Dubai's stock market fell on Tuesday, snapping six sessions of gains, dragged by property shares and profit-taking, while the Saudi index rose modestly.

Dubai's main share index retreated 1.8%, dragged down by a 4.1% fall in blue-chip developer Emaar Properties and a 3.9% decline in Emaar Development.

Mall operators in the Gulf region are delaying new mega-projects as the COVID-19 pandemic and low oil prices upend a retail industry built around huge centres catering to tourists and wealthy locals.

Egyptian investment bank EFG Hermes forecast store sales in Dubai to drop by 20% in 2020 if foreign visitors were allowed entry in the third quarter, and by 40% if travel bans remain until the year-end.

Saudi Arabia's benchmark index gained 0.4%, as Al Rajhi Bank 1120.SE added 0.7% and Dr Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Services 4013.SE advanced 2.5%.

Meanwhile, the kingdom could drastically limit numbers at the annual haj pilgrimage to prevent a further outbreak of coronavirus after cases in the country topped 100,000, Reuters reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter. 

In Abu Dhabi, the index lost 0.8%, with the country's largest lender First Abu Dhabi Bank shedding 0.9%.

Abu Dhabi, the largest member of the United Arab Emirates federation, will extend by one week a ban on movement in and out of the emirate and between its major cities, the local government media office said on Monday.

The ban applies to all residents of the emirate except those working in vital sectors.

Qatar's index dropped 0.6%, with Qatar Islamic Bank shedding 1.2% and petrochemical firm Industries Qatar falling 0.9%.

Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index lost 0.8%, with 27 of 30 stocks on the index declining. Commercial International Bank declined 1.3%., while EFG Hermes slid 3.7%.

(Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; Editing by Ramakrishnan M.) ((AteeqUr.Shariff@thomsonreuters.com; +918061822788;))