Hospital stay risk for Omicron lesser than Delta - UK study Oil prices stable as positive COVID-19 news balances curbs" threat Abu Dhabi index posts biggest weekly loss in nearly two years Egypt"s c.bank extends measures to ease pandemic impact to June Dec 23 (Reuters) - Most stock markets in the Gulf ended higher on Thursday, as worries around the Omicron coronavirus variant eased after a study suggested the strain might be less severe than feared. The risk of needing to stay in hospital for patients infected with the Omicron variant is 40% to 45% lower than those with the Delta variant, according to research by London"s Imperial College published on Wednesday. read more Saudi Arabia"s benchmark index (.TASI) gained 0.6%, with Al Rajhi Bank (1120.SE) rising 0.9% and petrochemical maker Saudi Basic Industries Corp (2010.SE) finishing 1.4% higher. Crude prices, a key catalyst for the Gulf"s financial markets, were broadly stable. However, fears over the potential impact on fuel demand from mobility restrictions have receded as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and allies have left the door open to reviewing their plan to add 400,000 barrels per day of supply in January. Dubai"s main share index (.DFMGI) rose 0.6%, led by a 3.4% leap in top lender Emirates NBD Bank (ENBD.DU) and a 1.1% increase in Emirates Integrated Telecommunications (DU.DU). The Dubai market remains fundamentally strong and could recover more broadly as soon as more data on Omicron is made available, said Farah Mourad, senior market analyst of XTB MENA. The Abu Dhabi index (.ADI) snapped four sessions of losses to close 0.4% higher, with telecoms firm Etisalat (ETISALAT.AD) advancing 1.2%. But, the Abu Dhabi index posted a weekly loss of 4.8%, its biggest since March 2020. The Qatari index (.QSI) edged 0.1% higher, supported by a 0.9% gain in the Gulf"s biggest lender Qatar National Bank (QNBK.QA). Outside the Gulf, Egypt"s blue-chip index (.EGX30) climbed 1%, with Fawry for Banking Technology and Electronic Payment (FWRY.CA) jumping 2.9%, after it announced plans to establish consumer finance company. The Central Bank of Egypt said on Thursday it had extended measures to ease the impact of the coronavirus until June 2022. SAUDI ARABIA (.TASI) rose 0.6% to 11,271 ABU DHABI (.ADI) gained 0.4% to 8,431 DUBAI (.DFMGI) added 0.6% to 3,145 QATAR (.QSI) was up 0.1% to 11,696 EGYPT (.EGX30) gained 1% to 11,755 BAHRAIN (.BAX) added 0.1% to 1,780 OMAN (.MSX30) rose 0.4% to 4,125 KUWAIT (.BKP) added 0.2% to 7,650