Mar. 26--DOHA MARKET REBOUNDS 2.35 PERCENT: Shares of real estate firm Ezdan (up 9.52 percent) posted one more time the biggest gain at the Doha Securities Market (DSM). The DSM index rebounded by 2.35 percent, closing at 5,270.30 percent and defending the advances a bullish GCC week. Al-Khaleej Insurance Co. extended its gains by 5.53 percent. Insurance operators benefit from the impact of the financial crisis because more and private and institutional investors start insuring deposits and contracts in order to reduce operational risk. With a premium of just $14 per capita, the GCC has one of the lowest insurance density in the world (Switzerland has the highest with $5,500 per capita).

However, General Insurance posted the largest loss at DSM today, declining by 6.21 percent.

ABU DHABI MARKET FOLLOWS DUBAI, CLOSES 0.16 PERCENT LOWER: As its sister exchange in Dubai, the Abu Dhabi market ADX cloes 0.16 percent (at 2,532.29 points, General Index). While the insurance index gained little (up 0.02 percent), Gulf Crescent Insurance Company jumped 20 percent. The firm started its operations on November 18 2008 in Abu Dhabi and in Dubai. With oil prices climbing to almost $54, energy giant Taqa extended its recent gains by 1.07 percent today. Market volumes remained relatively high, with over 256m shares changing hands.

DUBAI FINANCIAL MARKET CLOSES 0.16 PERCENT LOWER: Dubai's local stock market closed slightly lower at the end of this week. The DFM General Index lost 0.16 percent, closing at 1,588.41 points on financial and real estate declines. Investment bank Shuaa Capital posted the biggest loss (down 3.23 percent). Investors took also profits at Arabtec (off 1.75 percent) and Emaar (losing 1.73 percent). Bank Emirates NBD and budget airline Air Arabia bucked the trend: both shares gained 0.97 percent after a lacklustre trading session.

UAE INFLATION MAY SLOW TO 2.5 PERCENT, SAYS REPORT: A new report by Standard Chartered bank predicts that inflation in the UAE could drop to 2.5 percent this year from a calculated 20 percent in 2008. The report says the decline is mostly due to falling food and real estate prices.

OBAMA REJECTS IDEA OF SINGLE GLOBAL CURRENCY: US President Barack Obama has rejected suggestions by emerging economic powers that the world move away from using the dollar as the world's main reserve currency. Obama told a televised news conference that he doesn't believe there is a need for a global currency, adding that the dollar is 'extraordinarily strong right now'.

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