Most Gulf markets rise, Dubai's main index hits over 17-year high
Most Gulf share indexes ended higher on Wednesday, tracking steady oil prices as a hit to Canadian supply from wildfires offset a hit from ongoing OPEC+ output increases.
Dubai's main share index hit its highest levels since 2008 and settled 0.25% higher, with real estate financier Amlak Finance the top gainer on the index with a 14.6% rise.
The index has been recording gains each year since 2021. It rose 27% last year and is up 7% so far this year.
Abu Dhabi's benchmark index followed the trend, closing 0.45% higher. The index recorded a second consecutive session of gains.
Oil prices - a catalyst for stock markets in the Gulf – held steady, with Brent crude futures rising 0.1% to $65.59 a barrel by 1203 GMT.
The OPEC+ group recently decided to increase output by 411,000 barrels per day, a similar increase from the prior two months. Meanwhile, Canada's wildfires have reduced production by 344,000 bpd, according to Reuters calculations.
A possible call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping also dominated market sentiment, with investors continuing to focus on the pace of trade negotiations.
Gulf stocks mixed as new tariffs take effect, oil prices retreat
Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index settled 1.59% higher, with Arabian Pipes Company jumping 35.15%. The welded steel pipes manufacturer approved an increase of its share capital to 200 million SAR ($53.32 million) at an extraordinary meeting last day.
JP Morgan also said on Tuesday that the kingdom is expected to issue $12.6 billion in bonds until year-end. Companies in Saudi Arabia have been tapping debt markets, with state oil giant Aramco raising $5 billion in bonds last week.
Aramco settled flat on Wednesday.
Qatar's benchmark stock index finished 0.56% lower, with Commercial Bank falling 2.45%.
Data from Qatar's finance ministry showed that the country recorded a budget deficit of 0.5 billion Qatari riyals ($137.32 million) in the first quarter of 2025 and total revenue of 49.9 billion Qatari riyals, down 7.5% from the same period last year.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index was up 1%, with automotive company GB Corp rising 7.29%. The index recorded a second consecutive session of gains.
Wednesday also marks the deadline for countries to submit their best proposals for trade deals with the United States to avoid Trump's hefty tariffs.
All Gulf stock markets will be closed on Thursday as the countries will be observing the Day of Arafat.
----------------------------------------- SAUDI ARABIA up 1.59% to 11,004.5 ABU DHABI up 0.45% to 9,735 DUBAI up 0.25% to 5,535.9 QATAR down 0.56% to 10,558.3 EGYPT up 1% to 32,677.9 BAHRAIN up 0.1% to 1,923.1 OMAN up 0.56% to 4,578.8 KUWAIT up 0.42% to 8,854.23 -----------------------------------------
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
10 hours ago
- Express Tribune
China expands compensation for flood-hit communities
A drone view shows buildings and roads are half submerged in floodwaters after heavy rainfalls, in Rongjiang county, Guizhou province, China June 24, 2025. China Daily via REUTERS/File Photo China has expanded the economic safeguards for segments of its population affected by flood control schemes in times of extreme rainfall, including pledges of direct compensation from the central government and payments for livestock losses. In China, diverting flood-waters to areas next to rivers is a major step in managing downstream flooding. As extreme rainfall grows in frequency, China is increasingly utilising such areas, some of which have been unused until now and have been populated by farms, croplands and even residential buildings, stoking social tensions. According to revised rules on compensation related to flood diversions released late on Friday, the central government will now bear 70% of all compensation funds, with local governments responsible for the rest. Previously, the ratio was to be decided based on actual economic losses and the fiscal situation of local governments. Livestock and poultry that cannot be relocated in time before the arrival of diverted flood-waters will also be included in the compensation scheme for the first time. Previously, only the loss of working animals could be claimed for compensation. Read: Cyclone threat looms as southern China battles widespread flooding In the summer of 2023, almost 1 million people in Hebei, a province on the doorstep of Beijing, were relocated after record rain forced authorities to divert water from swollen rivers to some populated areas for storage, triggering anger over the homes and farms sacrificed to save the Chinese capital. China currently has 98 designated flood diversion areas spanning major river basins including the Yangtze River basin, home to a third of the country's population. During the 2023 Hebei floods, eight flood storage areas were used. Since the start of the East Asia monsoon in early June, precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze has been up to two times higher than usual, officials from the China Meterological Administration told reporters on Friday. In other parts of China, daily rainfall measured by 30 meteorological stations in provinces such as Hubei and Guizhou broke records for the month of June, they said. Guizhou was the focal point of China's flood alleviation efforts this week, with one of its cities hit by flooding on a scale that meteorologists said could only happen once in 50 years, and at a speed that shocked its 300,000 residents. That prompted Beijing to issue pledges on Thursday to move vulnerable populations and industries to low-flood areas and allocate more space for flood diversion.
Express Tribune
10 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Trump denies reports of $30bn nuclear offer to Iran
US President Donald Trump walks on the day of a "One Big Beautiful" event at the White House in Washington, DC., US, June 26, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article US President Donald Trump dismissed media reports that said his administration had discussed possibly helping Iran access as much as $30 billion to build a civilian-energy-producing nuclear program. CNN reported on Thursday and NBC News reported on Saturday that the Trump administration in recent days had explored possible economic incentives for Iran in return for its government halting uranium enrichment. The reports cited sources. CNN cited officials as saying that several proposals were floated and were preliminary. "Who in the Fake News Media is the SleazeBag saying that 'President Trump wants to give Iran $30 Billion to build non-military Nuclear facilities.' Never heard of this ridiculous idea," Trump wrote on Truth Social late on Friday, calling the reports a "HOAX." Since April, Iran and the US have held indirect talks aimed at finding a new diplomatic solution regarding Iran's nuclear program. Tehran says its program is peaceful and Washington says it wants to ensure Iran cannot build a nuclear weapon. Trump, earlier this week, announced a ceasefire between US ally Israel and its regional rival Iran to halt a war that began on June 13 when Israel attacked Iran. The Israel-Iran conflict had raised alarms in a region already on edge since the start of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023. The US struck Iran's nuclear sites over the last weekend and Iran targeted a US base in Qatar on Monday in retaliation, before Trump announced the ceasefire. Israel is the only Middle Eastern country widely believed to have nuclear weapons and said its war against Iran aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons.
Express Tribune
19 hours ago
- Express Tribune
'Gas price hike will hit exports'
Listen to article Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) Zubair Motiwala and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Muhammad Jawed Bilwani have strongly opposed the proposed gas tariff hike for industrial processes, calling it illogical and damaging for Pakistan's already struggling industrial sector. The proposal is expected to be discussed in the upcoming meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC). In a joint statement, Motiwala and Bilwani said the hike is unjustified in light of current global and domestic energy trends. They noted that Brent crude prices have declined and that the SNGPL system is already facing a surplus of imported RLNG, with 300 to 400mmcfd going unutilised due to high prices and excessive taxes. They argued that the government should focus on improving supply management instead of further burdening industry. They emphasised that although only 80 to 100 Independent Power Producers (IPPs) use process gas, more than 8,000 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) rely on it. A tariff increase would cripple these SMEs, which form the backbone of Pakistan's manufacturing sector. Instead, they recommended a 20% reduction in gas tariffs to help SMEs stay afloat amid rising input costs and harsh budgetary taxes. The leaders highlighted that OGRA's recent decision on May 20, 2025, reduced SSGC's gas tariff by Rs103.95 per MMBtu to Rs1,658.56, reflecting falling global fuel prices. They questioned how a hike for industrial users could be justified when regulatory bodies themselves recognised falling costs. OGRA also set a revised tariff of Rs1,895.25 per MMBtu for SNGPL, which remains below the proposed rate. Petitioners during OGRA's hearings also flagged inflated RLNG diversion costs and unrealistic Brent crude pricing assumptions that distort true gas pricing. Motiwala and Bilwani warned that raising gas tariffs would worsen inflation, increase unemployment, and discourage local and foreign investment. Industry, already hit by electricity costs, currency instability, and shrinking demand, cannot absorb further shocks. They called on the ECC to immediately withdraw the proposal and conduct a transparent review of gas pricing, aligning it with OGRA's findings and global trends. "Burdening industry to offset inefficiencies elsewhere is unacceptable," they said. "Support for industry is essential for true economic recovery."
