---
category: BCCI Scandal
summary: Khalil was one of the nominees used by Abedi to secretly purchase shares
  in CCAH, the holding company that owned First American Bank.
tags:
- Person
- BCCI
- CIA
---

A. R. (Abdul Raouf) Khalil is a high-level officer in Saudi Arabian intelligence and a key [BCCI](/organizations/bank-of-credit-and-commerce-international/) front man.[^1] He was a prominent figure in [Agha Hasan Abedi](/people/agha-hasan-abedi/)'s network of wealthy Middle Eastern individuals who were shareholders in BCCI and its associated entities.

### Role in BCCI Operations

Khalil was one of the nominees used by Abedi to secretly purchase shares in CCAH, the holding company that owned [First American Bank](/organizations/first-american-bank/).[^2] He was also a recipient of large, fictitious loans from BCCI, such as $168 million, which were used to create the illusion of capital within the bank.[^3]

His involvement in BCCI's operations highlights the bank's strategy of using influential figures to conceal its true ownership and illicit financial activities. Khalil, along with [Kamal Adham](/people/kamal-adham/) and [Ghaith R. Pharaon](/people/ghaith-r-pharaon/), held significant shares in BCCI and its subsidiaries, often acquired through these fraudulent loans.[^4]

[^1]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 10.
[^2]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 193.
[^3]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 142.
[^4]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 140.