Mideast Stocks: Gulf markets end mixed on uncertainty over Doha talks

Mideast Stocks: Gulf markets ended mixed as investors weighed uncertainty around U.S.-Iran talks in Doha and the prospects for ending the four-month-old war. Most Gulf indexes finished lower, including Dubai down 0.6% and Abu Dhabi off 0.4%, while Saudi Arabia edged up 0.1%. In company moves, ACWA Power shares gained 2.8% in Saudi Arabia, and Qatar National Bank fell 2.2%, dragging Qatar’s index down 0.1%. Reports said U.S. envoys in Doha would hold only technical discussions this week, after Iran said no high-level meeting was planned. Elsewhere, Egypt’s blue-chip index rose 1.3% after the IMF reached a staff-level agreement on two program reviews, potentially unlocking about $1.6 billion pending approval.