The older brother of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden is one of Scotland’s richest student landlords, it has emerged.
Bakr Mohammed bin Laden, brother of the deceased Al-Qaeda chief, was identified as the owner of Glasgow’s Woodside House – a luxury student apartment complex.
The building, which was opened earlier this year, sits on a site worth £1.5 million ($1.8 million) in the affluent Glasgow neighborhood of West End.
Wealthy students are charged £13,000 per year to reside in the extravagant studio flats, while enjoying access to dinner party rooms, a private gym, and a cinema. The Saudi tycoon is one of the partners of Kelso Estates Ltd, which officially owns the property.
“In addition to two other current officers, engineer Bakr Mohammed bin Laden is indeed named as a person with significant control of Kelso Estates Ltd,” said the building’s management company Collegiate AC Chief Executive Heriberto Cuanalo.
Engineering student Chenhan Ye, from China, said he was “certainly surprised” to learn bin Laden owns the building he lives in.
“I think people will see this as a risk,” he told the Daily Record.
Student housing campaign Rent Strike, which has been fighting against spiraling student rents, told RT the “story only furthers our longstanding belief that all landlords are b*stards.”
“We look forward to damaging his profit margins in due course,” a spokesperson said.
Bakr bin Laden is the owner of the billion dollar construction company Saudi Binladin Group, which is responsible for building Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District with a £816 million check.
Sources describe bin Laden as “the true ruler of Jeddah,” but the billionaire keeps a very low profile.