In the lobby of the Four Seasons Abu Dhabi, steps away from the offices of billionaires Ray Dalio and Changpeng ¡°CZ¡± Zhao, men in white thobes and tailored suits cluster in hushed conversation around low tables strewn with tiny cups of Arabic coffee. Seats in the hotel¡¯s lounge pit are limited, and for good reason: It¡¯s become the region¡¯s nerve center for the obscure world of private capital.

¡°Every Tom, Dick and Harry around the world is trying to come here,¡± said Ryan Lemand, co-founder and chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi-based Neovision Wealth Management. ¡°It¡¯s like the gold rush.¡±

Some 138 kilometers up the Persian Gulf coast in Dubai, the scene could hardly be more different.