Early Thursday, Gulf markets opened broadly lower after renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and reports the IRGC navy struck four vessels in the northern Persian Gulf, raising regional risk. The US State Department ordered non-emergency US government employees and their families to depart Saudi Arabia. Saudi benchmark index fell 1.2% and is expected to post an eighth consecutive weekly decline; Saudi National Bank dropped 1.9% and ARAMCO fell 0.5%. Dubai index was down 0.8%; Emirates NBD -2.4

Early Thursday, Gulf markets opened broadly lower after renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and reports the IRGC navy struck four vessels in the northern Persian Gulf, raising regional risk. The US State Department ordered non-emergency US government employees and their families to depart Saudi Arabia. Saudi benchmark index fell 1.2% and is expected to post an eighth consecutive weekly decline; Saudi National Bank dropped 1.9% and ARAMCO fell 0.5%. Dubai index was down 0.8%; Emirates NBD -2.4% and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority -1.5%. Abu Dhabi slipped 0.5%. Qatar index fell 0.8%; Qatar National Bank down 1.1%.