Refinancing talks on Dubai sovereign wealth fund

Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) is in talks over potential refinancing agreements, according to Reuters

Talks are at an early stage and more detail is expected to emerge in the coming weeks about how the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) plans to handle the loan's maturity, reports Reuters, citing unnamed banking sources.

The loan is the second tranche of a $6 billion facility that the ICD raised in September 2008. Unfavourable market conditions meant that the ICD did not take up a refinancing package for the previous $4 billion, opting instead to repay the full amount, but bankers believe that improved sentiment towards Dubai as a borrower will make the pricing more attractive and a new loan more likely this time, reports the news wire.

"The market is there for them if they want to refinance," a Dubai-based banker is quoted as saying. "They didn't do it last time because the pricing benchmark would have been too high – but it's better now."

The loan is the second tranche of a $6 billion facility that the ICD raised in September 2008. The first $4 billion was repaid in 2011.