
Most Gulf bourses fall on US tariff concerns, weaker oil
The EU is exploring broader counter-measures against the US as prospects of an acceptable trade agreement with Washington wane, according to EU diplomats.
US President Donald Trump's imposition of tariffs around the world risks hurting global economic growth, and with it oil consumption.
Dubai's main share index eased 0.3 percent, marking the third straight session of losses as investors remained cautious ahead of key earnings and locked in profits following a multi-year rally.
Index heavyweight Dubai Islamic Bank dropped 1.2 percent while budget carrier Air Arabia fell over 3 percent, ending a five-session winning streak.
In Abu Dhabi, the index was under pressure as a wave of earnings releases this week kept many investors on the sidelines.
Qatar's stock index reversed early losses to finish 1.1 percent higher, reaching its highest level in more than two and a half years, as nearly all sectors advanced.
Banking stocks led the advance, supported by strong earnings. Qatar Islamic Bank soared 6 percent, rising for a fourth straight session after reporting upbeat results.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index declined 1 percent, pulling back from a record high.
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Argaam
3 hours ago
- Argaam
Saudization for pharmacy professions in Saudi Arabia to start on July 27
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Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan deputy PM says hopeful of finalizing US trade deal ‘in days'
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said on Friday that his country was hopeful of finalizing a trade deal with the United States 'in days.' Pakistan and the United States (US) have been engaged in talks after Washington announced a 29 percent 'reciprocal tariff' on Pakistani exports in April. Islamabad said the move, paused in June for a 90-day period, may undercut its fragile, export-led recovery. The US is Pakistan's top export destination, with shipments totaling $5.44 billion in fiscal year 2023-2024, according to official data. From July 2024 to February 2025, exports rose 10 percent from a year earlier. Speaking at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, the Pakistani deputy premier said both sides have recently held discussions relating to textiles, digital trade and agriculture. 'Pakistan seeks better market access in the US. On our part, we are working toward granting greater market access to the US products in the large Pakistani markets,' he said. 'We hope to conclude a mutually beneficial trade agreement at the earliest, hopefully in days not in weeks.' Under US President Donald Trump, Washington has attempted to renegotiate trade agreements with many countries that he threatened with tariffs over what he calls unfair trade relations. Many economists dispute Trump's characterization. Dar also met Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday. 'Met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister @MIshaqDar50 today to discuss expanding bilateral trade and enhancing collaboration in the critical minerals sector,' Rubio said on X. 'I also thanked him for Pakistan's partnership in countering terrorism and preserving regional stability.' The Pakistani foreign ministry also said Dar 'appreciated the pivotal role' by Trump and Rubio 'in de-escalating tensions between Pakistan and India by facilitating a ceasefire.' The State Department statement did not mention India. Trump has repeatedly taken credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire he announced on social media on May 10 after Washington held talks with both sides. India disputes Trump's claims that the ceasefire resulted from his intervention and trade threats. An April 22 militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 men and sparked heavy fighting between the nuclear-armed Asian neighbors in the latest escalation of a decades-old rivalry. India struck Pakistan on May 7 and the two nations exchanged hostilities, killing dozens across three days. The ceasefire was declared on May 10. New Delhi blamed the April attack on Pakistan, which denied responsibility and called for a neutral investigation. Washington condemned the attack but did not blame Islamabad.


Asharq Al-Awsat
11 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trade on Agenda as Trump Heads to Scotland for Diplomacy and Golf
US President Donald Trump departed for Scotland on Friday for a mix of diplomacy, business and leisure, as a huge UK security operation swung into place amid planned protests near his family-owned golf resorts. The president, whose mother was born in Scotland, is expected to split his time between two seaside golf courses bearing his name, in Turnberry on the southwestern coast and Aberdeen in the northeast. Air Force One was due to arrive around at 8:20 pm local time (1920 GMT) with the president and White House staff, and Trump has no public events scheduled for Saturday or Sunday, the White House said. However, he is due to meet with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during the trip. "We're going to do a little celebrating together, because we got along very well," Trump told reporters as he left the White House Friday, calling Starmer "a good guy" doing "a very good job". He said they would discuss "fine tuning" the bilateral trade deal struck in May, and would "maybe even improve it". But the unpredictable American leader appeared unwilling to cede to a UK demand for flexibility over reduced steel and aluminium tariffs. Trump has exempted London from blanket 50 percent tariffs on imports of both metals, but the fate of that carve-out remains unclear. "If I do it for one, I have to do it for all," Trump told reporters, when asked if he had any "wiggle room" for the UK on the issue. The international outcry over the conflict in Gaza may also be on the pair's agenda, as Starmer faces growing pressure to follow French President Emmanuel Macron and announce that Britain will also recognize a Palestinian state. - Protests - Trump is expected to return to the UK in September for a state visit -- his second -- at the invitation of King Charles III, which promises to be lavish. During a 2023 visit, Trump said he felt at home in Scotland, where his mother Mary Anne MacLeod grew up on the remote Isle of Lewis before emigrating to the United States at age 18. Residents, environmentalists and elected officials have voiced discontent over the Trump family's construction of a new golf course, which he is expected to open before he departs the UK on Tuesday. Police Scotland, which is bracing for mass protests in Edinburgh and Aberdeen as well as close to Trump's golf courses, have said there will be a "significant operation across the country over many days". Scottish First Minister John Swinney, who will also meet Trump during the visit, said the nation "shares a strong friendship with the United States that goes back centuries". He added it would provide Scotland with a "platform to make its voice heard on the issues that matter, including war and peace, justice and democracy". Trump has also stepped into the sensitive debate in the UK about green energy and reaching net zero, with Aberdeen being the heart of Scotland's oil industry. In May, he wrote on his Truth Social platform that the UK should "stop with the costly and unsightly windmills" as he urged incentivizing drilling for oil in the North Sea.