The former Saudi citizen was expelled from Sudan in 1996 amid American pressure on the country. AFP
The former Saudi citizen was expelled from Sudan in 1996 amid American pressure on the country. AFP

1994 - Osama bin Laden stripped of Saudi citizenship

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Updated 22 April 2025
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1994 - Osama bin Laden stripped of Saudi citizenship

1994 - Osama bin Laden stripped of Saudi citizenship
  • Decision was a sign of the Kingdom’s firm stance against terrorism, which continues to this day

RIYADH: The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 created an environment conducive to the rise of numerous terrorist organizations. 

Osama bin Laden, a Saudi-born dissident, emerged as a key figure during this period, exploiting the circumstances of the invasion, and his own financial resources, to enhance his position as founder and leader of Al-Qaeda, one of the largest armed groups that promoted jihadist ideology. 

Bin Laden sought to target not only the West but also Islamic countries that did not comply with his radical positions and views. 

Following the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989, Bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia. Encouraged by what he perceived as his accomplishments during the war, he began preaching in mosques, inciting action against regional governments and calling for jihad, or a “holy war” against several countries. 

This stark divergence in the positions of Bin Laden and the Saudi government caused a rift, resulting in political and security restrictions on his movements, and efforts to curb his power and interference in Saudi affairs at both the regional and international levels. 

How we wrote it




Arab News provided six-page coverage of Osama bin Laden’s assassination, headlined “Bin Laden’s Luck Finally Runs Out.”

Recognizing the serious threat his extremist ideology posed to national and regional security, in 1991 Saudi Arabia expelled him from the country. Bin Laden subsequently moved to Sudan, where he continued to expand his group’s activities, including its involvement in global conflicts and acts of terrorism. 

In 1994, Saudi Arabia revoked his citizenship and froze his assets, forcing him to rely on external sources for funding. In 1996, he moved his operation to Afghanistan after he was expelled from Sudan following US pressure on the country’s government. Riyadh began coordinating with allied nations in an attempt to track Bin Laden’s movements and contain his terrorist activities. 

The revocation of his citizenship reflected the Kingdom’s pragmatic recognition of the threat he posed to both national and global security. At the time, though, Saudi authorities faced significant criticism from some international media outlets and Western human rights organizations, which viewed the decision to revoke citizenship as a breach of human rights, portraying it as a repressive measure to apply to individuals. 

Despite the criticism, the Saudis remained firm in their stance, regarding it as essential to distance the Kingdom from a figure who had become controversial worldwide, and to remove any association with the radical ideologies he promoted. 

Additionally, they sought to send a clear message to the world that neither Bin Laden nor his actions represented the beliefs of the Saudi state or its people. 

Key Dates

  • 1

    Osama bin Laden born in Riyadh, one of more than 50 children of a millionaire businessman. Accounts of his exact date of birth vary.

  • 2

    Soviet Union invades Afghanistan.

    Timeline Image Dec. 26, 1979

  • 3

    Bin Laden establishes Al-Qaeda from a network of Arab and other foreign veterans of the US-backed Afghan insurgency against the Soviet Union.

  • 4

    Soviet forces leave Afghanistan and Bin Laden subsequently returns to Saudi Arabia.

    Timeline Image Feb. 15, 1989

  • 5

    Bin Laden is expelled from Saudi Arabia and travels to Sudan.

  • 6

    Saudi Arabia, angered by Bin Laden’s propaganda against its rulers, revokes his citizenship and freezes his remaining assets in the country.

    Timeline Image April 9, 1994

  • 7

    Forced to leave Sudan following US pressure on the country’s government, he returns to Afghanistan.

  • 8

    US President Bill Clinton names Bin Laden as America’s top enemy, holds him responsible for the bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

  • 9

    Three hijacked planes crash into major US landmarks; two destroy the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York and one damages the Pentagon in Washington. A fourth hijacked plane crashes in a field in Pennsylvania when passengers fight back against the hijackers. Bin Laden says collapse of Twin Towers exceeded Al-Qaeda’s expectations.

    Timeline Image Sept. 11, 2001

  • 10

    US President George W. Bush declares Bin Laden “Wanted: Dead or Alive” for the 9/11 attacks.

    Timeline Image Sept. 17, 2001

  • 11

    US attacks Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, which hosts Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda.

  • 12

    Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban collapses when the group surrenders Kandahar and its leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, flees the city.

  • 13

    Bin Laden is killed in Abbottabad, 60 km north of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

    Timeline Image May 1, 2011

  • 14

    Saudi Arabia revokes citizenship of Bin Laden’s son, Hamza, a day after the US offers $1 million for information about his whereabouts.

Seven years after his citizenship was revoked, when it became clear that he and his Al-Qaeda operatives were responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the US, the voices advocating for his human rights fell silent. 

By expelling Bin Laden and adopting a strong stance against extremist ideologies, Saudi Arabia had emerged as a reliable partner in the global war on terrorism, through the restriction of financial aid to individuals and organizations suspected of supporting terrorism, and increased counterterrorism cooperation with international partners. 

In the three decades since then, it has become evident that Saudi Arabia’s handling of Bin Laden was not an isolated case but part of a broader strategy aimed at eradicating extremism at its roots. 

Successive Saudi leaderships have upheld a firm, zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism and worked to eliminate extremist elements within the Kingdom. This included shutting down sources of jihadist and extremist financing, restrictions on financial aid to individuals or institutions suspected of supporting terrorism, and the implementation of internal programs to combat extremist ideology. 

Through the multifaceted approach it adopted to address the activities of Bin Laden, the Kingdom positioned itself as a model for counterterrorism efforts, and strengthened its leadership role in global initiatives to combat extremists while dismantling their financial and media support networks. 

The pivotal international role Saudi Arabia plays in efforts to combat terrorism was evident as recently as last year when authorities in the Kingdom said they warned German counterparts about Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen and his extremist views. 




Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden during shooting training at al-Faruq base in Afghanistan. Video grab/AFP

The warnings fell on deaf ears, however, and on Dec. 20, 2024, Al-Abdulmohsen drove his car into crowds at a Christmas market in Magdeburg in an attack that killed six people and injured at least 299. 

In March 2019, 25 years after revoking Bin Laden’s citizenship, Saudi authorities did the same to one of his sons, Hamza. He sought to revive Al-Qaeda, having embraced many of his father’s extremist ideologies, including incitement to hatred and violence, and the recruitment of young Muslims to join extremist groups. He directed his rhetoric against Arab regimes and the world at large. 

Saudi authorities announced their decision the day after the US State Department offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the capture of Hamza, describing him as “an emerging Al-Qaeda leader” who “threatened attacks against the United States and allies.” 

On August 1, 2019, US media reported that Hamza was killed in an American airstrike. Citing unnamed US intelligence officials, the reports offered little information about the location or date of his death. In a brief statement on Sept. 14, President Donald Trump confirmed Hamza had been killed in a US “counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region.” He gave no further details. Al-Qaeda did not confirm the death. 

In September last year, media reports claimed that intelligence documents suggest Hamza might have survived the attack thought to have killed him and was secretly running Al-Qaeda operations in Afghanistan with his brother, Abdullah. 

The accuracy of the reports remains unclear but the uncertainty means the question of whether Al-Qaeda’s threat to the region and the West is truly over has yet to be resolved. 

  • Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is head of the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah). 


Albania votes in election test for EU accession

Albania votes in election test for EU accession
Updated 1 min 32 sec ago
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Albania votes in election test for EU accession

Albania votes in election test for EU accession
  • Vote — a first of its kind, as Albanians abroad can take part — pits outgoing Prime Minister Edi Rama against his arch-rival Sali Berisha
  • Doors to Brussels, he says, are the key to ‘being able to give Albanians a European passport’ and allowing them to ‘benefit from the same rights as citizens of all other European countries’
TIRANA: Albanians go to the polls on Sunday for legislative elections seen as crucial to gauge the country’s democratic development and determine its widely held goal of a European future.
The vote — a first of its kind, as Albanians abroad can take part — pits outgoing Prime Minister Edi Rama against his arch-rival Sali Berisha, a right-winger who heads an alliance of opposition parties.
Rama, 60, has been Socialist Party leader since 2005 and is seeking an unprecedented fourth consecutive term on a promise of European Union membership by 2030.
The doors to Brussels, he says, are the key to “being able to give Albanians a European passport” and allowing them to “benefit from the same rights as citizens of all other European countries.”
Trying to stop Rama is Berisha, 80, who is eager to return to power after 12 years in opposition.
The former president heads an opposition coalition that has adopted a Donald Trump-like slogan, “Great Albania,” based on economic revival.
“We are the only ones who can relaunch the country’s economy, the only ones able to take Albania forward. Edi Rama is counting the last days of his regime,” said Berisha.
The campaign also gives him a chance to reburnish his image as a strong leader, despite being under the spotlight of Albanian justice, where he is suspected of being implicated in a corruption case that allegedly benefited his family.
Shortly before the end of a campaign marked by verbal excesses, particularly on social media, the latest polls indicated a win for Rama’s party.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe meanwhile said there was “extreme political polarization” in the Balkan nation of 2.8 million.
Berisha accuses the socialists of “vote-buying, voter intimidation, pressure, use of public funds by ministers and majority candidates for their election campaign.”
Rama has dismissed the claims as “nothing but an excuse for defeat.”

For the first time in the history of elections in Albania, the diaspora is able to vote from abroad by post, in a test for the development of democratic processes and institutions, especially in the context of EU accession negotiations, which began in 2022.
According to official data from the central electoral commission, 245,935 Albanians not resident in Albania are registered to vote.
“Albania has made significant process on the path to EU accession, demonstrating its perseverance in implementing ambitious reforms for the benefit of its citizens,” Silvio Gonzato, the EU delegation’s ambassador in Albania, told AFP.
The losers have challenged the results of every election since the end of communism at the start of the 1990s on the grounds of fraud.
But this time round the vote is being closely watched and in another first, civil servants and justice officials will be deployed alongside the electoral commission and some 300 international observers.
The special prosecutor against corruption and organized crime has meanwhile just opened a verification procedure over a $6-million contract signed in April between an Albanian-American community foundation in the United States and the US lobbying firm Continental Strategy.
Continental Strategy was founded by Carlos Trujillo, a top adviser to Trump.
“The contract aims to strengthen relations between the United States and the Democratic Party, the main opposition force,” according to the party.
For Brussels, Sunday’s vote is a major new test for Albania, which has been a member of NATO since 2009.
“The organization of free and fair elections, in line with democratic norms and democratic values, will be an essential step to reinforce Albanian democracy, boost citizens’ trust in their elected representatives and advance the country’s European integration,” said Gonzato.
Just five days after the elections, Tirana will be the venue for the next European Political Community summit.

Book Review: ‘Oil Leaders’ by Dr. Ibrahim Al-Muhanna

Book Review: ‘Oil Leaders’ by Dr. Ibrahim Al-Muhanna
Updated 5 min 19 sec ago
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Book Review: ‘Oil Leaders’ by Dr. Ibrahim Al-Muhanna

Book Review: ‘Oil Leaders’ by Dr. Ibrahim Al-Muhanna

Dr. Ibrahim Al-Muhanna’s book, “Oil Leaders: An Insider’s Account of Four Decades of Saudi Arabia and OPEC’s Global Energy Policy,” offers a detailed narrative of the oil industry’s evolution from a Saudi perspective, drawing on the author’s four decades of experience.

Published in 2022, the book coincides with global energy crises triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Al-Muhanna relies on data from OPEC, the International Energy Agency and interviews to provide an anecdotal biography of key figures who shaped oil politics, targeting a broad audience including policymakers, researchers and industry professionals.

The book is divided into 11 chapters, beginning with the influential role of Saudi Oil Minister Ahmed Zaki Yamani, whose overconfidence and perceived indispensability are critically examined.

Subsequent chapters highlight other pivotal figures, such as Hisham Nazer, Yamani’s successor, and delve into events such as the 1991 Gulf War.

The narrative also covers Luis Giusti, of Venezuela’s PDVSA, whose disregard for OPEC quotas sparked tensions, and discusses OPEC’s struggles with production cuts and falling oil prices in the late 1990s, which led to economic crises in oil-exporting nations such as Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

Al-Muhanna explores the political ramifications of oil price fluctuations, noting how high prices influenced US presidential elections and shaped diplomatic interactions, such as George W. Bush’s visit to Riyadh.

The book also examines the rise of Russia under Vladimir Putin, the privatization of Saudi Aramco as part of Vision 2030, and the roles of contemporary leaders such as Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and former US President Joe Biden in shaping global energy policy.


New York man charged after nearly 70 live cats and two dozen dead kittens are found in his home

New York man charged after nearly 70 live cats and two dozen dead kittens are found in his home
Updated 6 min 44 sec ago
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New York man charged after nearly 70 live cats and two dozen dead kittens are found in his home

New York man charged after nearly 70 live cats and two dozen dead kittens are found in his home
  • His house also was condemned as uninhabitable
  • He was charged with 18 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and animal neglect and ordered to appear in court on May 23

NEW YORK: A suburban New York man has been charged with animal cruelty after authorities say they found nearly 100 cats in his home, including about two dozen dead kittens in a freezer.
The man, 75, surrendered Wednesday to detectives with the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at a local police precinct, the nonprofit organization said. He was charged with 18 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and animal neglect and ordered to appear in court on May 23.
His house, which is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Manhattan, also was condemned as uninhabitable because of overpowering odors of feces and urine, authorities said.


The man didn’t immediately respond to a Thursday phone message seeking comment. Court records don’t list a lawyer for him.
Authorities found 69 living cats, many of which had medical ailments including respiratory infections and eye disease, and 28 dead cats at Glantz’s home on Saturday while investigating a complaint about dozens of cats living in squalid conditions, the county SPCA said. About two dozen dead kittens were wrapped up in a freezer and the other deceased animals were found in other parts of the house, according to the group.
Three of the living cats taken from the home later had to be euthanized because they were in such bad shape, the SPCA said.
The surviving cats are being treated at the Islip town animal shelter with the help of the SPCA’s mobile animal and surgical hospital. Officials are working to find new homes for them and seeking donations to help pay for their care. More than two dozen will be brought to upstate New York to be made available for adoption, the SPCA said.
“The house was in absolute deplorable condition,” said Roy Gross, chief of the Suffolk County SPCA. “Feces covered the floors, sprayed on the walls, saturated in urine. The floors were spongy, most likely from the urine. And the ammonia was so extremely high — the ammonia smell from the urine — that the town of Islip fire marshal condemned the house.”
It isn’t clear why the man had so many cats. Gross said the man’s wife died last month and they had lived in the home for more than 30 years.
It has been a busy and trying month for the animal welfare organization, which also has been helping to care for dozens of cats that were injured in a cat sanctuary fire in the nearby hamlet of Medford on March 31. The shelter’s owner was killed in the blaze.


Saudi woman wins gold at first Asian Camel Racing Championship

Saudi woman wins gold at first Asian Camel Racing Championship
Updated 22 min 15 sec ago
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Saudi woman wins gold at first Asian Camel Racing Championship

Saudi woman wins gold at first Asian Camel Racing Championship
  • Jockey Kholoud Al-Shammari races to victory on Bashar
  • Countryman Abdulmajeed Al-Huwaiti takes silver in men’s category

ABU DHABI: A Saudi jockey on Thursday became the first winner of the Asian Camel Racing Championship in the women’s category.
Kholoud Al-Shammari raced to victory and the gold medal on Bashar at the Al-Wathba track in Abu Dhabi, UAE. She was followed home by countrywoman Abeer bint Ahmed Hakami, aboard Namrood.
In the men’s race, the Kingdom’s Abdulmajeed Al-Huwaiti steered his mount, Uboor, to a second place finish.
Saudi Camel Federation President Prince Fahd bin Jalawi congratulated Al-Shammari on her victory in what he called an “important continental tournament.”
He also praised Hakami and Al-Huwaiti for their achievements.
All three riders’ performances reflected the “high level and strong competitiveness of Saudi camel racing,” he said.
“This success comes amid the great support and attention from the wise leadership of the Kingdom for the sports sector in general and camel racing in particular, in recognition of its role in preserving cultural heritage and enhancing Saudis’ presence on both the regional and international sports stage.”
The prince also congratulated Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal for his support for all sports.


Jazan University foreign scholarship scheme thriving as intake hits 2,100

Jazan University foreign scholarship scheme thriving as intake hits 2,100
Updated 43 min 43 sec ago
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Jazan University foreign scholarship scheme thriving as intake hits 2,100

Jazan University foreign scholarship scheme thriving as intake hits 2,100
  • 344 students from 20 countries enroll in 2025
  • Program provides platform for boosting cultural understanding, intellectual moderation

RIYADH: Jazan University enrolled 344 students into its foreign scholarship program this year, taking the total since its inception to 2,100.

The latest intake represent more than 20 countries, including France, Canada, the Russian Federation and several Arab, African and Asian nations, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

As well as helping the university to increase its global standing, the program provides a platform for enhancing relationships between people from around the world, and nurturing cultural understanding and intellectual moderation, the report said.

Jazan University is regarded as a leading scientific institution within the Kingdom and the wider Arab world. It champions the message of Islam and the teaching of the Arabic language, while promoting the values of moderation, balance and understanding among people.

As well as the educational benefits, students enrolled on the scholarship program have access to a comprehensive healthcare package, which includes their accompanying family members, and various financial support options to cover shipping costs and the purchase of relevant materials and equipment.

The university also provides free flights home at the end of each academic year to ensure its students’ well-being.

A recent beneficiary of the scheme is Obaidur Rahman Abdul Hannan.

“This is an important academic project, which not only helps the meritorious students but also serves the purpose for achieving cultural understanding and intellectual moderation, making it an ambitious project deserving praise and appreciation both locally and internationally,” he told Arab News.

“Saudi Arabia is emerging as a global hub for higher education, offering a plethora of fully funded scholarships to international students across various disciplines.

“These scholarships by Jazan University, with excellent facilities, bearing all expenses, flight tickets, provide an excellent opportunity for non-Saudi students … to pursue various courses in such a prestigious university.”