Deceived and deposed by his sinister adviser, Jaffar (Conrad Veidt), Ahmad (John Justin), the King of Bagdad, must find a way to reclaim his throne. Enlisting the unlikely assistance of a thief named Abu (Sabu), Ahmad soon meets a beautiful princess (June Duprez) and embarks on a series of adventures involving a genie (Rex Ingram), a flying carpet, and other fantastical elements. Eventually, Ahmad and Abu must face off against Jaffar, who will stop at nothing to hold on to power.