What is freedom? Well, according to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative U.S. think tank, it's about the right to profit - making for an interesting ranking of freedom in the Middle East.
Based on criteria such as Rule of Law, Limited Government, Regulatory Efficiency and Open Markets, the foundation ranked Bahrain as the "most free" country in the Middle East in the recently published 2015 Index of Economic Freedom .
Bahrain, which has witnessed widespread unrest in recent years among the majority Shiite population in the Sunni-governed kingdom, came in 18th in the world for economic freedom. It, along with Qatar and the UAE, was classified as a "mostly free" economy.
Hong Kong, at 89.6, is ranked as the most economically free country in the world - while China, its counterpart in the "one country, two systems" relationship, was a lowly 139.
According to the Heritage Foundation, the index is not just about business, but reflects on the ability of each country's citizens to prosper and thrive:
For much of human history, most individuals have lacked economic freedom and opportunity, condemning them to poverty and deprivation.
Today, we live in the most prosperous time in human history. Poverty, sicknesses, and ignorance are receding throughout the world, due in large part to the advance of economic freedom. In 2015, the principles of economic freedom that have fueled this monumental progress are once again measured in the Index of Economic Freedom, an annual guide published by The Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation, Washington's No. 1 think tank.