Osama Bin Laden chose son Omar as successor, artist says

Omar Bin Laden, the fourth son of Osama Bin Laden, stated that his father handpicked him to take over the leadership of Al-Qaeda as the September 11 attacks reach their 25th anniversary. The Saudi national rejected the role assigned by his father, started working as a visual artist across Europe, and settled in Qatar after French authorities barred him from France.

Son describes how the militant chief singled him out

Choosing creativity over v!olence can redefine a life.

Omar bin Laden has spoken about painting as a form of therapy and a peaceful way to express himself, showing how art can become a powerful path toward healing and self-expression. pic.twitter.com/qNvEOlx2zh

— OneVision Media (@onevision_media) September 10, 2026

The painter stated: “My father told me that I was the son chosen to carry on his work.”

Omar Bin Laden gave this account while describing his upbringing inside the family circle. The visual artist added details explaining the reasons behind his father’s choice.

“I think I was chosen because I was the most intelligent among my brothers,” said the Saudi national.

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Omar refused the command position and walked away from his father’s inner circle. He affirmed that he lacked the temperament required to sustain that violent lifestyle.

Online message triggered permanent expulsion from France

French authorities classified as apology for terrorism a statement published on the X account of Omar Bin Laden on May 2, 2023, the birthday of Osama Bin Laden.

Omar Bin Laden denied writing the message circulated on the internet. He reported that cyber intruders breached his personal account to upload the content without his consent.

“Someone from another country got the password to my account and posted a message using my name, but those were not my words,” the artist stated.

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The Ministry of the Interior of France revoked the residency permit of Omar Bin Laden in 2023, forcing the painter to move to Qatar before minister Bruno Retailleau issued an order for his permanent ban from French territory in October 2024. The administrative document signed by the minister barred the painter from entering France under any legal pretext. The French judiciary upheld the measure on national security grounds.

Childhood weapons drills inside Afghan militant camps

Born in Saudi Arabia in 1981, Omar Bin Laden spent his childhood in Al-Qaeda compounds across Afghanistan, where instructors trained him to operate AK-47 assault rifles and drive Russian armored vehicles. He witnessed lethal exercises conducted by the group, including the killing of his own dogs during chemical weapons trials.

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The visual artist revealed that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety attacks, and frequent nightmares originating from those early years.

The son of Osama Bin Laden described how persistent psychological trauma disrupts his everyday routine. “It is very difficult, you suffer all the time,” he said regarding his emotional distress.

Painting became therapy for Omar.

In April 2001, at 19 years old, he departed Afghanistan months before the September 11 attacks took place in the United States. The Saudi national emphasized that he never participated in military planning or in the execution of attacks orchestrated by his father.

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Omar Bin Laden turned to depicting mountains, arid landscapes, and open deserts on canvas. The artist signs part of his artwork with the initials OBL. During his stay in the Normandy region of France, buyers paid up to 8,500 pounds for his canvases.