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

INTERNATIONAL/REGIONAL

* GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia stock rush pauses, bonds rally on sober Fed 

* Oil prices drop on concerns about patchy demand recovery, record U.S. stocks 

* MIDEAST STOCKS-Saudi eases; other Gulf markets mixed 

* PRECIOUS-Gold hits over 1-week high on gloomy U.S. Fed outlook 

* Lebanese government picks central bank vice governors, fills top state jobs 

* Lebanon central bank's new FX trading platform to open on June 23 

* Lebanese pound slides further despite new pricing system

* Moroccan MPs rap virus lockdown extension, saying people "exhausted"

* U.N. Libya mission says warring sides have engaged in truce talks

* Eni says situation at Libya's Mellitah has returned to normal 

* Protests hit Druze city in Syria for fourth day

* Iran urges Russia, China to resist US push to extend arms embargo

* Iran says will now send Ukraine airliner black boxes to Paris -sources

* Israel's El Al airline may be heading back into state hands

 

EGYPT

* Egypt's headline inflation slowed to 4.7% in May -CAPMAS

* Egypt's GASC buys 120,000 tonnes of Russian wheat in tender

* Italy weighs warships to Egypt deal after student murder 

 

SAUDI ARABIA

* U.S. crude stockpiles surge to record high on big Saudi imports -EIA 

* Saudi Aramco raises gasoline prices for June -state TV 

 

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

* UAE economy to contract by 3.6% this year, central bank says 

* Dubai merger boosts state-linked property firm's debt - sources 

* Emirates airline redundancies continue for second day, sources say 

* UAE hiring starts to pick up after sharp coronavirus fall -LinkedIn 

(Compiled by Dubai newsroom) ((dubai.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com))