Dubai - Gulf stocks ended lower on Wednesday, led by losses in the Abu Dhabi market as investors cut positions amid low volumes ahead of the holidays for the Muslim festival of Eid.

Abu Dhabi stocks .ADI ended 2.1 percent lower, led by a 3.5 percent drop in First Abu Dhabi Bank FAB.AD as investors took profit on one of the best performing large-cap stocks this year in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

FAB shares are still up 21 percent so far this year, outperforming a 5 percent rise in Abu Dhabi index.

Investors were cheered by UAE's biggest lender's strong earnings and its entry into the Saudi market.

Among other losers, telecom firm Etisalat ETEL.AD dropped 2.7 percent and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank ADCB.AD slid 1.8 percent.

The Dubai index .DFMGI also lost early momentum, ending 0.9 percent lower. Emaar Properties EMAR.DU remained a drag on the market, declining 1.7 percent.

Dubai Islamic Bank DISB.DU , which had provided support to the market in early trading due to its strong rights issue, also ended 1.7 percent lower.

The Qatar index .QSI dropped 0.9 percent, hurt by a 2.2 percent drop in market heavyweight Industries Qatar IQCD.QA . Gulf investors are awaiting news of rebalancing of stocks on June 16 by index compiler FTSE Russell that could affect Middle East and North Africa shares as well.

The Saudi market, the region's biggest stock market, was closed for holidays during the Muslim festival of Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan.

In Egypt, investors scooped up financial and property stocks, seeking bargains after a recent spate of selling on concerns about political unrest ahead of a cut in energy subsidies.

Egypt announced on Tuesday new cuts to electricity subsidies, raising prices by an average of 26 percent from July, the latest in a raft of tough economic reform. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1TE335

Commercial International Bank COMI.CA rose almost 1 percent and Medinet Nasr Housing MNHD.CA jumped 6.3 percent.

 

SAUDI ARABIA

* The index .TASI did not trade due to holidays

 

DUBAI

* The index .DFMGI fell 0.9 percent to 3,051 points.

 

ABU DHABI

* The index .ADI dropped 2.1 percent to 4,633 points.

 

QATAR

* The index .QSI fell 0.9 percent to 9,080 points.

 

KUWAIT

* The index .BKP rose 0.6 percent to 4,810 points.

 

BAHRAIN

* The index .BAX added 0.6 percent to 1,296 points.

 

OMAN

* The index .MSI was flat at 4,596 points.

 

EGYPT

* The index .EGX30 rose 1.5 percent to 16,178 points.

(Reporting by Saeed Azhar, editing by Louise Heavens) ((saeed.azhar@thomsonreuters.com +971566883310;))