Well if you read a recent article in The Sunday Times it says that The UAE, particularly Dubai is very heavily geared and that their miracle boom is also dependent on the growth of their property market. Dubai, has little oil reserves now and there is no evidence that their financial status canbe guaranteed if there is a drop in property investment. But, what they have been exceptionally good at, in fact everything that brazil isn't good at, is creating Dubai as a transit hub between the Far East and Australasia and Europe. They have also very cleverly invested in airline routes from regional cities such as Newcastle and Glasgow from the UK through Dubai to onward destinations so as to steal traffic from other hubs like Haethrow, Gatwick, Schipol, Paris and Frankfurt etc etc....everything that Brazil seems unable to comprehend who continue to focus their flights through Rio/SP which are by no means practical or economic hubs for South America. Until such time as Brazil realises that their restrictive airline controls are inhibiting the growth of other regions there is no real future for a miracle boom like Dubai has experienced and others such as Qatar, Bahrain, Muscat and Abu Dhabi are attempting to follow. Most foreign property development and investment, which is what this forum is about, is centred in Brazil between Salvador andFortaleza and the stupidity of the Brazilian government has done nothing to ease the transit inbound and through to these areas or beyond. So we can all talk forever about oil or a few Sheikhs investing in Brazil but the reality is that Dubai is a case study of how to turn a dust bowl into a cross between Singapore and Las Vegas without using rocket science..until the Brazilians work that one out..there aint going to be any boom in NE Brazil, oil or not!