Dubai shares drop wipes out 2009 gains

Shares on the Dubai Financial Market fell for the third day in a row, wiping out the market’s gains this year, reports Bloomberg. The drop was driven by reports that Dubai World is likely to sell significant assets to cover its debt, and Moody’s Investors Service decision to downgrade six government-controlled companies.

The DFM General Index fell 6.4 percent to 1,533.36. It has lost 27 percent since Dubai World requested a debt standstill on November 25.

“It is really a disaster,” Mohamed Dwaikat, senior broker at Al-Fajer Securities in Abu Dhabi, told Bloomberg. “Investors just want to sell off and get out of the market.”