Mideast Stocks: Most Gulf markets gain as investors eye earnings; Saudi bourse slips on banks

Commercial International Bank Egypt CIB

21/10/2025 14:18

Updates to closing prices

By Ateeq Shariff

Oct 21 (Reuters) - Most Gulf stock markets ended higher on Tuesday on expectations of easing U.S.-China trade tensions ahead of key earnings, while Saudi Arabia's index fell after disappointing results.

Dubai's main index .DFMGI rose 0.4%, led by a 2.9% gain in Emirates NBD ENBD.DU.

India's RBL Bank RATB.NS said on Saturday that ENBD will buy a 60% stake in the private lender for $3 billion, calling it the largest cross-border acquisition in India's financial sector.

Investors stayed cautious before results from real estate and banks that could set the market's direction, Joseph Dahrieh, managing principal at Tickmill, said.

In Abu Dhabi, the index .FTFADGI added 0.2%, helped by a 2.1% gain in ADNOC Drilling ADNOCDRILL.AD.

Investment firm Multiply Group MULTIPLY.AD gave up early gains to finish 0.3% lower.

International Holding Company IHC.AD - which owns Multiply Group - said its board approved plans to acquire investment platform 2PointZero and food company Ghitha Holding GHITHA.AD through a share swap.

Saudi Arabia's benchmark index .TASI dropped 0.9%, hit by a 0.7% fall in sharia-compliant lender Al Rajhi Bank 1120.SE, even after the lender posted strong third-quarter profit, with quarter-on-quarter growth in single digits.

Among other losers Yamama Cement Company 3020.SE plunged 10% - marking its biggest intraday fall since 2006 - following a more than 63% decline in third-quarter profit.

Dahrieh said weak oil prices continue to weigh on sentiment.

The Qatari index .QSI was up 0.1%, with Qatar Islamic Bank QISB.QA gaining 0.9%.

Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index .EGX30 dropped 0.7%, snaping a 7-day winning streak - with Commercial International Bank  COMI.CA losing 1.2%.

Saudi Arabia
.TASI fell 0.6% to 11,546
Abu Dhabi
.FTFADGI rose 0.2% to 10,121
Dubai
.DFMGI added 0.4% to 5,976
Qatar
.QSI was up 0.2% to 10,809
Egypt
.EGX30 dropped 0.7% to 37,698
Bahrain
.BAX declined 1.1% to 1,969
Oman
.MSX30 advanced 1.8% to 5,459
Kuwait
.BKP gained 0.1% to 9,444

 (Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair and Tasim Zahid)

 ((AteeqUr.Shariff@thomsonreuters.com; +918061822788))