Alleged Saudi role in the September 11 attacks

Saudi government
Company type	Government
Industry	Government
Headquarters	Saudi Arabia

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Alleged Saudi role in the September 11 attacks, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 7 August 20255 sources

Since the September 11 attacks occurred in the United States in 2001, accusations regarding the involvement of the Saudi government have emerged, although Saudi Arabia has persistently refuted these claims.

The 9/11 Commission Report, published on July 22, 2004, found no proof that the Saudi government or its top officials provided financial support to Al-Qaeda or the attackers; nevertheless, the BBC highlighted that the report identified Saudi Arabia as the chief source of funding for Al-Qaeda and noted that 15 out of the 19 hijackers were citizens of Saudi Arabia.

In 2012, the FBI revealed evidence implicating Saudi diplomat Fahad al-Thumairy and suspected Saudi agent Omar al-Bayoumi in assisting the hijackers. By 2021, the FBI confirmed al-Bayoumi’s role as a Saudi intelligence operative connected to hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar when they entered the United States. The FBI further stated in 2022 there was an approximate "50/50 chance" that al-Bayoumi had prior knowledge of the attacks. Additionally, al-Bayoumi aided the hijackers in securing housing in San Diego. Both he and Saudi officials have denied any governmental affiliation.

Prior to amendments introduced by the 2016 Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), the Saudi government enjoyed extensive immunity from U.S. legal actions under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. In 2018, a federal judge determined that a lawsuit filed by survivors and families of victims possessed a "reasonable basis" under JASTA, permitting it to move forward.

2004 – 9/11 Commission Report

The final report from the 9/11 Commission, issued in July 2004 following requests by the Bush administration and U.S. Congress, concluded there was "no evidence" connecting senior Saudi Arabian officials or the government itself to the September 11 attacks. However, it acknowledged that numerous private donors and fundraising efforts within Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations supported Al-Qaeda prior to 9/11.^[1]

April 2016 – The 28 pages

The question of Saudi involvement in the September 11 attacks reemerged when former U.S. congressmen Bob Graham and Porter Goss, who co-chaired the congressional investigation, declared in April 2016 that the previously redacted "28 pages" of a report contained evidence indicating significant Saudi connections to the attacks,^[2]^[3] sparking demands for their public release.

Although the commission found no involvement by "senior, high-level" Saudi officials, critics have argued that "lower-ranking officials or segments of the Saudi government might have been implicated." Senator Bob Graham from Florida testified under oath regarding evidence pointing to Saudi government assistance for the terrorists.^[4]

In 2017, attorney Jim Kreindler asserted he had uncovered "a connection between Saudi officials and the hijackers," despite ongoing denials from the Saudi government concerning any involvement.^[5]

July 2016 – File 17

In July 2016, the U.S. government disclosed "File 17," a document prepared by Dana Lesemann and Michael Jacobson, which identified approximately thirty-six individuals—including Fahad al-Thumairy, Omar al-Bayoumi, Osama Bassnan, and Mohdhar Abdullah—who connected Saudi Arabia to the 9/11 hijackers. Former Senator Bob Graham highlighted that much of the content within File 17 was derived from the previously confidential 28 pages.

2017 'dry-run' lawsuit

In 2017, allegations surfaced accusing the Saudi embassy in Washington DC of conducting a "dry run" by sponsoring two Saudi nationals, al-Qudhaeein and Hamdan al-Shalawi—disguised as students—to travel from Phoenix to Washington two years prior to the 9/11 attacks. Legal filings claimed the embassy funded these individuals to probe cockpit security by posing technical questions and attempting unauthorized cockpit access on a domestic flight within the United States, which resulted in an emergency landing and FBI questioning. The lawsuit asserted these men were part of a Saudi intelligence network operating in the U.S. linked to the terrorist plot. FBI records revealed both had undergone training in Afghanistan alongside al-Qaeda members and received financial support from the Saudi government, with Qudhaeein holding a position at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.

2020 FBI file release

In April 2020, the FBI inadvertently disclosed the identity of Saudi diplomat Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah (MAJ) during court proceedings connected to lawsuits filed by 9/11 victims' families. From 1999 to 2000, MAJ served as a mid-level official at the Saudi Embassy in Washington, DC’s Foreign Ministry division, reporting directly to Saudi ambassador Prince Bandar and overseeing personnel affiliated with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs at Saudi-funded mosques and Islamic centers.

An FBI update dated October 2012 presented evidence suggesting that Fahad al-Thumairy, a Ministry of Islamic Affairs official and imam at Los Angeles’s King Fahd Mosque, along with Omar al-Bayoumi (OAB), suspected of being a Saudi government agent, provided assistance to the 9/11 hijackers under MAJ’s supervision. MAJ reportedly offered critical support to hijackers Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi—who commandeered American Airlines Flight 77. After their January 2000 arrival in Los Angeles, al-Thumairy and OAB allegedly helped them secure housing, manage finances, and open bank accounts. Former FBI agent Catherine Hunt noted that during the investigation by the 9/11 Commission, the Bureau considered MAJ as having supported and maintained ties with al-Thumairy.

On September 11, 2020, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn mandated Prince Bandar bin Sultan and another member of the Saudi royal family to respond to inquiries related to the ongoing 9/11 litigation. Families of victims contend that Saudi operatives knowingly aided al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden prior to the attacks on New York City’s World Trade Center.

2021 FBI file release

On September 11, 2021, following an executive order issued by Joe Biden, the FBI initiated a six-month process of releasing redacted documents regarding alleged Saudi involvement in the 9/11 attacks.

The initial release was a heavily censored sixteen-page FBI report from 2016 which concluded there was no proof linking the Saudi government directly to the attacks. However, it documented that Omar al-Bayoumi regularly visited the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles and provided "significant logistical support" as well as financial assistance to hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar upon their arrival in the United States.

The Saudi Embassy in Washington DC welcomed this disclosure by reaffirming that no evidence exists implicating either the Saudi government or its officials in planning or executing the attacks, dismissing such allegations as "false and malicious."

2022 FBI Document Disclosure

In March 2022, the FBI made public a 510-page report from 2017 that indicated a "50/50 likelihood" that al-Bayoumi had prior awareness of the 9/11 attacks through two Islamist associates involved in the conspiracy. Additionally, he assisted these individuals in securing accommodation in San Diego.

Thomas Kean, former Governor of New Jersey and chair of the 9/11 Commission, stated that if these claims were accurate, he would be disturbed, emphasizing his belief in the FBI’s complete openness.

Al-Bayoumi refuted any knowledge of the hijackers' intentions, asserting their friendship was coincidental. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia maintained that al-Bayoumi was not acting as their operative.

On March 10, 2022, the US Department of Justice announced it would not meet the deadline established by President Biden’s executive order to disclose all FBI investigative records related to 9/11.

Aftermath

The Saudi government has persistently rejected allegations linking it to the attacks. Families of victims have pursued legal action targeting Saudi royals, financial institutions, and charities; however, these efforts have been complicated by the 1976 Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. Political science scholar Gawdat Bahgat noted that following September 11, influential policymakers in Washington strongly criticized what they described as Saudi Arabia's "policy of promoting terrorism and funding hatred."

According to Caleb Hanna, US authorities cooperated with Saudi officials to conceal evidence of purported Saudi involvement by denying Freedom of Information Act requests and sharing confidential information with Saudi legal representatives. Former Senator Bob Graham characterized this conduct not merely as a 'cover-up' but as an instance of "aggressive deception."

JASTA

In March 2016, Saudi Arabia issued a warning that it might liquidate up to US$750 billion in American assets if the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA)—which creates an exception to the 1976 Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act—was passed, raising fears about potential instability in the US dollar. President Barack Obama cautioned about possible unintended repercussions, while analysts indicated such actions could negatively impact Saudi Arabia's economy.

By March 2018, a US judge permitted a lawsuit filed by survivors and families of 9/11 victims against Saudi Arabia to move forward, seeking multi-billion-dollar compensation. As of 2024, this litigation remains unresolved.

Operation Encore

Initiated in 2007, Operation Encore was a covert FBI probe aimed at investigating suspected connections between Saudi officials and the hijackers involved in September 11. Although The New York Times reported "circumstantial evidence," no definitive links were established. Some FBI personnel have claimed that the CIA hindered surveillance efforts targeting two Saudi suspects and that crucial leads were initially neglected.