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touchring
27th November 2009, 07:27 AM
Dubai walks away from debt.

http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/general/2009/11/20091126151434896966.html

bwhhisc
27th November 2009, 10:40 AM
Here's more....a reminder of the saying that cash is king.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_dubai_desperate_times


DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Just a year after the global downturn derailed Dubai's explosive growth, the city is now so swamped in debt that it's asking for a six-month reprieve on paying its bills — causing a drop on world markets Thursday and raising questions about Dubai's reputation as a magnet for international investment. The fallout came swiftly and was felt globally after Wednesday statement that Dubai's main development engine, Dubai World, would ask creditors for a "standstill" on paying back its $60 billion debt until at least May. The company's real estate arm, Nakheel — whose projects include the palm-shaped island in the Gulf — shoulders the bulk of money due to banks, investment houses and outside development contractors.

In total, the state-backed networks nicknamed Dubai Inc. are $80 billion in the red and the emirate needed a bailout earlier this year from its oil-rich neighbor Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Markets took the news badly — with the Dubai woes and the continued fall of the U.S. dollar giving investors twin worries. Dubai's move raised concerns about debt across the Gulf Region. Prices to insure debt from Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain all rose by double-digit percentages Thursday, according to data from CMA DataVision.

In Europe, the FTSE 100, Germany's DAX and the CAC-40 in France opened sharply lower. Earlier in Asia, the Shanghai index sank 119.19 points, or 3.6 percent, in the biggest one-day fall since Aug. 31. Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 1.8 percent to 22,210.41. Wall Street was closed for the Thanksgiving holiday and most markets in the Middle East were silent because of a major Islamic feast. "Dubai's standstill announcement ... was vague and it remains difficult to discern whether the call for a standstill will be voluntary," said a statement from the Eurasia Group, a Washington-based research group that assesses political and financial risk for foreign investors interested in Dubai. "If it is not, Dubai World will be going into default and that will have more serious negative repercussions for Dubai's sovereign debt, Dubai World and market confidence in the UAE in general," the statement added.

Dubai became the Gulf's biggest credit crunch victim a year ago. But its ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, had continually dismissed concerns over the city-state's liquidity and claims it overreached during the good times. When asked about the debt, he confidently assured reporters in a rare meeting two months ago that "we are all right" and "we are not worried," leaving details of a recovery plan — if such a plan exists — to everyone's guess. Then, earlier this month, he told Dubai's critics to "shut up." "He needs to produce a recovery plan that will be respected by those who want to do business with Dubai," said Simon Henderson, a Gulf and energy specialist at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "If he does not do it right, Dubai will be a sad place." After months of denial that the economic downturn even touched the glitzy city-state, the Dubai government earlier this year showed signs of trying to deal with the financial fallout that has halted dozens of projects and touched off an exodus of expatriate workers.

In February, it raised $10 billion in a hastily arranged bond sale to the United Arab Emirates central bank, which is based in Abu Dhabi. The deal — seen by many as Abu Dhabi's bailout of Dubai — was part of a $20 billion bond program to help Dubai meet its debt obligations.
On Wednesday, the Dubai Finance Department announced the emirate raised another $5 billion by selling bonds — all taken by two banks controlled by Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi's ruling Al Nahyan family has been more conservative with its spending, investing oil profits into infrastructure, culture and state institutions. During Dubai's real estate bonanza, the Nahyans saw their flashy neighbor race ahead with development plans and tourism plans that had plenty of hype but few details on how they would be pulled off. Some did materialize. The more than 2,600-foot (800-meter) Burj Dubai is scheduled to open in January as the world's tallest building. But many other projects, including a tower even taller than the Burj Dubai and satellite cities in the desert, are still just blueprints.

The standstill will likely not immediately affect CityCenter, an $8.5 billion casino complex opening next month in Las Vegas that is half-owned by Dubai World. A Dubai World subsidiary and casino operator MGM Mirage agreed with banks in April to fully fund and finish the six-tower, 67-acre development of plush resorts, condominiums, a retail mall and one casino on the Las Vegas Strip. However, the standstill's effect may be felt on the famous Keeneland thoroughbred horse auctions near Lexington, Ky., where Sheik Mohammed is a prominent bidder. Last week, Sheik Mohammed demoted several prominent members of Dubai's corporate elite and replaced them with members of the ruling family, including his two sons, one of whom is Mohammed's designated heir.

Businessmen who fell out of favor were closely associated with Dubai's phenomenal success. They include the head of Dubai World, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, and Mohammed Alabbar, the chief of Emaar Properties, developer of the Burj Dubai and hundreds of other projects. He is trying to shake things up," said Christopher Davidson, a lecturer on the Gulf at Britain's Durham University and an author of two books on the UAE. However, Davidson added, Mohammed's decision to replace those who helped put Dubai on the world map with his relatives might be "read as an increase in autocracy which does not look good internationally."

Not everyone is upset at Dubai Inc.'s transformation into a family business, analysts say. Mohammed's latest moves may have pleased Abu Dhabi more than the foreign investors, but it is Abu Dhabi that still has the strongest incentives to save Dubai from its financial misery. "By shifting the power base back to the family things are as they should be as far as Abu Dhabi is concerned," said Mohammed Shakeel, a Dubai-based analyst for the Economist Intelligence Unit. After an expensive adventure in doing things the Western way, it's "going back to basics" for Dubai, Shakeel added.

touchring
27th November 2009, 12:32 PM
Here's more....a reminder of the saying that cash is king.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_dubai_desperate_times


I'm sure they have the cash, but not for sinking real estate. Not all governments send cash to their bankers, and then let their citizens pickup the tab.

Sheik Mohammed is very smart, the debt is owed to European banks and like what everyone is doing these days, walking away from the debt is the most logical thing to do.

Rubber Duck
27th November 2009, 02:23 PM
Like America they are trying to build a Global Financial powerhouse on institutions that are essentially bankrupt.

London is the place with credibility. The insolvent banks were nationalized.

Rubber Duck
27th November 2009, 04:07 PM
From what I have been reading it seems we are back to where we were a century ago. The British Government virtually owns Dubai.

squirrel
27th November 2009, 06:30 PM
From what I have been reading it seems we are back to where we were a century ago. The British Government virtually owns Dubai.

Why do you say that Duck ? I was under the impression that Dubai was mostly financed by Abu Dhabi, mostly because Dubai has no oil money and Abu Dhabi has plenty.

Rubber Duck
27th November 2009, 06:32 PM
Why do you say that Duck ? I was under the impression that Dubai was mostly financed by Abu Dhabi, mostly because Dubai has no oil money and Abu Dhabi has plenty.

Royal Bank of Scotland apparently lent more than anyone, and they went bust last year.

sbe18
27th November 2009, 09:08 PM
David is right...

the British did it right by nationalizing.....

even my Chinese friends say they are hearing that Chinese banks are looking more favorably to London than to NYC....

so yes.....Britain and China...within a year will be the financial masters again for at least that side of the gulf....

on the Iran side....russia/ China coordination is problematic.....

Russia needs to choose soon......they need to sell gas to the east/west...and south....India....

and they can't afford piss.......

Can Russia/India/China ......learn to make money together or not...
and prevent Pakistan from being a stupid laggard with a nuke....

as usual.....it is a cluster fuck with US troops on the AfPAK border.....

we are the there, to keep the UK/German/French banks in the game.....

and so it goes.......


the US is probably going to have pull Saudi's balls out of the fire / somalia and yemen ........

oh well.......the bullshit continues...

touchring
28th November 2009, 05:40 AM
Like America they are trying to build a Global Financial powerhouse on institutions that are essentially bankrupt.

London is the place with credibility. The insolvent banks were nationalized.


By now, it is obvious that the corruption in the US is at a different level, nearly a kleptocracy, and more severe than even major countries in Asia.

At least in China, some of the bailout money goes to the people in the form of jobs, even if 20-30% is being pocketed by officials illegally at the risk of punishment.

In the US, almost all the bailout money went to the tycoons and the a group of bankers probably number no more than 100,000 individuals, and this is done legally!

Drewbert
28th November 2009, 06:06 AM
Capitalised profits, socialised losses.

Capitalism for the poor, socialism for the rich.

sbe18
28th November 2009, 07:59 AM
I guess my 7.50 investment in :

مدينة-دبي.com City - Dubai. Com

is now worth 75 cents.........

and

since the Chinese will back the new bankers for this carnival....
maybe my offset is :

阿联酋迪拜.com UAE Dubai

curiouser and curiouser..........red pill/ blue pill.........ok Alice.....???