The White Sheikh

English

"A true story that took place at the beginning of the nineteenth century. To write it, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi, the author, did not content himself with the documents he possessed. Instead, he visited the city of Salem in the United States of America, where he matched the old buildings of the remaining part of the city, and the town of Johannes Pole. He also visited the Peabody Museum and the Essex Document Center in Salem. In the East, he searched for Johannes Pole's descendants in Dhofar and found Mr. Abdul Khaliq bin Salmin bin Rabi', the son of a well-known lady in Dhofar. Through her, he found the descendants of Johannes Pole and the mother, Berikun. The novel sheds light on its hero, Abdullah, who begins narrating his story from the year 1805. Then, a significant character is mentioned: Abdullah bin Aqeel, one of the Alawite dignitaries in Dhofar and a renowned merchant in the Red Sea. He owned many ships and was the one who agreed with the French to establish an agency for them on Kamaran Island. The exciting story of that American boy who became a sheikh of the tribe after the sheikh's death and gained the trust of his tribesmen is recounted."