SICO Bahrain: Dubai Debt Problems Just Deferred Until 2014?

SICO Bahrain has issued a new report, "Dubai Debt Concerns Deferred to 2014".  SICO Research is only available to registered users so you'll have to sign up to read the report in detail.

Here are some highlights.  Themes that might already be familiar and some not.

1. Forgetfulness of investors in limelight.  Some history on the trends in CDS spread differentials between Dubai and Abu Dhabi (180 bps in October 2009 to 480 bps in early December and then again to similar levels around the Greek crisis).
2. Recent US$1.25 billion issue not sufficient to plug the 2010 deficit (estimated at US$1.6 billion).  Plans to slash subsidies and other transfers by 64%, though wages to increase by nearly 20% as the Government needs to make room for more nationals entering the workforce.
3. Repayment schedule remains a challenge.  SICO estimates very modest debt repayments in 2011 and 2012.  For the period 2013 - 2015 excluding bilateral, the estimates are US$1.7 billion in 2013,   US$19.23 billion in 2014 and US$0.5 billion in 2015.   So a definite debt hump in 2014 - and the reason for the title to SICO's article.
4. Economic recovery may not improve Government revenues.  Trade and tourism not expected to generate significant large government revenues.
5. Not many options to improve finances.  Taxes a possibility but pose competitive disadvantage vis-a-vis other GCC states.
6. Sale of assets a possibility.  SICO believes the Government may take the strategy of selling partial stakes to raise cash rather than relinquish control of strategic assets.
7. Dubai increasingly "leveraging" the UAE brand.  Apparently in the prospectus for the recent bond, a great deal was made of the fact that the UAE has a AA sovereign rating.  SICO sees this as a way of diverting attention from Dubai's 395 bps CDS roughly 296 bps higher than Abu Dhabi.  In my opinion it may also be a way of reminding investors of Abu Dhabi's deep pockets.
8. Despite the negatives, SICO does not believe a sovereign default is likely.  It seems to me that the major issue here is one of pricing of credit as well as lenders and investors being careful about the quantum they commit to the Emirate.