Newly uncovered evidence suggests a deeper connection between Saudi national Omar Al-Bayoumi and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. While originally described by the 9/11 Commission as an “unlikely” accomplice, a fresh review of materials from his 2001 U.S. apartment paints a different picture. CIA counterterrorism analyst Gina Bennett now believes Bayoumi acted as an al-Qaeda facilitator, helping two hijackers evade capture.

Bayoumi, long suspected of being linked to Saudi intelligence, allegedly had close ties to hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar. New evidence, revealed through a lawsuit by 9/11 families against Saudi Arabia, includes a 1999 video he recorded in Washington showing security posts, entrances, and other sensitive landmarks. Although Saudi officials called it a “tourist video,” experts argue it contained information valuable for planning an attack.

Additional evidence includes a sketch and an equation found among Bayoumi’s belongings, which experts say could help a pilot calculate the rate of descent toward a target. Bayoumi, during a 2021 deposition, claimed he vaguely remembered writing it and suggested it might have been a high school exercise.

Bayoumi also met al-Hazmi and al-Mihdhar in Los Angeles in early 2000. He maintains that it was a chance meeting and that he was merely helping them settle in the U.S. After the attacks, he returned to Saudi Arabia and has never faced charges.

The revelations reignite questions about Saudi Arabia’s potential ties to the 9/11 attacks, with families of victims continuing to seek accountability through legal avenues.