Bin Laden family

Following the September 11 attacks, the family became the subject of media attention and scrutiny due to the activities of Osama bin Laden, the former head of al-Qaeda, even though they publicly disowned him in 1994.

The family traces its origins to Awad bin Laden from the village of al-Rubat, in the Wadi Doan of the Tarim Valley, Hadramout governorate, Yemen.

Mohammed bin Laden was a native of the Hadhramaut region in eastern Yemen, and, like many other Hadharem, emigrated to Saudi Arabia prior to World War I.

He made his initial fortune from exclusive rights to construct all mosques and other religious buildings not only in Saudi Arabia, but as far as Ibn Saud's influence reached.

[34] The passenger list was obtained and released by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), who acquired it from officials at Boston's Logan International Airport.

[36][circular reference] The 9/11 Commission found that the "FBI conducted a satisfactory screening of Saudi nationals who left the United States on charter flights.