KUWAIT CITY, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - The Saudi stock market, the biggest in the Arab world, tumbled 8.6 percent at the opening of trade on Tuesday.

The Tadawul All-Shares Index (TASI) crashed more than 570 points, or 8.6 percent, after plunging 9.81 percent on Monday.

Other stock markets in oil-rich Gulf states were also trading sharply down.