Bahrain

Wall Street bankers are flocking to the Middle East, and it's not for oil or the balmy weather. Years of raging energy prices have made the states surrounding the Persian Gulf one of the fastest-growing regions and a source of immense wealth seeking investments at home and around the world. The sovereign investment arms of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Kuwait have an estimated $1.5 trillion at their disposal.