Mideast Stocks: Factors to watch on December 21

Mideast Stocks: Factors to watch on December 21

DUBAI  - Here are some factors that may affect Middle East stock markets on Monday. Reuters has not verified the press reports and does not vouch for their accuracy.INTERNATIONAL/REGIONAL* GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks falter, sterling skids as new COVID strain shuts UK * Oil prices fall amid worries over new coronavirus strain* PRECIOUS-Gold scales 1-1/2-month high on U.S. stimulus deal boost * MIDEAST STOCKS-Qatari shares outperform on broad-based gains; Saudi eases * Russia's Novak says Saudi Aramco could expand role in Russian energy * Rockets fired at U.S. embassy land inside Baghdad's Green Zone, damaging compound * El Al Airlines to operate first Israel-Morocco flight on Dec 22 * Lebanon's airline warns of new ticket challenge facing dollar account holdersEGYPT* Egypt's military to offer two firms for sale in first quarter * Egypt aims to import 400,000-500,000 T of sugar in 2021, says official * Egypt's strategic sugar reserves sufficient until August 2021 - official SAUDI ARABIA* Saudi Arabia suspends international flights and land and sea entry for a week - SPA * Saudi c.bank increases weekly bill offering to 10 bln riyals UNITED ARAB EMIRATES* State-backed Meraas plans buyout of theme park group DXB Entertainments QATAR* Qatar approves Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine emergency use - QNA news agency KUWAIT* Kuwait civil aviation authority