An Arabian bandit discovers he's the long lost son of a Sultan.

The benevolent Sultan of Damascus, who owns a golden arrow which, when shot, always finds its mark and returns to its owner, is assassinated at the order of Baktiar, a vizier, and the assailants escape with a child. Jamila, the Sultan's young niece, becomes ruler, but Baktiar is her advisor, and Damascus falls on evil days. When Jamila reaches marriageable age, Baktiar announces that anyone who can bend the bow and shoot the golden arrow may claim her hand and become sultan. Since no one has been able to shoot the arrow since the Sultan's murder, Baktiar is confident that all attempts will fail, thus enabling him to force Jamila to marry him. Hassan, a young thief who has come to the festivities to steal the rich gifts brought by the contenders, easily shoots the arrow. Mokbar, Jamila's trusted Elder, recognizes a birthmark on Hassan's hand as the same as that on the hand of the child abducted from the palace and declares Hassan the new Sultan, but Baktiar declares him a fraud. Hassan and his men kidnap Jamila and escape, but the golden arrow disappears. Hassan and Jamila fall in love, but Hassan is captured by Baktiar when he returns Jamila to Damascus. Three genii help him escape and promise to help him recover the arrow. They warn him that if he returns to his thieving ways, his obstacles will be greater. After a series of adventures, Hassan recovers the arrow, is sent back to Damascus on a flying carpet to defeat Baktiar, and is revealed to be the assassinated Sultan's son. Hassan is proclaimed ruler and marries Jamila.