“We will look at Dubai’s commitments and approach them on a case-by-case basis. It does not mean that Abu Dhabi will underwrite all of their debts,” the official in the government of the emirate of Abu Dhabi told Reuters by phone.
Dubai’s crisis exploded on Wednesday when the emirate, known for flashy lifestyles and the world’s tallest building, said it would delay payment on debt issued by one of its flagship firms, angering investors and sending global markets sharply lower.
Selective assistance for companies in “Dubai Inc.”, a network of quasi-sovereign industries, instead of blanket assistance, would serve a rude awakening to investors who for years assumed that the conservative Abu Dhabi provided a safety net for its racier neighbour.
“Some of Dubai’s entities are commercial, semi-government ones. Abu Dhabi will pick and choose when and where to assist,” said the official, who declined to be identified because he is not authorised to speak to the media.
At stake is the $59 billion in debt held by government controlled holding company Dubai World and its property arm Nakheel, builder of palm-shaped islands for wealthy celebrities.
Dubai delayed payment on Nakheel debt by six months in a shock announcement, which came on the eve of a long holiday.
World leaders including Britain’s Gordon Brown and French premier Francois Fillon said the global economy — recovering from two years of financial crisis — was now strong enough to deal with a shock of this magnitude.
And markets began to recover on Friday after banks outside the Gulf said they were not heavily exposed to Dubai debts.
India, which receives 10-12 per cent of its worker remittances from the UAE, said yesterday it would keep a close watch on the situation in Dubai but did not expect much impact on it.
In the Gulf itself, details of local banks’ exposure to Dubai have begun to emerge.
Years of chasing business in Dubai’s property boom means Abu Dhabi banks have built up an exposure to Dubai-based companies worth at least 30 percent of their loan books, senior bankers in Abu Dhabi said on Friday.
In most investors’ minds, the question is not whether Abu Dhabi will support Dubai but when and how.
Abu Dhabi, which pumps 90 per cent of the oil that make the United Arab Emirates the world’s third-largest oil exporter, has already provided $15 billion in indirect support for Dubai through the UAE central bank and two private Abu Dhabi banks.
How much more support the emirate provides for its cash-strapped neighbour, however, will depend on how Dubai clarifies its stand on unresolved issues.
“Until things become clearer, it is very difficult to make any further investment decision on the bonds. Many things have to be clarified by Dubai,” the official said.
