% surge compared to year ago profit.
($1 = 3.6480 Qatar riyals)Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; editing by Carmel Crimmins
This article was originally published by Reuters.
Ghada Ashour, who grew up in Gaza, becomes fifth scholar selected for FIA’s flagship scholarship initiative Dubai, UAE, 8th December, 2025: The FIA’s United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) Campaign has welcomed Ghada Ashour, a 24-year-old student from Palestine, to its flagship scholarship programme, created to empower the next generation of researchers in the fight against online abuse in sport. Ghada grew up in Gaza where she has been studying remotely until gaining her place on the UAOA scholarship, which brought her to Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland. Becoming the fifth scholar to join the scholarship, she was selected based on her interests in social media, and her strong passion for advancing insights in this area for the benefit of everyone participating in sport. Launched in 2023, the programme offers talented students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research on the impact, prevalence, and prevention of online abuse in sport with a focus on developing practical solutions. Funded by the FIA Foundation, the UAOA scholars have been selected to undertake invaluable research at DCU based on their project proposals, dedication to achieving positive social change, and their unique perspectives approaching this issue. Ghada’s thesis, which will be printed in English and translated into Arabic, will focus specifically on the …
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