DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dubai has reached an agreement with Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates’ central bank to extend repayment of $20 billion of debt it incurred in the lead up to the global financial crisis, the country’s official news agency reported Sunday.

Dubai built up more than $100 billion of dollars in debt to local and international lenders during a rapid building boom that turned the Arabian city from a fishing village into a bustling global business hub with a skyline full of modern skyscrapers. Despite its ambitious plans to keep growing and building, Dubai struggled to repay its loans as the global financial crisis battered its economy and property market.