Feb. 9--NASDAQ DUBAI: DEPA GAINS, DP WORLD LOSES: Shares of UAE interior designer DEPA Ltd. gained 3.23 percent. Dubai Ports World lost five percent. No other shares were traded at Dubai's international exchange (former DIFX).

BAHRAIN CLOSES SLIGHTLY LOWER: The Bahrain All Share Index retreated by 0.35 percent. National Bank of Bahrain plumetted 5.47 percent, while Islamic Salam Bank bucked the downtrend and closed 1.15 percent higher. Bahrain aims to regain its role as a regional financial hub which it partly lost to Dubai and its onshore hub DIFC.

TASI GAINS HALF A PERCENT: The Saudi stock index TASI was lifted in a last-minute-rally by the insurance and industry sector, closing 0.51 percent higher at 4,934.63 points. Islamic Insurance firm Al Ahli Takaful and Walaa insurance both jumped 10 percent. Saudi Dairy and Foodstuff gained 9.57 percent. Saudi corporate profitability rates fell by 7.57 percent during 2008, mainly due to the impact of the financial crisis during the fourth quarter, according to a report by Globa Investment House in Kuwait.

DOHA SECURITIES POST LITTLE GAINS: Qatar's stock market consolidated its early gains from the start of the week, gaining by 0.38 percent on little volumes. The DSM Index closed at 5,323.68 points. Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) continued to advance after it reported a 30.8 percent profit growth in 2008 on February 5th. Qatar Electricity and Water, which is on EFG Hermes' MENA Focus List for 2009, advanced 2.61 percent.

ABU DHABI SHARES GAIN 0.88 PERCENT: The Abu Dhabi securities market continued its cautious way up from yesterday. The ADX General Index closed at 2,199.64 points, gaining 0.88 percent. Construction and energy shares boosted the market. Both sectors gained over six percent. Arkan Building Materials jumped 9.5 percent, while energy bellwether Taqa (Arabic for Energy) gained 8.60 percent. The banking sector lost 0.87 percent, with Commercial Bank International and Bank of Sharjah losing 9.80 percent and 8.67 percent, respectively.

DFM LOSES 2.29 PERCENT: Easy come, easy go: Dubai's local stock market could not sustain its gain from yesterday, closing at 1,440.69 points (off 2.29 percent). Real estate bellwether Emaar (down 3.11 percent) dragged the market down, as well as Islamic development company Deyaar (four percent lower). Arabtec bucked the negative sentiment, gaining 2.30 percent. The government is currently studying various strategies in ordet to boost the constrauction sector. Eighteen shares declined while only four advanced. Volumes were also heading down compared to yesterday: 170,362,949 shares changed hands.