The Most Famous
EXTREMISTS from Saudi Arabia
This page contains a list of the greatest Saudi Arabian Extremists. The pantheon dataset contains 283 Extremists, 7 of which were born in Saudi Arabia. This makes Saudi Arabia the birth place of the 6th most number of Extremists behind Italy, and France.
Top 8
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Saudi Arabian Extremists of all time. This list of famous Saudi Arabian Extremists is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Osama bin Laden (1957 - 2011)
With an HPI of 78.46, Osama bin Laden is the most famous Saudi Arabian Extremist. His biography has been translated into 143 different languages on wikipedia.
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (Arabic: أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لادن, romanized: Usāma bin Muḥammad bin ʿAwaḍ bin Lādin; 10 March 1957 – 2 May 2011) was a Saudi Arabian-born Islamic dissident and militant leader who was the founder and first general emir of al-Qaeda from 1988 until his death in 2011. Ideologically a pan-Islamist, he participated in the Afghan Jihad against the Soviet Union and supported the activities of the Bosnian mujahideen during the Yugoslav Wars. Bin Laden is most widely known as the mastermind of the September 11 attacks in the United States. Osama was born in Riyadh to the aristocratic bin Laden family. He studied at local universities until 1979, when he joined the Afghan mujahidin against the Soviet Union in the wake of the Afghan–Soviet War. In 1984, he co-founded Maktab al-Khidamat which recruited foreign mujahidin into the war. He founded al-Qaeda in 1988 for worldwide jihad. In the Gulf War (1990–1991), Bin Laden's offer for support against Iraq was rebuked by the Saudi royal family, which instead sought American aid. Bin Laden's views on pan-Islamism and anti-Americanism resulted in his expulsion from Saudi Arabia in 1991. He subsequently shifted his headquarters to Sudan until 1996 when he left the country to establish a new base in Afghanistan, where he was supported by the Taliban. Bin Laden declared two fatawa, the first in August 1996, and the second in February 1998, declaring holy war against the United States. He orchestrated the 1998 United States embassy bombings in East Africa. He was then listed on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists and Most Wanted Fugitives lists. In October 1999, the United Nations designated al-Qaeda as a terrorist organization. Bin Laden was the organizer of the September 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people. This resulted in the United States invading Afghanistan, which launched the war on terror. Bin Laden became the subject of nearly a decade-long multi-national manhunt led by the United States. During this period, he hid in several mountainous regions of Afghanistan and later escaped to neighboring Pakistan. On 2 May 2011, Bin Laden was killed by US special operations forces at his compound in Abbottabad. His corpse was buried at the Arabian Sea and he was officially succeeded by his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri on 16 June 2011. Bin Laden grew to become an influential ideologue who inspired several Islamist organizations. He was considered a war hero due to his role in successfully opposing the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and offered an articulate voice and organizational structure to many across the region harboring grievances against Western imperialism, often having approval ratings in some countries higher than those of national leaders. Nonetheless, his justification and orchestration of attacks against civilian targets in the United States, including the September 11 attacks, have made him a hated figure in the West, where public opinion largely views Bin Laden as a figurehead of mass murder.
2. Ibn al-Khattab (1969 - 2002)
With an HPI of 52.90, Ibn al-Khattab is the 2nd most famous Saudi Arabian Extremist. His biography has been translated into 33 different languages.
Samir Saleh Abdullah al-Suwailim (Arabic: سامر صالح عبد الله السويلم; 14 April 1963/1969 – 20 March 2002), commonly known as Ibn al-Khattab or as Emir Khattab, was a Saudi pan-Islamic jihadist. Though he fought in many conflicts, he is best known for his involvement in the First Chechen War and the Second Chechen War, which he participated in after moving to Chechnya at the invitation of the Akhmadov brothers.The origins and real identity of Khattab remained a mystery to most until after his death, when his brother gave an interview to the press. His death in 2002 had followed his exposure to a poisoned letter, which had been delivered to him by a courier who was secretly affiliated with the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation. According to American scholar Muhammad al-Ubaydi, who specializes in the study of militant Islam, Khattab's continued relevance is due to the fact that he was the internationalist Salafi jihadist par excellence: he was born in Saudi Arabia, but had taken part in conflicts in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan (allegedly), Tajikistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dagestan, and Chechnya; and in addition to his native Arabic, he was able to speak Pashto, Persian, Russian, English, and Kurdish. Added to this was his charismatic approach towards attracting non-Arabs to fight for his cause as well as his status as a pioneer of using modern media to promote jihad, particularly by way of publishing videos for propaganda purposes.
3. Abu Mohammad al-Julani (b. 1981)
With an HPI of 44.49, Abu Mohammad al-Julani is the 3rd most famous Saudi Arabian Extremist. Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Ahmed Hussein al-Shar’a (Arabic: أحمد حسين الشرع, romanized: ʾAḥmad Ḥusayn aš-Šarʿ; born 1982), known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani (Arabic: أبو محمد الجولاني, romanized: ʾAbū Muḥammad al-Jawlānī), is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian militant group Tahrir al-Sham.Before cutting ties with Al-Qaeda in 2016, Joulani had served as the emir of the now-defunct al-Nusra Front, the former Syrian branch of al-Qaeda. The US State Department listed Al-Julani as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" in May 2013, and four years later announced a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture. As of February 2021, the bounty remains in force.The nisba "Al-Julani" in his nom de guerre is a reference to Syria's Golan Heights, partially occupied and annexed by Israel during the war in 1967. Al-Julani released an audio statement on 28 September 2014, in which he stated he would fight the "United States and its allies" and urged his fighters not to accept help from the West in their battle against ISIL.
4. Hamza bin Laden (1989 - 2019)
With an HPI of 42.58, Hamza bin Laden is the 4th most famous Saudi Arabian Extremist. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.
Hamza bin Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (Arabic: حمزة بن أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لادن; 9 June 1989 – c. July 2019), better known as Hamza bin Laden, was a Saudi Arabian-born member of Al-Qaeda. He was a son of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, and, following his father's death in 2011, he was described as an emerging leader of the Al-Qaeda organization.
5. Wail al-Shehri (1973 - 2001)
With an HPI of 38.72, Wail al-Shehri is the 5th most famous Saudi Arabian Extremist. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Wail Mohammed al-Shehri (Arabic: وائل الشهري, Wāīl ash-Shehrī; also transliterated as Alshehri) (31 July 1973 – 11 September 2001) was a Saudi terrorist hijacker. He was one of five hijackers of American Airlines Flight 11, which was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center as part of the 11 September attacks in 2001. Wail al-Shehri was an elementary school teacher from Khamis Mushait in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia. In early 2000, he traveled to Medina to seek treatment for mental problems. He and his younger brother Waleed traveled to Afghanistan in March 2000 and joined an Al-Qaeda training camp. The brothers were chosen, along with others from the same region of Saudi Arabia, to participate in the 11 September attacks. Once selected, al-Shehri returned to Saudi Arabia in October 2000 to obtain a clean passport, then returned to Afghanistan. In March 2001, he recorded his last will and testament on video. Al-Shehri arrived in the United States in early June 2001, staying in budget motels in the Boynton Beach area of south Florida. On 5 September 2001, al-Shehri traveled to Boston and checked into a motel with his brother. Six days later, al-Shehri arrived early in the morning at Boston's Logan International Airport and boarded American Airlines Flight 11. Fifteen minutes after takeoff, al-Shehri, along with his brother and three others, hijacked the airliner. They deliberately crashed it into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. In the aftermath of the attacks, some news reports mistakenly reported that al-Shehri was the son of a Saudi diplomat and was still alive and well. The al-Shehri family in Khamis Mushait spoke to the media, denying those early reports, saying that the al-Shehri brothers had disappeared and have not been heard from since.
6. Satam al-Suqami (1976 - 2001)
With an HPI of 36.79, Satam al-Suqami is the 6th most famous Saudi Arabian Extremist. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Satam Muhammad Abd al-Rahman al-Suqami (Arabic: سطَّام مُحَمَّدُ عَبْدِ اَلرَّحْمَـٰن السُّقامي, romanized: Saṭām Muḥammad ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān as-Suqāmī; June 28, 1976 – September 11, 2001) was a Saudi terrorist hijacker. He was one of five hijackers of American Airlines Flight 11 as part of the September 11 attacks in 2001. Al-Suqami had been a law student until he was recruited into al-Qaeda along with Majed Moqed, who was one of the hijackers of American Airlines Flight 77, and traveled to Afghanistan where he would be chosen to participate in the 9/11 attacks. He arrived in the United States in April 2001. On September 11, 2001, al-Suqami boarded American Airlines Flight 11 and participated in the hijacking of the plane so that it could be crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center as part of the coordinated attacks. He is believed to have perpetrated the first fatality of the attacks in killing passenger Daniel Lewin in the process of hijacking the plane. Al-Suqami died along with everyone else on the plane on impact with the North Tower.
7. Hamza al-Ghamdi (1980 - 2001)
With an HPI of 36.08, Hamza al-Ghamdi is the 7th most famous Saudi Arabian Extremist. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Hamza Salah Sa'id al-Ghamdi (Arabic: حمزة الغامدي, romanized: Ḥamza al-Ghāmdī; 18 November 1980 – 11 September 2001) was a Saudi terrorist hijacker. He was one of five hijackers of United Airlines Flight 175 as part of the 11 September attacks. Born in Saudi Arabia, Hamza al-Ghamdi left his family to fight in Chechnya and was probably sent to Al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan where he was chosen to participate in the 9/11 attacks. He arrived in the United States in May 2001 on a tourist visa. On 11 September 2001, al-Ghamdi boarded United Airlines Flight 175 and hijacked the plane along with his older brother Ahmed al-Ghamdi and 3 other terrorists so that lead hijacker and trained pilot Marwan al-Shehhi could crash the plane into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
8. Waleed al-Shehri (1978 - 2001)
With an HPI of 35.04, Waleed al-Shehri is the 8th most famous Saudi Arabian Extremist. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Waleed Mohammed al-Shehri (Arabic: وليد الشهري, romanized: Walīd ash-Shehrī'; 20 December 1978 – 11 September 2001) was a Saudi terrorist hijacker. He was involved in the 11 September attacks against the United States in 2001. He was one of the five hijackers who took control of American Airlines Flight 11, which was then flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Born in Saudi Arabia, al-Shehri had been a student until he accompanied his mentally ill brother to Medina. Later, he and his brother Wail went to Chechnya, where they fought in support of a jihadist insurgency against Russia. However, they were soon redirected to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where they were recruited to carry out the 11 September attacks. After their selection, the brothers were moved to a safehouse in Pakistan before flying out to the United Arab Emirates and starting the process to enter the United States. In April 2001, al-Shehri arrived in the United States on a tourist visa. On the day of the attacks, al-Shehri, his brother, and the other hijackers took control of American Airlines Flight 11, following which Mohamed Atta flew the plane into the North Tower in a suicidal attack.
People
Pantheon has 8 people classified as Saudi Arabian extremists born between 1957 and 1989. Of these 8, 1 (12.50%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Saudi Arabian extremists include Abu Mohammad al-Julani. The most famous deceased Saudi Arabian extremists include Osama bin Laden, Ibn al-Khattab, and Hamza bin Laden. As of April 2024, 1 new Saudi Arabian extremists have been added to Pantheon including Hamza al-Ghamdi.
Living Saudi Arabian Extremists
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Osama bin Laden
1957 - 2011
HPI: 78.46
Ibn al-Khattab
1969 - 2002
HPI: 52.90
Hamza bin Laden
1989 - 2019
HPI: 42.58
Wail al-Shehri
1973 - 2001
HPI: 38.72
Satam al-Suqami
1976 - 2001
HPI: 36.79
Hamza al-Ghamdi
1980 - 2001
HPI: 36.08
Waleed al-Shehri
1978 - 2001
HPI: 35.04
Newly Added Saudi Arabian Extremists (2024)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Extremists were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 7 most globally memorable Extremists since 1700.
