Alfred “Fred” Jones (McGregor) is a man with Asperger’s syndrome[4] who is the British government expert in salmon fisheries. When consultant Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Blunt), representing a wealthy Yemeni sheikh (Waked), asks for help to fulfill the sheikh’s vision to introduce salmon fishing to the desert country of Yemen, Fred rejects the idea as unfeasible. However, the Prime Minister's press secretary, Patricia Maxwell (Scott Thomas) fastens onto it as a “good will” story of Anglo-Arab cooperation to distract the voters from ongoing bad news out of Afghanistan, and pressures Fred into working with Harriet and the sheikh to implement the project. He gradually comes to believe in the sheikh’s quest. Estranged from his career-minded wife, Fred falls in love with Harriet, whose boyfriend Robert (Mison) has just gone missing in action in the war. After Fred declares his love to Harriet, Robert returns alive, requiring her to choose between the two men. The fish are released and the project seems to be succeeding, but it is sabotaged by local militants who destroy the salmon runs. But when Fred sees some fish have survived, he regains his faith, and Harriet joins him to fulfill the sheikh’s vision.