February 28, 2018 / 2:50 AM / Updated 22 minutes ago

MIDEAST - Factors to watch - February 28

DUBAI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Here are some factors that may affect Middle East stock markets on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified the press reports and does not vouch for their accuracy.

INTERNATIONAL/REGIONAL

* GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian shares lurch lower as Fed seen plotting faster rate hikes

* MIDEAST STOCKS-Gulf mostly weak but Vodafone Qatar soars on earnings, licence news

* U.S. oil prices fall for second day after stockpiles rise

* PRECIOUS-Gold prices flat, Fed’s rate hike outlook weighs

* Middle East Crude-Benchmarks hold steady

* Trump discusses Iran in calls with Saudi, UAE leaders -White House

* Russian truce plan fails to halt bombing of Syria’s Ghouta

* OPEC to meet with U.S. shale firms in Houston on Monday -sources

* Iraq PM agrees with Kurdish authorities to resume Kirkuk oil exports

* Chemical weapons watchdog investigates Ghouta attacks - sources

* Algeria’s Sonatrach agrees to build petrochemical facility in Turkey -Erdogan

* Turkey’s TAV weighs buying stake in Istanbul’s Antalya airport - Bloomberg

* Iraq says in talks with Chevron about Majnoun oilfield

* Britain may join U.S. strikes against Syria if chemical weapon use proven

EGYPT

* Egypt calls for BBC boycott amid dispute over critical report

SAUDI ARABIA

* Saudi Arabia reshuffles military, promotes woman at labour ministry

* Saudi’s SABIC in talks to join Shell in Iraq’s Nebras petchem project

* Saudi Crown Prince to visit Britain on March 7 - PM May’s spokesman

* Saudi central bank chief: can deal with any pressure on dollar peg

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

* First Abu Dhabi Bank concludes $650 mln five-year sukuk

* Emirates Global Aluminium hopes to list in 2018 as profits surge

* ADNOC likely to engage more with banks that have Abu Dhabi presence

* UAE central bank chief: fintech very beneficial to banking sector

* UAE c.bank says final decision on EIBOR system this year

* Abu Dhabi sovereign fund exec says normalisation of interest rates main challenge to investors

* Dubai airport passenger traffic falls 1 pct in January

QATAR

* Moody’s downgrades Ezdan Holding Group Q.S.C’s ratings to B1; stable outlook

* TABLE-Qatar January trade surplus balloons 52 pct from a year ago (Compiled by Dubai newsroom)