The trends of 2007 contained the seeds of what TowerGroup believes will be a successful 2008 for financial institutions and exchanges of the Gulf region of the Middle East, which have demonstrated the depth and power of their financial resources. This TowerGroup Research Note discusses the top 10 business drivers that will impact the securities and investment firms in the region in 2008 and highlights the strategic responses and technology initiatives that will help the firms succeed in 2008 and beyond. The analysis is based on our own best view of the industry and conversations with industry leaders.