March 12 (Reuters) - Most stock markets in the Middle East ended lower on Sunday, with the Egyptian bourse leading the declines, in response to Friday's fall in global shares over fears of contagion following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) (SIVB.O).
The startup-focused lender became the largest bank to fail since the 2008 financial crisis on Friday, roiling global markets and leaving billions of dollars belonging to companies and investors stranded.
In Qatar, the index (.QSI) slid 1.6%, as almost all the stocks were in negative territory including Qatar Islamic Bank (QISB.QA), which tumbled 3.9%.
Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) dropped 0.8%, weighed down by a 1.7% fall in Al Rajhi Bank (1120.SE) and a 0.8% decrease in Retal Urban Development CO (4322.SE).
Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (.EGX30) tumbled 3.1%, with 28 of thirty one stocks on the index trading red, including top lender Commercial International Bank (COMI.CA), which was down 1.8%.