Wednesday 30 October 2024

Gulf bourses end mixed, #Qatar retreats ahead of referendum | Reuters

Gulf bourses end mixed, Qatar retreats ahead of referendum | Reuters


Stock markets in the Middle East ended mixed on Wednesday, while the Qatari index tumbled ahead of a constitutional amendment referendum.

Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI), opens new tab lost 0.4%, weighed down by a 1.8% fall in the ACWA Power Company (2082.SE), opens new tab, while Saudi Awwal Bank (1060.SE), opens new tab retreated 3%.

Dubai's main share index (.DFMGI), opens new tab gained 0.5%, with toll operator Salik Company (SALIK.DU), opens new tab advancing 6.8% and Parkin Company (PARKIN.DU), opens new tab, which oversees public parking operations in the Emirates, closing 1.7% higher.

Dubai - the regional trade and tourism hub - approved a 2025-2027 budget on Tuesday with 272 billion dirham ($74.06 billion) of expenditure, the biggest in the emirate's history, against revenues of 302 billion dirhams, its ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum said in a post on X.

Sheikh Mohammed said that next year's budget would achieve an operating surplus of 21% of total revenues for the first time.

In Abu Dhabi the index (.FTFADGI), opens new tab added 0.2%, helped by a 2.7% increase in Aldar Properties (ALDAR.AD), opens new tab, a day after the developer reported a sharp rise in quarterly net profit.

The Qatari benchmark (.QSI), opens new tab dropped 1.2%, with most of its constituents in negative territory including the Gulf's biggest lender Qatar National Bank (QNBK.QA), opens new tab, which was down 1%.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has set Nov. 5 as the date for a referendum on constitutional amendments, the Gulf country's Amiri Diwan administrative office reported on Tuesday.

The rare referendum is for citizens to vote on a set of constitutional amendments, including a proposal that would abandon an effort to introduce elections.

Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (.EGX30), opens new tab fell 0.8%, with Talaat Mostafa Holding (TMGH.CA), opens new tab losing 2.3%.

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