Omar bin Laden, son of the infamous terrorist Osama bin Laden, pulled off one of the most unexpected pivots of modern times. Born in Saudi Arabia in 1981, he spent chunks of his youth amid chaos in Sudan and Afghanistan under the shadow of extremism.

But he made a break. He rejected the life his father seemed to carve out for him. He turned to art. He paints landscapes, escapes into Western films, and tries to build an identity purely on creativity — not family history.

Now based in Europe (and Qatar at one point), he’s not demanding to be defined by “bin Laden.” He wants to be known simply as an artist. That’s a full-on reinvention considering where he came from.

Omar bin Laden: A Concise Biography

Omar Osama bin Laden (born March 1, 1981, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) is the fourth-eldest son of Osama bin Laden and his first wife, Najwa Ghanem. Raised amid wealth and later exile, he spent his childhood in Saudi Arabia, moved to Sudan (1991–1996), and then Afghanistan (1996–2001), where he trained in al-Qaeda camps as a teenager but claims he rejected violence early on.

In 2000, at age 19, Omar left his father’s compound, renouncing extremism. He settled briefly in Saudi Arabia, married British citizen Jane Felix-Browne (later Zaina Mohamed Al-Sabah) in 2007, and attempted various business ventures. Denied residency in the UK and Egypt, he lived in Qatar (until 2019) and now resides in Normandy, France, where he works as a painter of landscapes and abstract art.

Omar has publicly condemned terrorism, including his father’s actions, in interviews and his 2009 memoir Growing Up bin Laden (co-authored with his mother and Jean Sasson). He advocates for peace, supports environmental causes, and seeks to be known solely as an artist rather than “bin Laden’s son.”

Key facts:

• Born: 1981, Saudi Arabia

• Mother: Najwa Ghanem (Osama’s first cousin and first wife)

• Siblings: At least 20 half-siblings

• Current residence: Normandy, France

• Occupation: Painter

• Notable: One of the few bin Laden children to openly denounce al-Qaeda

As of 2025, Omar lives quietly with his wife, focusing on art and distancing himself from his father’s legacy.