INTERNATIONAL. Gold futures bucked the trend of the broader market and jumped US$38 or 2.5% on Thursday, the largest percentage increase since 25 October, 2011.
INTERNATIONAL. Bahrain has maintained its position as a key insurance hub and continues to post growth in its insurance market despite a prolonged period of political turbulence.
UAE. "The general trading atmosphere is sufficiently negative for gold to enable sellers to have a firm grip on the market. However, I fail to see how the rally in the stock markets can be put into any sensible relation to the economic plight of the underlying countries."