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)
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)