Gulf stocks edged down early on Thursday as worries about the impact of low oil prices on the region continued to deter fresh buying, even in wealthy countries relatively well insulated from cheap oil such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Dubai's stock index fell 0.5 percent as Emaar Properties slipped 1.1 percent and construction firm Drake & Scull fell by a similar margin.
Abu Dhabi edged down 0.2 percent as National Bank of Abu Dhabi dropped 0.4 percent.
Qatar's index also fell 0.2 percent as Barwa Real Estate lost 1.0 percent. But Qatar Gas Transport Co (Nakilat) edged up 0.2 percent after posting a 7.6 percent rise in third-quarter net profit to 266.1 million riyals ($73.1 million); QNB Financial Services had forecast 274.8 million riyals.
Brent oil sank a further 1.8 percent to $47.85 a barrel on Wednesday, although it has rebounded slightly in Asian morning trade on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia's index sank 2.7 percent on Wednesday, pulling down neighbouring markets, after the International Monetary Fund said Riyadh was considering a wide range of fiscal reforms - many of which could hurt corporate profits, at least initially - to cope with its budget deficit. Investors fear a Saudi slowdown could dampen the entire region.
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