Mar. 31--NASDAQ DUBAI: DEPA JUMPS 13.89 PERCENT: Shares of UAE interior designer Depa Ltd. were back above $0.40 today, gaining 13.89 percent at Nasdaq Dubai. Dubai Ports (DP), the world's fourth biggest container port operator, declined by 4 percent on profit bookings. Around 14m shares changed hands at Nasdaq Dubai, where no other stocks were traded on the last day of the quarter.

DOHA MARKET REBOUNDS 1.60 PERCENT ON INDUSTRIES,BANKS: Qatari investors resisted against further losses today, sending the Doha Securities Market (DSM) index up 1.60 percent to 4,887,02 points. Electricity and Water postes the biggest gain (up 6.64 percent) posted the largest gain. Qatar National Bank (QNB) and Islamic Insurance helped the market stabilise as well after yesterday's sell-out, advancing both by two percent. Qatar Telecom (Q-tel) lost 1.46 percent after the country's monopolist announced a QR10 dividend per share. Q-tel shares have been trading sideways around QR100 since the beginning of the year. Q-tel acheived the hightest ever annaul profit in 2008 of QR 20.3bn. The firm plans to invest QR2bn abroad.

WEAK CONSTRUCTION DRAGS ABU DHABI MARKET DOWN: The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) lost 1.81 percent mostly due to trading activity in the last openung hour, closing at 2,487.92 points. The construction sector (off 5.14 percent). Arkan Building Materials lost 8.24 percent and Dana Gas declined by 1.69 percent. Market bellwether Taqa, a global energy corporation, closed unchanged. According to Deutsche Bank's Marshall Gittler, Chief Strategist at the bank's wealth management division, the UAE economy will not pick up as fast as Saudi Arabia and Egypt will.

DUBAI INVESTORS UNDECIDED, SENDING MARKET LOWER: The Dubai Financial Market (DFM) closed 0.63 percent lower at 1,568.46 points. While Islamic Arab Insurance posted the biggest loss (down 10 percent), Sharia-compliant insurance operator DarTakaful (up 2.59 percent) was among the five gaining shares. Investors stay cautious ahead of the G20 summit in London starting tomorrow. Volumes climbed to over 688m shares changing hands.

UAE CONSUMER SPENDING UP 32 PERCENT IN 2008: The UAE maintained its position as the top Arab nation in terms of consumer expenditure in 2008 due to soaring prices and high population growth, according to official data. Consumer spending in the UAE in 2008 jumped by nearly 32 percent to a record Dhs483.9bn in contrast with Dhs366.5bn in 2007, said the Ministry of Economy.

UAE's final consumer spending jumped by nearly 32 per cent to a record Dh483.9bn in 2008 in contrast with Dh366.5 billion in 2007.

UAE PANEL PROPOSES REVIEW OF FUEL PRICES: The UAE's Federal National Council has asked the federal government to reconsider its policy on fuel prices and subsidize the fuel involved in industrial activities related to food, building materials and agricultural and animal production.

A study conducted by the FNC's Financial, Economic and Industrial Affairs Committee concluded that 'the prices of fuel in the UAE are the highest in GCC states' which contributed to the increase of prices of commodities in the country.

MEDVEDEV TO UNVEIL PLAN TO REVAMP WORLD ECONOMY: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will unveil a plan to overhaul the entire global financial order and introduce a new supra-national currency at the G20 summit in London on Thursday.

Analysts seem divided on the issue, as some are convinced that the Russian ideas would fail due to Moscow's lack of diplomatic heft, others believe that Russia could expect greater attention for its ideas over time if it refrained from habitual use of aggressive rhetoric and saber rattling.