Stock markets in the Gulf ended mixed on Wednesday, buoyed by Ukraine's readiness to support a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, but investor optimism was tempered by concerns over the economic fallout of U.S. tariffs.
Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI), opens new tab eased 0.1%, hit by a 3.3% fall in ACWA Power Co (2082.SE), opens new tab and a 2.5% decrease in Saudi Arabian Mining Company (1211.SE), opens new tab.
Elsewhere, oil giant Saudi Aramco (2222.SE), opens new tab was down 0.4%. Fitch Ratings expects Saudi Arabia's deficit to widen as Aramco's dividend normalizes.
Dubai's main share index (.DFMGI), opens new tab gained 0.7%, with blue-chip developer Emaar Properties (EMAR.DU), opens new tab rising 2.3% and sharia-compliant lender Dubai Islamic Bank (DISB.DU), opens new tab increasing 3.1%.
In Abu Dhabi, the index (.FTFADGI), opens new tab finished 0.4% higher.
Investors are waiting for U.S. Consumer Price Index data at 1230 GMT to gauge the Federal Reserve's next move on interest rates.
Monetary policy in the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council is usually guided by the Fed's decisions, as most regional currencies are pegged to the dollar.
The Qatari index (.QSI), opens new tab dropped 0.4%, hit by a 5.1% slide in telecom firm Ooredoo (ORDS.QA), opens new tab, as the stock traded ex-dividend.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (.EGX30), opens new tab closed 0.4% higher, with GB Auto (GBCO.CA), opens new tab advancing 8.8%.
The International Monetary Fund approved the disbursement of $1.2 billion to Egypt following completion of the fourth review of the country's $8 billion economic reform programme, after allowing Egypt to waive a primary budget surplus target.
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