Qatar moving up in the world?

Not really sure about all this growth down there. Dubai has had incredible growth, but there will have to be alot more substance to these areas if they hope to maintain the growth. They've already started a partial shift in the financial markets due to the move of significant operations to Dubai, but I think you would have to see more development in other areas. They don't have direct manufacturing boons, although they could make a killing in less tangible operations, such as information collection/mining. If they were able to reestablish themselves as a serious economic hub in addition to their tourism, then we could very well see a power shift from europe towards the middle east. Wouldn't it be interesting if we shifted off of the emphasis on oil, only to stumble into dependence on the Middle East for finance, high-tech management, and administration? I mean, it would be hard to find a more centralized place to establish a true center where all the countries of the world could meet. hmmmm.

just thinking out loud...