Dubai shares have had a torrid time since Dubai World said 10 days ago it wanted to stall payments to creditors.They finished Monday trading at their lowest level since 22 July.

Real estate and banking shares were particularly hard hit, with investors still concerned about the financial sector’s exposure to Dubai World’s debt.

Dubai World has some valuable assets, notably its ports business, which stretches to every continent in the world, including London’s Tilbury Docks and France’s Le Havre.

Other items in its wide-ranging investment portfolio include the luxury retailer Barney’s of New York, a list of high-end US hotels, and the Canadian acrobatic circus franchise, Cirque du Soleil.