Mideast Stocks: Gulf bourses trade lower ahead of key Fed speech

August 20, 2025--The Qatari benchmark index slipped 0.6%
Most Gulf equities were down in early trade on Wednesday as investors braced for what U.S. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell will say about the path of interest rates at a key conference later in the week.

Powell's speech at the annual Jackson Hole symposium on Friday is the main focus, with traders watching for any push-back against market pricing of a rate cut next month.

Shifts in U.S. monetary policy have a significant impact on Gulf markets, where most currencies are pegged to the dollar.