Cast of Characters

Since almost every one of the people in this account have a name starting with 'F,' it might be confusing.

Fahad is a wealthy Saudi. He claims to have a Ph.D. from the US, but, when offered a job paying €43,000, he could not produce any proof that he actually had the Ph.D. I consider Fahad wealthy because, without working, he has an income of about €100,000. However, he tends to spend €300,000 each year. This is a problem. He spent all his 2007 income, borrowed from his uncle an advance of €100,000 on his 2008 income, and borrowed another €100,000 from several Dubai banks, an amount he has no means of repaying before 2009. In Saudi, borrowing from ex-pats was not a problem. In the UAE, a Saudi writing bad cheques can be gaoled. Fahad is now residing at the pleasure of the UAE government in a facility somewhere in Dubai.

Farook tries to promote the adage that a certain rare type of person, a type P. T. Barnum said only appears once in every sixty seconds, should be separated from their money as quickly as possible. Farook has promised to get Fahad out of gaol if Fahad's friends will put up 20%, or €20,000. Once out of gaol, Fahad can then walk across the desert into Saudi, where he will be safe. Fahad says he has the entire €100,000, but that the people to whom he wrote the bad cheques cheated him, and he does not owe them anything, so he will not pay. The consensus is that Fahad will not have a tosser before 2009, and that Farook is hoping to separate Fahad's family and friends from their money.

Faysel was an American gangster who tried to kill me. He only failed because some people still working at midnight knew they would be blamed if a dead body were found on their doorsteps, so they stopped Faysel long enough for me to get away. Faysel was arrested for trying to kill someone else, and is now residing in a government facility somewhere in Sharjah.

Majid is a friend of Fahad who has put up €6,000 to try to get Fahad released from gaol, but without success, given Fahad's debts.