A federal appeals court is set to hear arguments Wednesday over whether Saudi Arabia can avoid a lawsuit accusing the kingdom of supporting the 9/11 hijackers, as relatives of New Yorkers killed in the attacks closely follow the proceedings.
More than two decades after the terrorist attacks, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan will review a major August 2025 ruling by a lower-court judge that left Saudi Arabia potentially liable for damages in the long-running civil case.
Judges Guido Calabresi, William Nardini and Eunice Lee are scheduled to hear presentations from attorneys representing both the Saudi government and families of the 9/11 victims.
US District Judge George Daniels ruled that the families had uncovered “reasonable evidence” suggesting the Saudi government operated a support network for the hijackers. Riyadh has consistently denied having any involvement in the attacks.
Daniels said a jury could reasonably conclude that Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi national who helped arrange housing in California for two American Airlines Flight 77 hijackers, may have been working in coordination with Saudi officials.
Court filings describe al-Bayoumi as a suspected Saudi intelligence operative who hosted a “welcome party” for the two hijackers. He also possessed flight calculations that could have been used to steer an aircraft toward targets and was reportedly captured on video “casing” the US Capitol.
Saudi officials are challenging Daniels’ ruling and are expected to repeat their argument that the kingdom, as a sovereign nation, is protected from being sued in a US courtroom.
CHECK THIS OUT: Four Democrats in Tight House Races Walk Back Support for Transgender Athletes
The defense has intensified the anger of families who have spent years seeking accountability for the attacks.
“The Kingdom continues to lie in court and deny any culpability, when the evidence shows that their agents were directly involved in the attacks,” said Terry Strada, national chair of 9/11 Families United. Her husband, Tom, worked as a bond broker at Cantor Fitzgerald and died in the north tower.
Filed in 2004, the families’ lawsuit alleges that religious extremists gained access to influential positions within the Saudi government and used that support to assist the hijackers.
“Saudi Arabia is a supposed ally and a friend of ours. Friends don’t treat friends like that,” said Brett Eagleson, whose father, Bruce, was killed in the attacks.
The September 11, 2001, attacks claimed the lives of 2,977 civilians. Nineteen al Qaeda members — including 15 Saudi citizens — seized four commercial planes, crashing them into New York’s Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Osama bin Laden, the terrorist organization’s leader, came from one of Saudi Arabia’s wealthiest families. The kingdom later revoked his citizenship after he became an outspoken critic of both the United States and the Saudi government.
The case has undergone years of legal delays and reversals, including the passage of a federal law that expanded the ability of 9/11 families to sue foreign governments accused of supporting terrorism. Multiple lawsuits were eventually combined, with the claims focusing more directly on whether Saudi officials assisted the hijackers after they arrived in the United States in early 2000.
Wednesday’s oral arguments are expected to run for roughly 45 minutes. The appeals court will issue its decision in a written ruling at a later date.