MIDEAST STOCKS-Most of Gulf falls but petrochemicals boost #Saudi - Reuters

MIDEAST STOCKS-Most of Gulf falls but petrochemicals boost Saudi - Reuters:

Stock markets in the United Arab Emirates
and Qatar fell on Thursday with banking shares leading the way,
but petrochemicals helped Saudi Arabia buck the trend. 

Saudi Arabia's benchmark index reversed earlier
losses to close up 0.1%, with Saudi Basic Industries
gaining 1.3% and state-owned Aramco 0.4% higher at
35.4 riyals ($9.44).

On Tuesday, Aramco said IPO bookrunner Goldman Sachs may
make additional purchases of the oil giant's shares to support
the price of the stock. The so-called stabilisation period will
end on Jan. 9, but so far no transactions have been executed.

Yanbu National Petrochemicals (Yansab) fell 1.8%
after its board proposed a lower second-half dividend this year.

In Abu Dhabi, the index slipped 1% with the United
Arab Emirates' (UAE) largest lender First Abu Dhabi Bank
down 1.2% and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank off
0.9%.