** Shares in loss-making Dubai construction company Drake &Scull DSI.DU continue sliding in early, heavy trade; down 5.9pct at record low of 0.381 dirham, down 83 pct year-to-date

** Stock plunged 10 pct on Wednesday after company saidshareholders would meet Sept. 27 to decide whether to dissolveit, under article of United Arab Emirates company law requiringfirms to vote on whether they should continue operating if theiraccumulated losses have reached half of issued share capital

** But private equity firm Tabarak Investment, biggestshareholder with 13.73 percent, told Reuters in statement atweekend that it is committed to restoring Drake & Scull tofinancial health, and has arranged for company to obtain over 1billion dirhams ($272 million) of projects urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1W2020

** In statement on Wednesday, company said its board andmanagement would do utmost to ensure it continues operating, andthat general assembly vote is merely "procedural step"

** Dubai stock index .DFMGI edges down 0.1 percent

(Reporting by Andrew Torchia) ((andrew.torchia@thomsonreuters.com; +9715 6681 7277; ReutersMessaging: andrew.torchia.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))