The emirate of Dubai may consider selling parts of government-owned companies as it continues to restructure those hit hard by the financial crisis, top financial officials said on Sunday.

Dubai, a regional financial and trade hub, suffered a blow to its reputation a year ago when state-linked conglomerate Dubai World announced it would ask creditors for a standstill agreement on almost $25 billion in debt.

'Dubai World is now on sound financial footing,' Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Supreme Fiscal Committee, told a news conference.

In the past year, Dubai World managed to reach a restructuring deal with creditors, allowing the government to tap into improved investor confidence to issue a $1.25 billion bond in September.

Prized assets such as DP World, the Atlantis Hotel and casino operator MGM Resorts International were presented under the restructuring as potential assets that could be sold to the public to help raise cash. There is also keen interest in other state-linked assets such as Emirates airlines and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa).

'We are working on opening up the capital of leading companies to our public,' he said.-Reuters