UAE - head of largest sovereign wealth fund missing
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Summary

March 27, 2010: Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the head of the sovereign wealth fund of Abu Dhabi (which is believed to be the world's largest sovereign wealth fund) went missing when his glider crashed into an artificial lake in Morocco on March 26.

Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the managing director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and the younger brother of Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the leader of the United Arab Emirates.

The glider crashed near the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah Dam, which forms the lake. It is located near the Atlantic coastal town of Skhirat, some 35 kilometers south of the capital city Rabat and site of one of Morocco's royal palaces.

The fund released its first yearly statement last year, which however does not list the budget or total size of the fund's holdings. The bulk of the investments of the fund are in North America and Europe, and Al Nahyan had claimed earlier this year that he saw "significant, long-term investment potential" in these regions.

Source

Bibliography
1. Original article @Archive.org

Game and Story Use

  • Was this an attack by terrorists? Kidnappers? Rival economic blocks who'd like to have a more pliable head of the fund to divert more investments their way? Fratricidal power struggles within the UAE's ruling dynasty?
  • Is it significant that the lake is artificial? Did Al Nahyan perhaps spot something emerging from the Secret Underground Base hidden behind the lake? Was he kidnapped to ensure the secrecy of the hideout - and what are his kidnappers going to do now that they have learned the importance of their hostage?
  • PCs could investigate his disappearance.
    • If it was a murder, they can find his killers.
    • If it was a kidnapping, they can attempt to find them and free them.
      • But can they be sure they've got the same bloke back as went missing…?
    • Alternatively the PCs could be tasked to accquire or eliminate someone like this and cause the disappearance in the first place.
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