nov 16 reuters  major stock markets in the gulf retreated in early trade on wednesday tracking asian shares after a blast in poland raised fears that the russianukraine conflict could spill over nato member poland said a russianmade rocket killed two people in eastern poland near ukraine and it summoned russias ambassador to warsaw for an explanation after moscow denied it was responsible worries over a potential ratcheting up of geopolitical tensions spurred a drop of 1 in mscis broadest index of asiapacific shares outside japan miapj0000pus saudi arabias benchmark stock index tasi dropped 1 dragged down by a 09 fall in retal urban development co 4322se and a 11 decline in oil giant saudi aramco 2222se the kingdom recorded an 85 yearonyear slump in secondquarter foreign direct investment fdi flows an investment ministry report showed on tuesday fdi inflows were at 79 billion riyals 210 billion in the second quarter compared with about 519 billion riyals in the same period last year meanwhile abdullah al othaim markets co 4001se surged 8 after the food retailer announced distribution of cash dividend of 75 riyals per share for the third quarter crude prices  a key catalyst for the gulfs financial markets  slid as covid19 cases in china continued to climb sparking worries of lower fuel demand in the worlds top crude importer that outweighed concerns about an escalation of geopolitical tensions and tighter oil supply the qatari benchmark qsi dropped 11 weighed down by a 18 fall in qatar islamic bank qisbqa and a 08 decline in qatar national bank qnbkqa reporting by ateeq shariff in bengaluru editing by subhranshu sahu