Markets in the Middle East rose on Wednesday, tracking a rally in global peers as oil prices stabilized at $90, with Egypt's blue-chip index gaining after UAE's FAB sought to buy EFG Hermes.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt's index closed the session up 0.6% in its best day in a week, boosted by Egypt's biggest investment bank EFG Hermes which rose 9.3%.
First Abu Dhabi Bank made an offer to buy a controlling stake in EFG Hermes that values the North African lender at 18.5 billion Egyptian pounds ($1.18 billion), the two banks said on Wednesday.
Shares of First Abu Dhabi Bank rose 1.5%.
The Qatari index ended up 1.1%, clocking its best session since Jan. 13.
Shares of Industries Qatar QPSC closed 8.1% higher after the petrochemical firm reported a sharp rise in annual profit on Tuesday.
Major Gulf bourses end mixed in trade; Dubai index ends up 0.8%
Saudi Arabia's benchmark index dropped 0.2%, as gains in communication services were offset by losses in financial stocks.
Dubai's main share index climbed 1%, as it recorded its best daily percentage gain in nearly three weeks.
DIB, the United Arab Emirates' largest Islamic lender, sold $750 million in five-year senior unsecured sukuk on Tuesday after the debt sale drew more than $1.6 billion in orders, a bank document showed. Shares gained 2%.
In Abu Dhabi, the index rose 0.7%.
Investors return to the market while geopolitical tensions subside and the initial public offering of Abu Dhabi Ports attracts new capital, said Daniel Takieddine, CEO MENA at BDSwiss.
"The market could see renewed activity as investors are eager to buy into new companies."
SAUDI ARABIA down 0.2% to 12,205
ABU DHABI up 0.7% to 8,842
DUBAI 1% to 3,246
QATAR 1.1% to 12,817
EGYPT 0.6% to 11,596
BAHRAIN was up 0.4% to 1,855
OMAN fell 0.6% to 4,089
KUWAIT lost 0.3% to 8,062
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