Gold price hits record high on report to ditch dollar

LONDON, October 6, 2009 (AFP) - The price of gold struck an all-time high Tuesday as the dollar fell on a news report of a plan by Gulf states to stop using the greenback for oil trading.







Gold hit 1,045.00 dollars per ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange in late trades.

Hours earlier on the London Bullion Market, gold surged to 1,043.

78 dollars beating the previous record high of 1,032.70 dollars an ounce struck in March, 2008.

Barclays Capital precious metals analyst Suki Cooper said dollar weakness appeared to be related to reported secret talks about oil being priced in a basket of currencies including gold rather than the dollar,

This "has added to concerns about the future role of the dollar in international financial markets," Cooper said.

The dollar's future as the world's top currency was thrown into doubt on Tuesday as a report said Arab states had launched secret moves with China and Russia to stop using the greenback for oil trading.

Arab states have launched steps with China, Russia, Japan and France to stop using the dollar for oil trades, British daily The Independent reported on Tuesday, but the report was denied by Kuwait and Qatar and reportedly by