Dubai World might sell assets, govt won't - fin chief

7 Dec 2009, 1120 hrs IST, REUTERS

DUBAI: Dubai's government will not sell any assets to meet
 the obligations of state-owned Dubai World, but the
 conglomerate itself might sell
some of its foreign assets, Dubai's finance 
chief told Al Jazeera television. 

"Part of obtaining finance is selling assets ...
belonging to the company and not the government,"
Abdulrahman al-Saleh, director general of Dubai's
department of finance said in an interview posted
on the news network's website on Monday.

"There is confusion in the media that the government
 plans to sell assets ... the company has foreign
investments and real estate investments abroad.

There is nothing to prevent selling these assets."

"The main goal of the restructuring of Dubai World 
is to guarantee its continuation in a new framework,"
 Saleh said, adding that it was "premature" to speak
about specific plans about Dubai World's restructuring.

Saleh declined comment on Dubai World's talks with creditors.