Most Persian Gulf stock markets fall as the Iran-US war escalates; Saudi bourse proves more resilient

As the Iran-US conflict escalated, most Persian Gulf stock markets fell in recent sessions. Abu Dhabi's index dropped 0.5 percent and Dubai's main index fell 0.3 percent, while Saudi Arabia's benchmark (TASI) eased 0.2 percent and oil major Aramco slid 1.1 percent.

Even so, the Saudi bourse, helped by Red Sea export terminals that bypass the Strait of Hormuz and by deeper liquidity, was the only Gulf market where foreign institutional investors were still deploying capital. Qatar's stock exchange stayed closed following the death of the country's former emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Analysts warn that Qatar's economy, heavily dependent on LNG exports via Hormuz, is more exposed than its regional peers if the crisis persists.