Saudi Arabia's shares slipped amid a region-wide drop, with petrochemical stocks leading declines as global headwinds spurred investors to cut positions on the final day's trading before the Saudi weekend. The stock benchmark Tadawul All Share Index lost 0.26 percent to close at 6,112.37 points Wednesday – lower for a first day in three, taking its year-to-date losses to 7.7 percent. “Q3 has been volatile for global markets as commodities enter bear territory, Europe's debt crisis remains unresolved and structural weakness gains momentum in US – Saudi market is not immune to broader trends,” said Asim Bukhtiar, head of research at Riyad Capital. Elsewhere, Dubai index slipped 0.7 percent to 1,438 points, its lowest close since March 8. Abu Dhabi's index closed 0.4 percent lower at 2,535 points. In Qatar, the benchmark ended near flat, up 0.05 percent to 8,422 points, with large caps gaining. Kuwait index slipped 0.08 percent to close at 5,849 points. Oman's benchmark fell 0.6 percent to 5,611 points.
