New York real estate could cover some of Dubai’s debt
Landmark New York City real estate could go on the auction block as a result of the Dubai debt crisis, according to GlobeStreet.com and the New York Post.
The Post said the nation’s sovereign investment firm, Dubai World, might sell non-core assets, including Central Park South landmark the Jumeirah Essex House and Knickerbocker Hotel in Times Square as Dubai asks for a six-month freeze on interest payments on its debts.
Also being sized up for the auction block is high-end clothier Barney’s, which Dubai World’s Istithmar World investment unit bought 26 months ago. Istithmar also owns the Mandarin Oriental Hotel at Time Warner Center and the New York W.
Aiden Birkett of global accounting firm Deloitte LLP is headed to Dubai World offices to help the firm assess its financial situation, the Post reported. A Deloitte spokesperson in London told GlobeStreet.com that Birkett is not in a position to answer questions and that his focus is solely on the job at hand.
The spokesperson told GlobeStreet.com that priority number one will be “to evaluate the extent of restructuring required” on the $59 billion debt load.
“Dubai World has significant high-profile assets in the United States and elsewhere in the world, and it is clearly a priority in any restructuring to determine which assets are strategic or non-strategic,” Richard Fox, head of Middle East and Africa sovereign ratings at Fitch Ratings, told the Post.