3 days ago
Court Examines Saudi Man's Alleged 9/11 Hijacker Assistance
Omar al-Bayoumi lived in San Diego before the September 11 attacks.
A property manager said he helped two men rent an apartment.
Those men, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, later became known as two of the attackers.
Bayoumi said he helped them only a little and mostly stayed away from them.
The property manager said he was more involved than that.
Investigators also found that people connected to Bayoumi helped the men with several practical tasks.
A judge said it was reasonable to question whether Bayoumi's help was connected to Saudi officials.
Saudi Arabia denies this and says Bayoumi was not its agent.
The case is still being considered by a US appeals court.
Former San Diego property manager Holly Ratchford said Omar al-Bayoumi helped Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar obtain an apartment.
Ratchford recalled Bayoumi as friendly and said he paid rent for the two men when they fell behind.
Investigators linked Bayoumi to assistance involving housing, driver's licences, flight-school applications, money transfers and dental treatment.
A US court found it reasonable to infer that Bayoumi's assistance may have been directed by the Saudi government, while noting the evidence did not prove that conclusion.
Saudi Arabia has denied that Bayoumi was an agent or had advance knowledge of the attacks; the legal case is headed to an appeals hearing in October.
- Who
- Omar al-Bayoumi, Nawaf al-Hazmi, Khalid al-Mihdhar, Holly Ratchford, investigators and families of September 11 victims.
- What
- A legal and investigative examination of allegations that Bayoumi assisted two September 11 hijackers before the attacks.
- Where
- San Diego, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, the United Kingdom and US courts.
- When
- Bayoumi moved into the San Diego apartment complex in September 1999; the attacks occurred in September 2001; a ruling was issued in August 2025, with oral arguments scheduled for October.
- Why
- The assistance, Bayoumi's alleged Saudi-linked payments and other evidence were examined to determine whether his actions were more than ordinary help and potentially connected to the Saudi government.
Court and Victims' Families
Bayoumi and Saudi Arabia
Extent of Bayoumi's assistance
Court and Victims' Families
Ratchford and investigators said Bayoumi was actively involved in helping the two men, including arranging housing and continuing to interact with them.
Bayoumi and Saudi Arabia
Bayoumi said he only helped two people named Nawaf and Khalid secure accommodation and largely stayed away from them afterward.
Meaning of the Washington video
Court and Victims' Families
Lawyers for the September 11 families argued that Bayoumi's 1999 footage of the US Capitol, together with his reference to a plan, could indicate surveillance of a potential target.
Bayoumi and Saudi Arabia
The judge said the video itself established only that Bayoumi visited Washington, DC, and recorded footage; Saudi authorities described it as tourist material.
Possible Saudi government direction
Court and Victims' Families
The court found a reasonable inference that Bayoumi's assistance may not have been an act of kindness and could have been carried out at the direction of the Saudi government.
Bayoumi and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly denied that Bayoumi was a Saudi agent or had advance knowledge of the September 11 attacks.
Key facts
- Apartment complex
- Parkwood Apartments in San Diego
- Move-in date
- Bayoumi moved into the complex with his family in September 1999.
- Hijackers linked to Bayoumi
- Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar
- Reported annual payments
- Approximately $90,000 from companies linked to Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry
- Arrest after the attacks
- Bayoumi was arrested in Birmingham, United Kingdom, and released after seven days.
- August 2025 ruling
- Judge George B Daniels rejected treating Bayoumi simply as an innocent person who happened to assist the hijackers.
- Current status
- The case is before the US Court of Appeals, which is scheduled to hear oral arguments in October.
Sources
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