My calendar says 2012, Saudi Arabia’s apparently is somewhere in the 700-800 range.

CAIRO: Riyadh General Court sentenced an Arab expatriate to six years in jail coupled with 600 lashes for sorcery and fraud, the Riyadh police announced yesterday.

The criminal, who is in his mid-40s, confessed to have swindled SR550,000 from a Saudi woman by promising her a magical cure.

According to police, the man promised the plaintiff he would help her hair grow by treating her with herbal therapy. Initially, the man had allegedly taken SR20,000 and asked the woman to pay the balance in installments.

On the payment of the first installment, the man had given the victim some herbs wrapped in a piece of white cloth and had told her to store it carefully to help her hair growth. According to the complaint, the criminal’s magical treatment had not stopped her hair falling out.

When police arrested him, the man had in his possession a ring, a black gemstone which he claimed had magical power and a hand-written paper that had a list of magic ingredients.