Stock markets in the Gulf were up in early trade on Thursday as oil prices rose, following two consecutive sessions of decline, with traders reassessing latest data on U.S. crude oil and gasoline inventories.

Oil prices - a catalyst for the Gulf's financial markets - were up 0.3%, with Brent trading at $86.38 a barrel by 0750 GMT.

Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index advanced 0.6%, lifted by gains in most sectors, with Bupa Arabia for Cooperative Insurance surging 5.2% and ACWA Power rising 2%.

Among other gainers, Saudi National Bank climbed 4%, after the Kingdom's largest lender appointed a new chief executive, replacing the acting CEO.

The Qatari benchmark index rose 0.4%, with most sectors trading in positive territory.

Qatar National Bank, the region's largest lender, gained 0.6% and Qatar Islamic Bank rose 0.7%.

Dubai's benchmark stock index edged up 0.2%, helped by a 0.6% gain in blue-chip developer Emaar Properties and a 1.2% rise in the Emirate's largest lender, Emirates NBD .

However, Al Ansari Financial Services slid 1.9%, its sharpest percentage intraday fall in more than two months, while National Central Cooling slipped 3.6% as both firms traded ex-dividend.

In Abu Dhabi, the benchmark stock index was little changed, while Aldar Properties slid 1.8% and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, the UAE's third-biggest lender, rose 1%.

(Reporting by Md Manzer Hussain; Editing by Sonia Cheema)