Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei - Juergen Broda from Hamburg in Germany is an expert on palaces - which is hardly surprising since he is a welcome guest at the elegant homes and residences of princes and members of the aristocracy in the oil-rich sultanate of Brunei in south-east Asia.

"We have cornered a high-end niche of the market," said Broda unpretentiously. The 65-year-old declines to talk about his customer base and nothing passes his lips about the identity of clients who seek advice on interior design. In this line of business discretion is paramount.

During a tour of the capital Bandar Seri Begawan ("port of the revered leader") Broda points frequently to houses and office buildings which bear his signature. His work can be seen in parliament too and he lets it be known that he is familiar with the sultan's palace.

Brunei is a tiny country, only twice the size of Luxembourg, and owes its considerable wealth to oil. According to the Forbes magazine list of the globally rich, the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, 63, has a fortune of 22 billion dollars and is among the four wealthiest monarchs in the world.

He shares some of the benefits with the 400,000 subjects of his kingdom who enjoy free health care and education and generous grants for study abroad. They are also not required to pay any income tax.

The sultan does not live modestly but resides in the the world's largest palace, Nastana Nurul Iman, a sumptuous residence with 1,788 rooms which is also home to his extended family. He lives with his queen, a second wife, and 12 children. The youngest was born in January 2008.

Among Brunei's "high society" are many of his many aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, nieces and nephews and a host of titled personages, all of whom like to live in attractive surroundings.

Brunei may be tiny but there is no shortage of work for Broda. "We always have plenty to do," he said. The expert employs up to 120 people, among them designers, decoration experts, carpenters and other craftsmen. Needless to say, there is no recession here either and serious investment losses are virtually unknown.

"Everything has stayed the same as far as my clients are concerned and the same applies to the rest of Brunei," said Broda. "They haven't experienced any sharp decline."

According to Broda, the well-to-do in Brunei have excellent taste but tend to prefer a conservative style of interior decoration. "The monarchy here aligns itself very closely with the royal house in Britain," he said. The staunchly Muslim country was a British protectorate from the end of the 19th century until it became independent in 1984 and "it has adopted the style of the English aristocracy."

Interiors are "mostly classical," said Broda. "We might describe it as plush with for example frilly curtains and ruffle trimmings and lots of Louis XIV-style furniture." Just how magnificent some of the interiors are is of course a trade secret. "I always try to inject a little modernity into things," said the German expert although he generally adheres closely to his clients' wishes.

Brunei does not come across as particularly extravagant or opulent place, said Broda. "Things here are not like they are in many Arab kingdoms, where everything has to be plated in silver and gold and customers have all sorts of other luxurious wishes," said Broda. The well-heeled of Brunei are just like ordinary people, said the expert. After all, even sultans and aristocrats like to redecorate.

Money is usually of little consequence although customers do occasionally show him pictures of exclusive European furniture which turns out to be beyond their budget. In cases like these Broda and his team try to create similar items and have them assembled in Brunei at a fraction of the original cost.

Broda trained as a structural engineer and first visited the region in 1975 when he undertook work for a German construction company. He became involved in interior design and later went to Bahrain and Dubai before reaching Brunei in 1996. The compact country is a reassuringly safe place to live in, said Broda who is even able to enjoy German first division football matches on television - he is an ardent fan of SV Hamburg.

Foreigners who live in Brunei are often asked about the strict ban on alcohol which actually only applies to local Muslims. Hotels and restaurants do not serve alcohol and there are no bars or pubs. People from overseas sometimes meet up at the yacht club for dinner and bring their own alcoholic beverages such as wine and beer for consumption on the premises. (IANS)