Most Gulf stock markets declined amid tensions between the US and Iran.

SABIC 0.00%
SAUDI ARAMCO +0.15%
Tadawul All Shares Index -0.07%

SABIC

2010.SA

59.55

0.00%

SAUDI ARAMCO

2222.SA

27.60

+0.15%

Tadawul All Shares Index

TASI.SA

11268.38

-0.07%

- Most Gulf stock markets declined in early trading on Thursday, pressured by weak corporate results and investor concerns over tensions between the United States and Iran.

US President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday and later said they had not reached any "final" agreement on Iran, but stressed that negotiations with Tehran would continue.

This came a day after Trump announced he was considering deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East if no agreement is reached with Iran.

Ongoing tensions in the region helped keep oil prices rising on Thursday.

Dubai's main index fell 0.2 percent, with shares of leading real estate developer Emaar Properties declining 0.6 percent ahead of its earnings announcement.

Shares of the National Cement Company fell 4.5 percent, despite the announcement of higher annual profits.

In Abu Dhabi, the index fell 0.1 percent, weighed down by a 0.7 percent drop in shares of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) after its fourth-quarter profits declined.

The index in Qatar declined as shares of Qatar Petrochemical Industries Company fell 1.4 percent after its annual profits dropped.

The Saudi benchmark index rose 0.1 percent, with shares of Saudi Basic Industries Corp. climbing 1.8 percent and shares of oil giant Saudi Aramco gaining 0.3 percent.