DBS says positive on loan talks with Dubai World unit

SINGAPORE Feb 5 (Reuters) - DBS Group (DBSM.SI) has classified its loan to a unit of troubled Dubai World as a non-performing loan, but is in talks with the company and hopes for a positive outcome, CEO Piyush Gupta said on Friday.

"We have chosen to be conservative and taken some provisions," on the loan linked to a unit of Dubai World, Gupta told a news conference, adding he was positive on the loan negotiations and that the debt was still being serviced.

DBS took S$384 million in bad debt charges in its fourth quarter results announced earlier on Friday, but did not specify how much of that loss came from loans linked to Dubai World.

Dubai World [DBWL.UL] is trying to restructure some $22 billion in debt repayments. (Reporting by Saeed Azhar and Kevin Lim)