Tuesday 10/March/2026 – 06:40 PM
Most closed Stock markets in the Gulf region On a significant rise today, Tuesday, driven by a strong rise in financial and banking sector stocks.
This positive shift in investor sentiment came after US President Donald Trump’s statements about the possibility of the conflict in the region ending soon, which eased the “risk aversion” that had prevailed in the markets recently, despite the continued state of caution and mutual threats.
Stock markets in the Gulf region
The Dubai Financial Market topped the gains with a rise in its main index by 2%, supported by a jump in Emirates NBD Bank shares by 8.3%, which is its largest daily gain since the end of 2024. The shares of the Dubai Financial Market Company also rose by 8.2%.
In Abu Dhabi, the index increased by 1.4% thanks to the strong performance of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (8.7%+) and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (5.8%+), after regulatory measures that included setting a temporary minimum price decline at 5% to ensure market stability.
Saudi and Qatari market performance and Aramco challenges
The Qatari index recorded a growth of 2.5%, with Qatar National Bank shares rising 4.3% and Industries Qatar Company rising 4.6%. In Saudi Arabia, the main index rose by 0.9% supported by Al Rajhi Bank shares, as investors see that the Saudi market is less exposed to the risks of the Strait of Hormuz with the possibility of redirecting supply chains through the Red Sea, in addition to the attractive price valuations of Saudi stocks currently.
Saudi Aramco shares fell by 0.8% after announcing a 12% drop in its annual profits, which analysts attributed mainly to the decline in global crude oil prices. It is noteworthy that oil prices witnessed a decline today following the political calm statements, after they had recorded record levels, the highest in three years, during the previous session.
Variation in regional markets and a strong recovery in the Egyptian Stock Exchange
Outside the Gulf region, Egypt’s blue-chip index achieved a strong rise of 2.9%, benefiting from improved investment appetite in the region. As for the rest of the Gulf countries, the Kuwaiti index rose by 1.4%, while the Bahrain and Oman stock exchanges bucked the general trend with slight red closings of 0.4% and 0.2%, respectively.
Financial analysis experts believe that regional markets are still sensitive to geopolitical tensions, but the current stability of sentiment may contribute to drawing a solid “support floor” that opens the way for a sustainable recovery, especially with the re-evaluation of risk premiums and the shift of investment portfolios towards markets with attractive valuations and a high ability to adapt to supply chain disruptions.
