HSBC Holdings PLC’s chief executive officer said Friday that the bank is “confident” Dubai and the United Arab Emirates “will overcome any short-term issues they face…Although our business on the ground in the Middle East represents only 2% of the group’s balance sheet, it’s an important and high-potential part of HSBC’s international business mix and a region we are completely committed to,” CEO Michael Geoghegan said in an emailed statement. [DJ]