Bahrain to extend bourse trading to spur activity

The market will open at 0630 GMT, rather than 0700, and close at 0930 rather than 0900, the exchange said on its website.

"We hope that extending the trading session to three hours will contribute to increasing the trading activity at the exchange," Fouad Rashid, director of the Bahrain Stock Exchange is quoted as saying in the statement.

Bahrain's main index rose 24.3 per cent last year, the least among the seven Gulf Arab indexes. It is lagging so far this year, up less than 1 per cent. (Reuters)