I know many of you have already had firsthand experience and knowledge of the Arabian Gulf and of my home country of Bahrain. Those of you who do will know of the unprecedented growth that is taking place across the region. In just a few short years we have seen our economies transformed through industrialization and diversification. This growth and change in the Gulf Cooperation Council nations—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—is being referred to during this symposium as a “socioeconomic revolution.” And although the word “revolution” is sometimes misappropriated, I can assure you that in this instance, it is an apt description of the pace and extent of the current activity and development in the region.