Major stock markets in the Gulf were largely flat on Thursday, supported by gains in financial shares despite falling oil prices.
Brent crude futures fell 64 cents, or 1.55%, to $40.59 a barrel at 0756 GMT as Democrat Joe Biden edged closer to the White House in a nail-biting U.S. presidential election, but the Republicans look likely to retain Senate control.
Saudi Arabia's benchmark index slipped 0.2%, a day after registering sharp gains, with Dr Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Services losing 1.1% and oil giant Saudi Aramco down 0.3%.
Meanwhile, the kingdom on Wednesday announced new plans to ease foreign workers' contractual restrictions, abolishing a controversial seven-decade-old sponsorship system known as kafala.
Saudi Arabia, which chairs the Group of 20 major economies (G20) this year, is seeking to boost its private sector, part of a plan to diversify its oil-dependent economy.
Dubai's main share index gained 0.4%, with sharia-compliant lender Dubai Islamic Bank and Emirates NBD Bank both rising 0.7%.
The Abu Dhabi index edged up 0.1%, helped by a 0.5%increase in the country's largest lender First Abu Dhabi Bank.
In Qatar, the index added 0.2%, with Commercial Bank gaining 1%.
The Gulf state's budget will be drawn up on the assumption of an oil price of $40 a barrel to shield the gas-rich Gulf country from oil price volatility, Qatar's Emir said on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru) ((AteeqUr.Shariff@thomsonreuters.com; +918061822788;))
