MIDEAST STOCKS-Most Gulf bourses edge lower on mixed US-Iran cues

By Ateeq Shariff

Oct 1 (Reuters) - Most Gulf bourses ended lower on Thursday, caught between rebounding regional oil flows and mixed diplomatic signals on the US-Iran conflict.

Saudi Arabia's benchmark index .TASI dropped 0.5%, weighed down by a 1.6% retreat in the country's biggest lender by assets Saudi National Bank 1180.SE.

However, oil giant Saudi Aramco 2222.SE gained 0.2%.

Saudi Arabia has restarted its East-West Pipeline and resumed tanker loadings at the Red Sea port of Yanbu, trade data showed. The restart follows a shutdown caused by a drone strike last month and signals a resumption in exports from the Middle East.

The kingdom projected a 2027 budget deficit of 191 billion riyals ($50.87 billion), or 3.6% of GDP, the finance ministry said in a pre-budget statement on Wednesday.

Qatar's index .QSI retreated 0.6%, pressured by a 2.6% decline in Qatar International Islamic Bank QIIB.QA.

Iran said on Wednesday that it had received a US response to reviving a collapsed Gulf ceasefire, days after US President Donald Trump indicated he had rejected it.

Investors stayed focused on regional developments. While US-Iran talks through mediators continue, unclear timelines and ongoing Strait of Hormuz disruptions are keeping risk appetite in check, said Mahmoud Mashal, senior market analyst at VT Markets Dubai.

Abu Dhabi's index .FTFADGI dipped 0.7%, while Dubai's main share index .DFMGI closed 0.5% lower.

Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index .EGX30 gained 2.2%, ending a nine-session losing streak.

($1 = 3.7546 riyals)