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The Egyptian stock market ended lower on Wednesday, pulled down by its blue-chip shares, while trade on major bourses in the Gulf was uneventful.
Egypt's blue-chip index declined 1.1%, pressured by a 1.8% fall in Commercial International Bank and a 3.4% drop in tobacco monopoly Eastern Company.
Stock exchange data showed foreign investors were net-sellers of Egyptian stocks.
In Qatar, the index dropped 0.8%, with petrochemical company Industries Qatar dropping 1.6% and Qatar Islamic Bank declining 1.3%.
The Gulf state will begin lifting coronavirus lockdown restrictions under a four-phase plan starting on June 15, when some mosques can reopen and flights can depart, government spokeswoman Lulwa Rashed al-Khater said on Monday.
Qatar has the second-highest number of cases after Saudi Arabia in the GCC.
Saudi Arabia's benchmark index closed flat, ending three straight sessions of gains. Banque Saudi Fransi slid 2.4% and Samba Financial Group fell 1.6%.
However, Saudi Arabian Mining Company inched up 0.3%. On Tuesday, the kingdom's cabinet approved a new mining law that facilitates investor access to financing and supports exploration and geological survey activities.
Dubai's main share index ended flat, as blue-chip stocks moved sideways. Developer Emaar Properties rose 2.8%, while lender Emirates NBD retreated 2.1%.
The index in Abu Dhabi, where a ban on movement in and out of the emirate and between cities was extended for a week, was also flat. First Abu Dhabi Bank, the United Arab Emirates' largest lender, added 0.5%, while telecoms company Etisalat fell 0.7%.
(Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; editing by Barbara Lewis) ((AteeqUr.Shariff@thomsonreuters.com; +918061822788;))