DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s bourse closed higher on Sunday and Qatar’s slipped, as markets struggled to find direction given the uncertainty over a possible ceasefire extension in the Middle East.
Iran will not agree to end its conflict with the US unless it is assured that the rights of the Iranian people are protected, Iran’s leading negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Sunday, according to state media.
Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index - which traded after a five-session break - gained 0.5 percent, with Al Rajhi Bank rising 1 percent.
However, oil major Saudi Aramco retreated 1.3 percent. On Friday, oil futures dropped more than 2 percent, marking their sharpest weekly loss since early April, as traders awaited confirmation of a ceasefire agreement between the US, Israel, and Iran.