MIDEAST STOCKS-Most Gulf markets in red on US tariff uncertainty

By Ateeq Shariff

June 1 (Reuters) - Most stock markets in the Gulf ended lower on Sunday as U.S. President Donald Trump's comments accusing China of breaking a bilateral trade deal added to uncertainty over tariffs.

Trump has also announced plans to double worldwide steel and aluminium tariffs to 50%. Later said he would speak to his Chinese counterpart to "hopefully" work out differences.

A federal appeals court last week temporarily reinstated the most sweeping of Trump's tariffs, a day after a U.S. trade court ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority in imposing the duties and ordered an immediate block on them.

Saudi Arabia's benchmark index .TASI dropped 1.5%, weighed down by a 2.2% slide in Al Rajhi Bank 1120.SE and a 0.9% decrease in Saudi National Bank 1180.SE.

Elsewhere, oil company Saudi Aramco 2222.SE eased 0.7%.

Aramco has published a new prospectus for its issuance programme of Islamic bonds or sukuk, signalling the state oil group may soon tap the debt markets again after it raised $5 billion from a three-part bond sale this week.

In Qatar, the index .QSI gained 0.4%, ending a five-session losing streak, helped by a 1.1% rise in the Gulf's biggest lender Qatar National Bank QNBK.QA.

Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index .EGX30 dropped 0.6%, hit by a 2.7% retreat in Commercial International Bank COMI.CA.