9/11 families vs Saudi Arabia: Will Riyadh finally face trial? What the lawsuit alleges, what families want Trump to do

Nearly 25 years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the families of victims are still waiting for their long-running legal battle against Saudi Arabia to reach trial.

A federal appeals court in New York on Wednesday (October 7) heard arguments over whether the Kingdom should remain a defendant in a lawsuit alleging that Saudi government-linked individuals provided assistance to some of the 19 al-Qaida hijackers.

The three-judge panel did not immediately rule on whether the case can proceed. The hearing, however, gave the families a fresh opportunity to press their demand for accountability — and to call on President Donald Trump to put pressure on Riyadh.

More than 100 relatives of 9/11 victims attended the hearing in lower Manhattan, according to the accounts provided.

The judges asked “really meaningful questions” and challenged Saudi Arabia's lawyers, Terry Strada, whose husband Tom was killed in the attacks, said after the hearing.

What does the 9/11 lawsuit allege?

The civil lawsuits, first filed in 2004, involve hundreds of victims' relatives and injured survivors, as well as insurers and businesses.

At the heart of the claims is an allegation that Saudi government employees or officials knowingly assisted members of the 9/11 plot and helped create an environment in which al-Qaida could operate and develop.

The plaintiffs allege that individuals associated with Saudi Arabia provided support to at least two of the 19 hijackers who eventually carried out the attacks.

The lawsuits also allege that extremist religious figures in Saudi Arabia assisted the hijackers and that Saudi-linked charities helped funnel money and other support to people associated with al-Qaida.

Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals. Saudi Arabia, however, has consistently denied that its government was involved in the attacks.

The attacks killed 2,977 people when hijacked aircraft crashed into New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.

Other defendants in the broader litigation, including Iran, the Taliban and al-Qaida, have already been found in default.

Why is Saudi Arabia trying to escape the case?

The latest legal battle centres on sovereign immunity — the principle that foreign governments are generally protected from being sued in US courts.

Saudi lawyers argue that the Kingdom should be dismissed from the case because it is a sovereign state and that the allegations do not overcome that immunity.

They have also pointed to the US-Saudi relationship in the 1990s, arguing that Washington and Riyadh were partners in efforts against terrorism and al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden.

The plaintiffs' lawyers disagree. They argue that the evidence and allegations are sufficient for Saudi Arabia to face the civil lawsuit in a US court.

The appeals court hearing followed an August 2025 ruling by US District Judge George B. Daniels, who allowed the case to continue in federal court. Importantly, Daniels did not rule that Saudi Arabia was liable or that the allegations had been proven; his decision concerned whether the litigation could proceed.

The appeals court must now decide whether that ruling stands.

What could happen next?

The judges did not indicate when they would issue their decision.

If Saudi Arabia succeeds, the Kingdom could be removed from the case before the families get their opportunity to take the allegations to trial.

If the families prevail, the litigation could move forward, potentially forcing Saudi Arabia to continue defending itself against allegations that its officials or agents assisted the 9/11 hijackers.

That would not mean Saudi Arabia had been found responsible for the attacks. It would mean only that the plaintiffs' claims could proceed through the US judicial process.

For the families, that distinction is important: after decades of litigation, they say they want the opportunity to establish the facts in court.

What do the 9/11 families want Trump to do?

The families are also demanding action from President Donald Trump.

After Wednesday's hearing, relatives called on Trump to pressure the Saudi government to apologise and to support the victims' efforts to hold Riyadh accountable.

Aaron Sand, whose father died in the attacks, directly appealed to the president.

“President Trump, I love ya, but you are not doing enough,” Sand said.

He urged Trump to prioritise the families who lost relatives in the attacks and said Saudi Arabia's status as a US ally should not prevent the victims from seeking accountability.

Brett Eagleson, whose father Bruce was killed on 9/11, also questioned where the president and Congress stand.

“We are about a month from the midterm elections. Where are the members of Congress? Where is the president of the United States? Will he stand with the families or with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?” Eagleson asked.

Strada similarly said the administration could intervene politically and called for the Kingdom to be held accountable.

“As an American, a patriot, I want to see the right thing done,” she said.