The country's two largest Islamic-compliant home finance companies, <b>Amlak Finance</b> and <b>Tamweel</b> , may , according to an analysis of the first quarter financial statements of the companies by Emirates Business 24/7. Both companies stopped issuing new mortgages in the wake of the economic slowdown and despite frequent talk of a merger, no developments have taken place yet. CL Jose writes that the companies would possibly need to obtain those funds before they could start up again. held by <b>Sherwoods Real Estate</b> last week, Angela Giuffrida reports. About a dozen bids were entered, but only one met the reserve price for a 40,000 square foot plot of land near the Dubai International Airport. It sold for Dh750 a sq ft. One participant seemed to sum up the reasons for the reluctance to bid higher: <b> Anwer Moola</b> , who owns two apartments on Palm Jumeirah, said: "There's so much bad news, everyone's scared and is holding on to their money... If I had access to the sort of money being asked for, I would buy. A five-bedroom villa, for example, can still be rented for Dh180,000 or Dh190,000 a year." UAE nationals who received land from the Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment to take advantage of a reduction in prices of construction materials, Khaleej Times reports. The National .