Dubai debt plan meant to show emirate back on feet

* username: rupertbu

Dubai's plan to avoid drawing on fresh funds from wealthier neighbor Abu Dhabi in its debt restructuring proposal for Dubai World may be more about presentation than the reality of its balance sheet.

Not taking new cash from Abu Dhabi was meant to show investors that Dubai can still stand on its own feet. But analysts say the hard reality is that the emirate could never navigate its current troubles without Abu Dhabi's support.

Abu Dhabi, which holds over 90 percent of the United Arab Emirates' oil wealth, may yet have to help out Dubai again despite the message of Thursday's plan for the conglomerate.