Most Gulf indexes end lower as Omicron fears grip markets

Most stock markets in the Gulf ended lower on Monday, with the Abu Dhabi index falling the most, on renewed concerns over the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant.

The variant's spread pushed the Netherlands into a lockdown on Sunday and put pressure on others to follow, though the United States seemed set to remain open.

In Abu Dhabi, the index dropped 1.1%, dragged by a 5.3% fall in Emirates Telecommunications Group and a 1.5% decline in Aldar Properties.

The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates said on Monday it would use new criteria to supervise banks' exposure to real estate, a crucial sector of the Gulf state's economy which has been sluggish for years.

The regulator will give banks one year to enhance their practices to meet the new requirements, starting from Dec. 30.

The benchmark index in Qatar, which opened after a session's break, dropped 0.3%, as most of the stocks on the index traded in negative territory, including sharia-compliant lender Masraf Al Rayan, which was down 0.9%.

Qatar registered its first four cases of the Omicron variant, Reuters reported on Friday, citing state news agency QNA.

Meanwhile, crude prices, a key catalyst for the Gulf's financial markets, slumped by more than $3 as rapid spread of Omicron dimmed fuel demand outlook.

Most Gulf markets fall as central bank decisions, Omicron fears loom

Dubai's main share index finished flat a day after it registered a loss of more than 3%, as gains in financial shares were offset by declines in property shares.

Investors return to the market after previous session's sharp decline and the main index could rebound further as the market remains fundamentally strong, even though Omicron fears start to impact expectations, said Wael Makarem, a senior market strategist at Exness.

Saudi Arabia's benchmark index reversed early losses to close 0.1% higher, helped by a 4.5% jump in Banque Saudi Fransi.

Elsewhere, shares of Almunajem Foods Co gained more than 5% in their stock market debut.

Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index lost 0.7%, with top lender Commercial International Bank dropping 0.7%.

SAUDI ARABIA rose 0.1% to 11,170

ABU DHABI fell 1.1% to 8,557

DUBAI was flat at 3,152

QATAR lost 0.3% to 11,659

EGYPT down 0.7% to 11,482

BAHRAIN eased 0.6% to 1,771

OMAN rose 0.2% to 4,050

KUWAIT added 0.3% to 7,525