The UAE stock markets started the first session of the week on a slight rise, with some traders offsetting their options in the build-up to the closure of July accounts.

In Sunday's trading, the banking and real estate sectors drove the market slightly high, with traders still waiting for leading property companies to reveal their H1 financial results.

ABU Dhabi Securities Exchange General Index edged bit high 0.19 percent, closing at 4577 points, while the Dubai Financial market closed at 3608 points, a growth of 0.08 percent over the last traded price, The advancing shares of today's session included Emaar, which rose to AED8.15, Arabtec to AED3.46, and Emaar Malls to AED2.51, while Eshraq in ADX closed up at 94 fils.

The Alsalam Holding Group was the best performer among the dual-listed companies, closing 4.75 percent to AED0.838, followed by the Global Financial Investments Holding, which grew 2 percent to 45 fils then came Alsalam Bank-Bahrain which closed at AED0.975 and Heights Telecom at AED0.606.

A total of 3285 transactions were conducted worth AED263 million over 171 million shares, with 26 companies closing high out of 58 trading firms, 17 down and 15 at their last traded prices.

Source: Wam