Dubai has recently been at the centre of some excellent reporting from <b>Andrew Higgins</b> , the Pulitzer prize-winning journalist currently working for the <i>Washington Post</i> (formerly of the <i>WSJ</i> ). The stories revolve around the Dubai property market and how millions of dollars from Afghanistan and Azerbaijan ended up in places like the <b>Palm Jumeirah</b> . Not everything appears above board - for instance, $44 million worth of villas are in the name of the president of Azerbaijan's son, according to one story. All three should be required reading for anyone trying to get a grasp on the economic dynamics of the region: money is churned hand-over-fist in places like Kabul and it ends up in luxury property in the Emirates.