{
  "id": 8037192,
  "title": "Most Gulf bourses end higher as investors weigh Fed rate hike",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/most-gulf-bourses-end-higher-as-investors-weigh-fed-rate-hike",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-17T14:05:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40439982/most-gulf-bourses-end-higher-as-investors-weigh-fed-rate-hike"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Gulf stock markets concluded higher on Thursday, despite escalating geopolitical tensions, as investors assessed the U.S. Federal Reserve’s inaugural interest rate increase in over three years. Most Central Bank of the Gulf nations raised their key rates following the Fed’s quarter-point hike on Wednesday. The Monetary Policies of the Gulf region typically mirror the Fed’s due to the pegged currencies, with the exception of the Kuwaiti dinar. Saudi Arabia increased its repo and reverse repo rates by 25 basis points to 4.50% and 4.00%, respectively. The UAE hiked its overnight deposit facility base rate by 25 bps to 3.9%, and Oman raised its repo rate to 4.5%. Qatar’s central bank also raised key rates by 25 basis points. Persistent low shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz continued to dampen investor sentiment, while the focus remains on U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming summit with Gulf leaders next week. Nonetheless, robust local fundamentals may sustain market momentum, according to Milad Azar, Market Analyst at XTB MENA. Although Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index saw early gains fade, closing flat, other major indices saw gains. Dubai’s main share index rose 0.3%, with developer Emaar Properties posting a 0.5% increase. In Abu Dhabi, the index climbed 0.5%, and the Qatari benchmark index saw a 0.2% uptick. Simultaneously, regional hostilities escalated as Saudi airstrikes targeted Yemen, while Iran-backed Houthi forces retaliated with drone and missile attacks on Saudi cities. President Trump expressed optimism for a resolution to the seven-month conflict, which has endangered vital energy infrastructure. Recent drone strikes damaged two pumping stations on Saudi Aramco’s 1,200-kilometer East-West Pipeline, a crucial route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. One person was killed and two injured during a drone interception in Saudi Arabia’s Taif governorate. Outside the Gulf, Egypt’s blue-chip index rose 1.2%, driven by a 0.6% gain in Commercial International Bank. Saudi TASI was unchanged at 10,778, while Abu Dhabi’s FTFADGI rose 0.5% to 10,161. Dubai's DFMGI gained 0.3% to 5,987, and Qatar’s QSI increased 0.2% to 9,659. Egypt's EGX30 advanced 1.2% to 55,499, Bahrain's BAX slipped 0.3% to 1,924, Oman's MSX30 grew 0.7% to 7,603, and Kuwait's BKP fell 0.4% to 9,244.",
  "summary": "Most Gulf bourses closed higher on Thursday despite mounting geopolitical friction, as investors weighed the U.S. Federal Reserve’s first interest rate hike in more than three years. Most Gulf Cooperation Council central banks raised their benchmark rates after the US Fed’s quarter-point increase on Wednesday. Regional currencies are pegged to the dollar, except for the Kuwaiti dinar, which is…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Voice of Ukraine",
        "title": "Trump slams Fed chair he appointed over interest rate hike",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/trump-slams-fed-chair-he-appointed-over-interest-rate-hike",
        "published": "2026-09-17T12:56:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Eye Opener: Trump slams Fed after interest rate hike",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/eye-opener-trump-slams-fed-after-interest-rate-hike",
        "published": "2026-09-17T13:01:05.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindu BusinessLine",
        "title": "Markets steady after Fed rate hike; indices show mixed trend",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/markets-steady-after-fed-rate-hike-indices-show-mixed-trend",
        "published": "2026-09-17T13:55:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CNBC",
        "title": "Fed rate decision and Warsh comments roiled markets. Where to find opportunities",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/fed-rate-decision-and-warsh-comments-roiled-markets-where-to-find",
        "published": "2026-09-17T14:17:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}