PREQUITI by Simon Davies
The ZCP Trilogy
The ZCP trilogy is a gripping financial thriller set in the high-stakes world of private equity in Dubai and the Middle East. The novels follow the experiences of ZCP, a private equity firm founded by Mansour Khan, Abdullah El-Sayed and Steve Miller. This fast-paced, exhilarating saga takes readers on a journey through the intense and adrenaline-fueled world of private equity, where high-pressure deals are made and lost, and where reputations can be both built and shattered.
The trilogy offers striking, detailed insights into one of the most captivating arenas of investment, weaving a storyline that spans business transactions from Morocco in the West to Oman in the East. The narrative unfolds across a landscape of complex challenges involving banks, investors, business owners, and fellow private equity professionals, all set against the dynamic backdrop of 21st-century Dubai.
As ZCP grows and evolves, the trilogy immerses readers in the vivid and often volatile world of private equity, capturing the essence of the industry’s challenges and triumphs in a region where opportunity and risk go hand in hand.
Prequiti - Volume one
This debut twelve-chapter volume of the ZCP series begins with the dramatic downfall of a local fund manager, contrasted against the sudden, high-profile collapse of another regional private equity institution. Through this comparison, the novel delves into the volatile world of finance and the precarious nature of success.
Early in the narrative, readers are introduced to the detailed biographies of the three ZCP founders, whose lives are intricately woven into the unfolding events. The story follows a ruthless banker determined to win at any cost, two former special forces colleagues navigating an investment into their successful personal security business, and the challenges of acquiring an engineering company while carefully avoiding the onset of a family feud. The plot also features an ego-driven industry magnate who meets his match in the unforgiving desert as well as a joint venture opportunity which seems too good to be true.
The novel reaches its climax with ZCP’s tense, high-stakes negotiations to sell a cutting-edge tech company to two US-based investors, leaving readers on the edge of their seats.
Dollars in the Sand - Volume two
Picking up from the gripping cliff-hanger that concluded the first volume, this second instalment reveals the twisted outcome of those negotiations before delving deeper into the intricate world of ZCP. The team faces a whirlwind of challenges, from managing the fallout of a rapidly spreading global virus that impacts one of their new employees while working away from home, to averting the arrest of a colleague caught with alcohol in a dry country.
The narrative unfolds further with a tense scenario involving a young widow on the brink of losing her business empire amid a local banking crisis, and the delicate manoeuvring required in the last-minute joint venture negotiations with an unstable, sycophantically managed regional business group. The story intensifies as ZCP contends with the acquisition of a local fund manager from its US parent - a deal complicated by the murky revelations that emerge with every step.
The volume concludes with a powerful intersection between the personal and professional, as the private life of one of the founders takes a dramatic turn, colliding head-on with his business activities.
Volume three
In process
About the author
With over twenty years of experience in the private equity sector, Simon Davies has spent nearly half of that time in the Middle East. He served as Chief Operating Officer at a major private equity firm headquartered in Dubai, where he played a key role in scaling the operations from the ground up.
His extensive tenure provided him with deep insights into the intricacies of managing a fast-growing financial institution across the Middle East. Simon gained a profound understanding of the regional business environment and the daily life of expatriates working in this dynamic region.
Now slightly greying and having decided a few years ago against starting a new investment firm from scratch, he turned his attention to writing. Drawing on his wealth of personal experiences, Simon has crafted a series of original and compelling thrillers centred around a fictional private equity firm, offering a distinctive and engaging portrayal of the industry in the Middle East.
Publication timetable
The publication date for Prequiti is yet to be determined.
The goal is to bring Prequiti to market once the ideal partnerships have been secured and the unpredictable nuances of the publishing journey have been carefully navigated.
In addition to traditional publishing, various avenues are being explored to maximize the novel’s potential across different platforms.
Addressing these opportunities diligently remains critical to ensuring a timely release that both aligns with industry standards and leverages the most suitable options to fully realize the broader possibilities for the ZCP Trilogy.