Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) doesn’t operate alone. While the world knows it as the Pakistan-based group behind the 2008 Mumbai and Pahalgam attacks , few realize how deeply its financial roots stretch into Saudi Arabia. Wealthy donors, ideological backers, and a network of front charities in the Kingdom have quietly empowered LeT’s operations for decades.
How Saudi Networks Help Finance Lashkar-e-Taiba
Saudi-based individuals and organizations have long played a vital role in funding Lashkar-e-Taiba. U.S. diplomatic cables and intelligence reports repeatedly identified private Saudi donors as key financial backers not just for LeT, but for several terror groups.
These donors didn’t wire funds in broad daylight. Instead, they:
- Moved money through Islamic charities and shell companies
- Took advantage of Hajj and Ramadan to collect zakat
- Routed funds through unregulated NGOs
Groups like the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation helped funnel millions before Saudi authorities eventually shut it down.
Mahmoud Mohamed Ahmed Bahaziq was one of Lashkar e Taiba’s key financiers. He was born in India and moved to Saudi Arabia as a child. In 1973 he married a Saudi woman named Azza and became a Saudi citizen. Bahaziq did not just support jihad with words.
He backed jihad not just in words but through direct action. In Saudi Arabia, he ran a Lashkar-e-Taiba cell, used fake charities to move funds into Pakistan and Afghanistan, and helped recruit and train fighters, particularly during the Bosnian war. After the 2008 Mumbai attacks the US Treasury and the United Nations sanctioned him for funding Lashkar e Taiba.
Lashkar e Taiba’s charitable wing Jamaat ud Dawa often ran fundraising campaigns in Saudi Arabia by pretending to offer humanitarian aid. These campaigns focused on Muslim pilgrims and used religious emotions to gain support for militant activities. Jamaat ud Dawa distributed donation forms during the Hajj season. It faked project expenses to steal money for weapons and training camps. The group also relied on supportive imams and clerics to gain trust and legitimacy.
Some Lashkar terrorists married into Saudi families not just for love but to gain access. These marriages gave them social acceptance in the communities. They also provided access to local banking systems and religious donations like zakat. In some cases, these ties helped them avoid attention from authorities in Gulf countries. The most well known example is Mahmoud Bahaziq. His marriage to a Saudi woman and his citizenship allowed him to operate with very little resistance.
Former deputy chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Abdul Rahman Makki, earned a doctorate in Hadith from Umm Al-Qura University in Saudi Arabia. He visited Saudi Arabia multiple times and maintained strong connections there. His fluency in Arabic and English allowed him to stay updated on global affairs. He also had contacts in Saudi Arabia who provided financial support to Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Over the years, several Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives have used Saudi Arabia as a safe haven. They entered on student or work visas and stayed hidden within expatriate communities. Notable cases include Habibur Rahaman, a handler linked to Lashkar networks in India, and Mohammed Assadullah Khan, a Hyderabad-born operative involved in terror funding. Both were deported by Saudi Arabia and arrested on arrival in India. In 2020 Mohammed Gulnawaz and Shuhaib were deported in connection with a hawala case. Asad Khan, another LeT recruit, stayed in Saudi Arabia for over a decade before his arrest.
These examples show how Lashkar operatives have used Saudi soil not only for fundraising but also for hiding, regrouping, and planning attacks. Lashkar-e-Taiba survives not only with Pakistan’s backing but also through support from parts of the Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia.