Middle East stock markets plummeted on Sunday due to concerns over a potential fresh global trade war and depressed oil prices. Saudi Arabia’s main exchange fell 6.1%, with Qatar’s and Kuwait’s gauges dropping more than 5.5%. The decline in Tel Aviv’s market was its worst since October 2023, when violence broke out between Israel and Hamas, prompting the start of the Gaza war.
All four stock markets were closed on Friday due to the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, but investors seemed to be worried about more than just the usual pre-holiday jitters. The news of a potential new trade war, combined with low oil prices, has sent shockwaves through financial markets in the region.
Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-06/mideast-stocks-suffer-worst-rout-since-2020-on-oil-tariff-shock