Dubai’s main share index closed higher on Friday, in line with oil prices, boosted by gains in real estate and industrial sector stocks while the Abu Dhabi index declined.
Dubai’s main market rose 0.4%, extending gains to the third session, lifted by a 1.5% surge in blue-chip developer Emaar Properties and a 1.9% jump in state-owned parking lot operator Parkin Company.
Among the gainers, investment bank Shuaa Capital gained 1.5% after the bank reached a settlement agreement with a key creditor as part of ongoing capital optimisation initiative.
However, Abu Dhabi’s benchmark index edged down 0.1%, snapping two sessions’ gains, dragged down by a 1.4% decline in UAE’s largest lender First Abu Dhabi Bank and a 0.9% loss in Emirates Telecom Group.
The Abu Dhabi stock market was relatively stable, continuing to trade within a three-week price range with potential support coming from an oil price recovery, said George Pavel, general manager at Naga.com Middle East.
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Dubai’s index logged 0.5% losses on a weekly basis, while Abu Dhabi closed flat, according to LSEG data.
However, Sharjah-based Dana Gas gained 1.4% after it received a $20 million payment in Egypt, and said it plans to reinvest the funds in Egypt as part of the consolidation agreement with its government.
Meanwhile, oil prices – a key catalyst for the Gulf’s financial market – drifted higher on supply jitters driven by newly added sanctions on Russia and Iran and hopes that Chinese stimulus measures could lift demand in the world’s No. 2 oil consumer.
Brent crude was up 0.78% to $73.41 a barrel by 1041 GMT.
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