While many of the investors are focused on emerging markets, some brave and sophisticated investors are looking beyond the horizon and venturing into frontier markets. Some examples of frontier markets are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco, Algeria, Lebanon, Colombia, Vietnam, and more.

The prevailing low interest rates in many countries around the world and the rising demand for commodities are two of the reasons that are advantageous to frontier markets. For example, rising crude oil and natural gas prices are benefiting Kazakhstan. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Nigeria, Oman and Kuwait are profiting from higher crude oil prices.

Iran announced this week that it is enriching uranium to a higher level. This will put the country on course to build a nuclear bomb, observers say. President Obama was concerned enough to say Iran will soon face punishing sanctions.

Total ETF assets grew by more than $240 billion in 2009, as funds continued to flow from traditional actively-managed mutual funds and issuers introduced more than 100 new products. Despite some suggestions that the a saturation point is nearing (or has perhaps even been passed), the ETF industry is poised to continue its rapid expansion in 2010, and is on pace to surpass last year’s new product total.

Many of the new funds launched this year have been instant hits, and the pipeline is full of exciting new products (see the Seven Most Anticipated New ETFs of 2010). In a new weekly feature on ETF Database, we take a look at some of the more interesting products currently awaiting approval and launch. First up are three international ETFs offering exposure to hard-to-reach regions of the world, including a frontier, emerging, and developed market.