Gaul was divided into three parts. No, four parts - for one small village of indomitable Gauls still held out against the Roman invaders!

The druid Getafix is running short of rock oil - an essential ingredient in the magic potion, which gives the Gaulish villagers superhuman strength to fight Julius Caesar's Roman legions. But the Phoenician merchant Ekonomikrisis has forgotten the druid's order, and Asterix and Obelix set off to prospect for black gold in the Middle Eastern desert.

Their mission is complicated by the Roman secret agent Dubbelosix and his amazing folding chariot, which is equipped with all the latest spy gadgets. Although they finally come home empty-handed, all is not lost - Getafix has discovered that beetroot juice works just as well in the potion...