A federal judge in Manhattan has refused to dismiss a long-running civil case that accuses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of aiding the Sept. 11 hijackers, allowing the families of nearly 3,000 victims to press their claims after more than two decades. In a 45-page decision issued 28 Aug., U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels said the plaintiffs had presented “reasonable evidence” that two Saudi nationals acted on behalf of their government when helping the first al-Qaeda operatives who arrived in the United States. Daniels highlighted “multiple pieces of circumstantial evidence” suggesting that Omar al-Bayoumi, a former graduate student in San Diego, and Fahad al-Thumairy, an imam and diplomat in Los Angeles, coordinated with Saudi officials while assisting hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar with housing, finances and other support. Investigators previously found a sketch of an airplane and related calculations in Bayoumi’s notebook, and video footage showing him touring Washington landmarks before the attacks. The judge ruled that Saudi explanations for these facts were “self-contradictory” or insufficient to overcome the inference of government involvement. The decision marks the most consequential step yet in litigation first filed in 2003 and revived after Congress enacted the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act in 2016, which carved out an exception to foreign sovereign immunity for terrorism cases. Saudi Arabia, which has consistently denied any role in the plot, can seek an interlocutory appeal but now faces U.S. discovery demands that could reach senior officials. Plaintiffs’ lawyers said the ruling clears the way for depositions and a potential trial, while legal experts noted that the prospect of broad discovery could increase pressure for a settlement.