Alan Clay, a 54-year old American businessman, is on the verge of failure. In order to save himself from financial ruin, Clay travels to Saudi Arabia with a young team in the hope of closing a lucrative deal in the IT branch. However, his old-fashioned approach to business is not working in his favor. Saudi Arabia is to become a new commercial capital, and the American team would like to introduce King Abdullah to a new form of IT technology, which could be extremely beneficial for the prospering city. However, Clay and his colleagues are not only faced with the stifling heat of the country, but also with and endless waiting period until they can actually meet the monarch. Once the king finally appears, he does so in the company of the Chinese competition, who are offering their technology for much less.
An adaptation of the novel by David Eggers.