Major Gulf stock markets rose in early trade on Wednesday as investors focused on ‍corporate earnings and ‍firmer oil prices.

Saudi Arabia's benchmark index gained 0.4%, ​with oil major Saudi Aramco rising 1.2%, while Alinma Bank advanced 2.6% following a ⁠sharp rise in annual net profit.

In a separate bourse filing, the bank ⁠also proposed ‌a capital increase through bonus shares, granting one bonus share for every five shares held. Crude prices - a catalyst for ⁠the Gulf's financial markets - gained further ground on Wednesday as supply concerns lingered after a winter storm disrupted U.S. crude output and exports, while Middle East tensions lent additional support. 

Dubai's main share ⁠index advanced 0.7%, with blue-chip ​developer Emaar Properties rising 1.3%.

Among other gainers, Dubai Financial Market jumped 3%, as the bourse operator ‍is slated to report its earnings later in the day. Separately, Dubai's International Financial ​Centre (DIFC) - a special economic zone in Dubai - is set for a multibillion-dollar expansion, the Dubai Media Office said on Tuesday, as the emirate seeks to make it one of the world's largest financial hubs.

In Abu Dhabi, the index added 0.3%, with ADNOC Gas rising 1.4%. The energy firm will invest more than $20 billion to increase its gas processing capacity by almost 30% by 2029, its CEO Fatema Al Nuaimi said on Tuesday ⁠at the India Energy Week conference. Meanwhile, the UAE's ‌largest lender First Abu Dhabi Bank eased 0.3% after reporting a sequentially lower fourth-quarter net profit.

The Qatari index gained 0.6%, led by ‌a 1.1% ⁠rise in petrochemical maker Industries Qatar. Mesaieed Petrochemical added 0.8% ahead of its earnings announcement.

(Reporting ⁠by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair)