RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s main stock index was up on Wednesday to its highest close since 2006, continuing its rally from last week amid heightened investor sentiment. At the closing bell, TASI edged 0.5 percent higher to 12,260 points, while the parallel Nomu market added 0.4 percent to reach 26,158 points. Saudi fertilizer firm, SABIC Agri-Nutrients, jumped 4 percent to a record high of SR192 ($51.2). Similarly, its parent company Saudi Basic Industries Corp., known as SABIC, gained 1.8 percent.In the financial sector, Al Rajhi Bank and Banque Saudi Fransi were up 1.5 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively. Tadawul group, owner of the Saudi Exchange relinquished its morning gains as it dropped to SR163, with over SR640 million worth of shares changing hands intraday Saudi Aramco closed 0.3 percent lower. The oil giant signed one agreement and nine MoUs with leading Korean entities to advance its downstream strategy and support development of low-carbon energy solutions, while creating new financing options for the company. Shares in Saudi real estate developer Red Sea International Co. fell 1.3 percent, after it signed a SR60.5 million deal with The Red Sea Development Co., TRSDC, to develop three complexes in the Saudi Western region. In the oil market, Brent crude reached $88 per barrel, and US WTI crude oil traded at $86 per barrel as of 3:40 p.m. Saudi time.