MIDEAST STOCKS-Banks, real estate shares weigh on Saudi; insurer lifts Qatar

By Shamsuddin Mohd Feb 26 (Reuters) - Major stock markets in the Gulf ended mixed on Sunday, with Saudi Arabia's index pressured by real estate and banking shares, but a 10% surge in Qatar Insurance lifted the Qatari index. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index fell 1%, recording its sixth consecutive decline. The luxury real estate developer Retal Urban Development lost 3% while Al Rajhi Bank was down 1.8%. Among other stocks, Saudi Tadawul Group fell 4.7% after its annual profit declined more than 27% to 424.6 million riyals ($113.17 million). The latter also slashed its annual dividend to 2.31 per share from 3 riyals a year ago. Middle East Healthcare jumped 10% after its annual profit soared more than 300% compared to a year earlier. The Qatari Stock index rose 0.7%, ending three consecutive sessions of losses, buoyed by its financial stocks. Gulf's largest insurer Qatar Insurance jumped nearly 10% for second consecutive session with about 9 million shares trading hands, marking a turnover of over 15 million riyals - its largest since September, after saying its listed unit in Oman, Oman Qatar Insurance acquired another listed rival Vision Insurance . The insurer on Wednesday hit a more than 13-year low after reporting a consolidated net loss of 637 million riyals ($174.14 million) for fiscal year 2022, compared to a profit of 630 million riyals ($172.23 million) a year earlier. Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index added 1.2%, led by gains in almost all sectors, with Commercial International Bank rising 1.3% and Telecom Egypt gaining 4.2%. SAUDI ARABIA fell 1% to 10,052
QATAR was up 0.7% to 10,542 EGYPT rose 1.2% to 17,213 BAHRAIN down 0.1% to 1,937
OMAN up 0.2% 4,659
($1 = 3.6580 Qatar riyals) ($1 = 3.7519 riyals) (Reporting by Shamsuddin Mohd in Bengaluru Editing by Christina Fincher)