Morning round-up: Deyaar emerges as "market leader"

Deyaar Development posted profits of Dh54.4m in the first quarter, which was about 73 per cent less than the same period in 2008. On the positive side, analysts are calling Deyaar an example to other companies in the sector. Since the market turned last autumn, Deyaar has been the first company to do things like cut prices, consolidate projects and introduce other tactics to prevent buyers from defaulting. Chet Riley, from Nomura International, called the company a "market leader".

Sources say Aldar Properties is reporting earnings at the end of the day.

Defence lawyers for two former Nakheel executives detained on bribery charges

. The story, by The National's Hani Bathish, describes an American sales consultant as the key witness in the case. The ruling is set for May 31.

The Real Estate Regulatory Agency is reviewing budgets for maintenance fees and service charges at buildings across Dubai, Anjana Kumar reports in Emirates 24/7 Business. Basically this means that Rera is judging each project's planned fees on a case-by-case basis. Earlier this year, Rera issued a freeze on service charges at the 2008 rate, but it now appears is rewording that directive to allow developers to drop their rates.

Ms Kumar also reports on a piece of analysis from Moody's that says a lack of mortgage financing and decline in capital flows is affecting the property sector... She procedes to summarise the last several reports over the last few weeks.

24/7 has a Q-and-A with Philip Ward, chief executive of Abu Dhabi Finance here.