Mideast Stocks: Major Gulf markets decline as financial shares weigh

Mideast Stocks: Major Gulf markets decline as financial shares weigh

Major stock markets in the Middle East ended lower on Monday, pulled down by financial shares, with the Qatari index leading the losses as most of its shares were in red.Saudi Arabia's benchmark index closed down 0.5%, with Al Rajhi Bank falling 1.5% and Banque Saudi Fransi down 2.6%.State oil company Saudi Aramco, however, gained 1.3%. The oil giant has discovered two new oil and gas fields in the northern regions, the kingdom's energy minister said on Sunday, state news agency SPA reported. Dubai's main share index dropped 0.7%, weighed down by a 1.8% fall in Emirates NBD Bank and a 1.7% decline in Emaar Properties.In Abu Dhabi, the index fell 0.4%, hurt by a 1.2% drop in Emirates Telecommunications and 0.7% decrease in the country's largest lender First Abu Dhabi