Would Dubai's default spoil the party?

The big news today is that Dubai World, the big property conglomerate with many prestigious and some world famous developments under their belt, has requested its creditors to allow it an additional six months to pay a debt of $3.5 billion, which was due next month. The news immediately undermined the stocks of British banks, which were showing signs of recovery, and pulled the major European stock markets down. The impact is more severe because this debt deferment request also includes Nakheel's debts, a Dubai World subsidiary and the one which actually did some fascinating projects; no one was expecting that Nakheel will default as well. Besides, there are several state-backed companies which are defaulting or are near default, which is undermining the credit rating of Dubai's sovereign debt itself. This will limit the state's ability to raise money and bail the troubled companies out. So, suddenly, we see a trouble in the horizon; just when it seemed that we are on the path of recovery.

Dubai was always a bubble. It built a neo-gilded age capitalism, based on wildly speculative property projects. While it lasted, it was speculators' heaven, and properties got 'flipped', sold, multiple times even before they were built. All fuelled by debt - almost all based on cheap money flowing in Europe and America, and subsistence labour extracted out of poor Asian countries. The problem is that most of properties were being bought not to be lived in, but as investments, which is the respectable word for speculation. If one needed to see what is wrong with Capitalism, one visit to Dubai would have been enough: It was rent capitalism at its best.

Now, we are at the payback time. Dubai's companies will have to pay back or renew $60 billion debt in the next 12 to 18 months, and that is a big headache. Capital is fleeing Dubai. Despite the common perception, Dubai has no significant oil wealth and is a pure services economy. So, the credit rating downgrade is lethal, this will make speculators run immediately and getting people to refinance these debts increasingly difficult. If this continues, we shall suddenly see the next chapter of Great Recession - capitalism's ugly underbelly - unfolding in front of our eyes.

Almost the only way for Dubai to save itself is to secure loans from a bigger, oil rich neighbour. Almost everyone guessed that Abu Dhabi can't let Dubai fail, as they are part of the same Emirates federation and share the same currency. Abu Dhabi is cash rich with their oil wealth, and is much less leveraged. But recent rumours suggested rifts between two ruling families, including a tussle on the Emirates Airlines shares. Emirates is possibly the best things that happened in Dubai over the last decade, a professional airline with a convenient hub right in the middle of Asia, Europe and Africa. If Dubai had one advantage, it was its geographic location; this was leveraged by Emirates to the best possible extent. In contrast, Abu Dhabi's success with its own Etihad was fairly limited, and talk of merger was one the air. This did not happen, as personalities came into play, perhaps. Unfortunately for Dubai, the bigger, wealthier neighbour is actually their best chance at this time.

The others who could bail them out, and will possibly still bail them out, are Kuwaitis and Saudis. Kuwaitis already have a lot of investment in Dubai and they may be forced to cover their tracks. Saudis have less at stake, and they were royally miffed last year when Dubai bid to get the proposed Arab monetary union headquartered in Dubai. But, any further meltdown of Dubai may affect the entire region and even undermine the political influence of the Sauds. So, their hand may also be forced now to lend money and restore confidence.

But, the point is, this will still spoil the party. At a time when investor confidence was just about coming back, an ugly bailout in the Middle East will shake the banks and upset the fragile European recovery. Joblessness will spread in Asian economies, as migrant labourers are sent home and this will fuel political turmoil in many of these countries. The Dubai flu will soon become a worldwide phenomenon.

Dominic Strauss-Kahn, the head of IMF, recently talked about the huge exposure the banks still have to leveraged assets and how we may all face a relapse to credit crisis soon. Just when it looked that the combined effort of World governments managed to save embattled economies like Iceland, Ireland and the East European ones, Dubai's troubles are a clear reminder that we are not out of the woods yet. We also have to remember that such economic troubles always have a domino effect, and it only takes a few hours for one country's trouble to spread into a whole region. We know Dubai's story is more or less over, but the bigger question - whether this can be contained in Dubai or does it have to invariably spread over a larger space - will only be answered in the next 8 to 12 weeks. The problem is that the energy to solve such crisis is at a all time low now. Gordon Brown, who took the lead when the crisis hit us, looks battered, unloved and ready to retire. One almost misses the naivety and dumbness of the Bush team; Obama is already so deep into crisis of his own making that he can hardly focus on anything else. Everyone else seems to have their hands full and looking at bailouts themselves. So, Dubai's troubles may spin out of control quite quickly and bring a lot of people down with it.

Comments

Unknown said…
Not surprising me what happened now that Dubai fail to pay the $59B. Dubai is a complete failure , managed by morons whom having dreams and dreams,,, they tried to show that Dubai or UAE are the leaders in the world.
So,, Enjoy the crash and you can request ruler of Dubai and his family to sale their properties in different parts of the world, sell their luxury cars, jewelries and pay the $59b’s … wow really Dubai will become a Ghosts City
I am not sure though whether I am supposed to rejoice, as Dubai's default may pull everyone else down and wreck the recovery. I have seen Dubai's 'Gilded Age' excesses and never thought this to be sustainable.

However, nothing against the ruling family though. They have also done some good things. Like Emirates Airlines, which is one of the best run Airlines in the world. Despite my disillusionment wth Dubai, I remain a loyal Emirates customer.

I am not sure where things will go from here, but I am happy that Dubai as a model of Capitalism, to be followed by other countries, have failed. I have too many friends in Dubai to wish that it becomes a ghost town; I don't. I don't want Emirates to stop flying. I don't want the fragile recovery in Europe to reverse. So, in balance, I want Dubai to be saved, and rest of the world to learn a lesson, though a mild one.
Aapartment for rent in Dubai for a short stay we would suggest that you look at places in and around the Dubai Marina, Emirates Hills, Jumeirah Beach, Ski Dubai area etc. Dubai apartment rent in these places will depend on the kind of accommodation that you are looking for.
Indeed. I saw some irony in the last comment, and did not think this is spam :)
Stephanie Flanders at BBC does not think the impact of Dubai will be that big. She thinks the debt size is small, and eventually Abu Dhabi has to bail out Dubai to save the UAE. Read her views at http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/stephanieflanders/2009/11/dubai_just_a_sideshow.html
Anonymous said…
Did you know if we don't pay your debts in Dubai, you go to jail? No bankruptcies or debt restructuring, you are taken as a criminal. I thought the law is unjust and so many of my friends are in jail. What happens now if the government itself is in debt default? Do they learn anything?

Popular posts from this blog

Lord Macaulay's Speech on Indian Education: The Hoax & Some Truths

Abdicating to Taliban

India versus Bharat

When Does Business Gift Become A Bribe: A Marketing Policy Perspective

The Curious Case of Helen Goddard

The Morality of Profit

‘A World Without The Jews’: Nazi Ideology, German Imagination and The Holocaust[1]

The Road to Macaulay: Warren Hastings and Education in India

A Conversation About Kolkata in the 21st Century

The Road of Macaulay: The Development of Indian Education under British Rule

Creative Commons License

AddThis