Sept 20 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s stock market opened lower on Sunday, a day after Yemen’s Houthis said they struck “sensitive” targets in Riyadh with missiles and drones, with the subdued sentiment spreading across Gulf bourses.
Flames and thick smoke were seen near the Saudi capital’s main airport after authorities had issued alerts warning of potential danger around Riyadh.
The confrontation has become another front in the broader conflict that followed US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. President Donald Trump has reportedly rejected Saudi requests for direct US military intervention against the Houthis.
Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index fell 0.5%, led by a 0.6% decline in oil major Saudi Aramco and a 0.5% fall in the country’s biggest lender by assets Saudi National Bank.
Meanwhile, China has privately urged Tehran to help restrain the Iran-aligned Houthis, following a Saudi appeal to Beijing, according to three Iranian sources familiar with the discussions.
In Qatar, the main index fell 0.9%, pressured by a 3.7% drop in petrochemical producer Industries Qatar.
(Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
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