Dubai: Higher oil prices lifted Gulf stock markets on Monday while Egypt's bourse was sluggish after a corporate survey showed growth in business activity there slowed last month.

Dubai's index added 1.8 per cent to 3,659 points, also in moderate volume, nearing technical resistance around 3,700 points, which capped the market repeatedly last month. Dubai Parks and Resorts, the most heavily traded stock, climbed 3.3 per cent after local media reported the emirate's transport authority had awarded a $68 million contract to build roads and bridges giving access to the company's theme park complex, due to open next year.

Abu Dhabi gained one per cent, buoyed by blue-chip Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, which gained 2.6 per cent to Dh7.86.

With Brent oil up 2.2 per cent at $49.20 a barrel, the Saudi stock index climbed 1.2 per cent as petrochemical blue-chip Saudi Basic Industries added 1.6 per cent. Property developer Dar Al Arkan continued to rise, gaining 1.5 per cent. Even miner Ma'aden, which had tumbled 13 per cent in the past three weeks as commodity-related equities around the world sagged, showed strength; it rebounded 2.5 per cent.

Qatar's market edged up 0.2 per cent with the most heavily-traded stock, Mazaya Qatar Real Estate, advancing 2.1 per cent.

In Muscat, National Bank of Oman climbed 1.7 per cent after posting a 6.6 per cent rise in third-quarter net profit to OR14.93 million, slightly above analysts' mean prediction of OR14.10 million. The Omani index rose 0.7 per cent.

Egypt's stock index edged down 0.3 per cent after a purchasing managers' survey showed the non-oil private sector expanded only marginally in September.