DUBAI, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Here are some factors that may affect Middle East stock markets on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified the press reports and does not vouch for their accuracy.

INTERNATIONAL/REGIONAL

* GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks steady, euro pressured by French election worries

* MIDEAST STOCKS-Profit-taking weighs on Gulf; Egypt drops as foreign investors exit

* Crude prices rise as investors bet big on oil strength

* PRECIOUS-Gold firms in thin trade as markets await Trump tax plans

* Iraqi forces battling Islamic State about to reach Mosul airport

* Trump's defense chief: "We're not in Iraq to seize anybody's oil"

* COLUMN-Hedge funds bet big on oil as OPEC gives them a free put option: Kemp

* Algeria attracts 49 initial international offers for new refineries -source

* Iraq, Iran consider building pipeline to export Kirkuk crude

* Twenty offers for Moroccan refiner Samir - administrator

* Russia's Rosneft starts drilling first exploration well in Iraq

* Sovereign funds pulled $38 bln from global markets in 2016-report

* Turkey plans to transfer around 1,000 MW of hydropower to sovereign wealth fund -sources

* Iraq re-issues tender for at least 50,000 T of wheat

SAUDI ARABIA

* Saudi favors New York for Aramco IPO, also considers Toronto, London -WSJ

* Saudi Arabia invites investors to pre-qualify for renewable projects

* Nashar named Saudi Arabia's first female commercial bank CEO

* Saudi Arabia crude exports fall to 8.014 mln bpd in Dec

* Saudi's Tadawul says to list 7 companies on SME market Nomu by end of February

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

* UAE awards $1.9 bln of military contracts, Russia gets big deal

* Abu Dhabi awards China's CEFC 4 pct of oil concession for $900 mln

* TABLE-Abu Dhabi January inflation rises to 1.8 pct on housing, utilities

* Dubai's financial centre could top 2024 targets -exec

* UAE's Dana Gas revises 2016 results down to net loss of $88 million

* Dubai's Aramex proposes cash dividend of 16 pct for 2016, up from 2015

QATAR

* Qatar's Nakilat annual net profit falls 2.9 percent

* Qatar's Ras Laffan Refinery 2 to focus on jet fuel -official

KUWAIT

* Kuwait sovereign wealth fund names Bastaki managing director -report

* Kuwait Foundry agrees to sell stake in Kuwait's Americana to Adeptio

BAHRAIN

* Bahrain's Trafco Group posts FY profit of 1.7 mln dinars

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom)