How the Afghans dominate Palm Jumeirah and other yarns

Dubai has recently been at the centre of some excellent reporting from

Andrew Higgins

, the Pulitzer prize-winning journalist currently working for the

Washington Post

(formerly of the

WSJ

). The stories revolve around the Dubai property market and how millions of dollars from Afghanistan and Azerbaijan ended up in places like the

Palm Jumeirah

. 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.