Most stock markets in the Gulf reversed earlier losses to close higher on Tuesday, helped by a slew of corporate earnings, although concerns persist over economic headwinds from tariffs and U.S. monetary policy.

Saudi Arabia's benchmark index rose 0.3%, with the country's biggest lender Saudi National Bank jumping 4% as the bank surpassed analysts' expectations for first-quarter profit.

Dubai's main share index gained 0.6%, led by a 1.8% rise in Emirates NBD after the top lender beat first-quarter profit estimates, supported by strong growth in loans and interest income. ENBD - whose total assets surpassed the 1 trillion dirham ($272.29 billion) milestone - reported net profit of 6.2 billion dirhams for the first quarter, beating analysts' expectations of about 5.1 billion dirhams.

In Abu Dhabi, the index fell 0.3%. U.S. President Donald Trump stepped up his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting interest rates in a social media post on Monday, raising concerns about the president's influence over the central bank. The continued attacks on Powell increased worries about the Fed's independence and the path of monetary policy in the world's largest economy.

Oil prices - a catalyst for the Gulf's financial markets - rose due to short-covering, but traders remained worried about U.S. tariffs impacting fuel demand.

The Qatari index concluded 0.3% higher, with the Gulf's biggest lender Qatar National Bank rising 0.8%, while Doha Bank surged 6.6%, extending gains for a fifth session.

On Sunday, the bank reported first-quarter profit of 251.6 million riyals ($69.09 million), up from 231.3 million riyals a year earlier. Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index - which traded after a two-session break - dropped 0.7%, weighed down by a 2.3% slide in tobacco monopoly Eastern Company.

  • SAUDI ARABIA rose 0.3% to 11,586
  • Abu Dhabi lost 0.3% to 9,249
  • Dubai gained 0.6% to 5,134
  • QATAR was up 0.3% to 10,139
  • EGYPT down 0.7% to 30,844
  • BAHRAIN eased 0.1% to 1,895
  • OMAN was flat at 4,210
  • KUWAIT fell 0.3% to 8,394

($1 = 3.6726 UAE dirham)

($1 = 3.6414 Qatar riyals)

(Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; Editing by Jan Harvey)