Austrian Citizen in Custody for Knife Attack in Mecca
Saudi Arabia confirms the arrest of a 20-year-old Austrian from the district of Bruck an der Leitha — the charge: a knife attack in front of the holy Al-Haram mosque in Mecca. But the story goes further - to foiled plans to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.

A young man from Lower Austria has been in custody in Saudi Arabia for over ten months, as reported by ORF. The Saudi authorities accuse Hasan E. , the then 19-year-old of carrying out a knife attack in front of the Al-Haram mosque in Mecca on March 11, 2024, at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. Five people were injured in the bloody attack, some of them seriously. The motive: religious-ideological convictions, presumably with links to the Islamist terrorist militia Islamic State (IS).
The Al-Haram Mosque is the largest in the world and houses the Kaaba, the central shrine of Islam. The attack in such a holy place caused international consternation. According to a memo translated by APA, the Saudi authorities informed the Austrian representatives on March 20, 2024, that the young man had stabbed a security guard in the courtyard of the mosque with a knife he had recently purchased. The crime was shocking not only because of the location but also because of its brutality: the victim suffered severe injuries to his neck.
Links to a planned attack in Vienna
But the story does not end with this incident. The accused is linked to another explosive case that shook Austria in the summer of 2024. A close friend of the 20-year-old, a 19-year-old man from Ternitz (Lower Austria) at the time, is considered the main suspect in the foiled plans to attack a concert by US pop icon Taylor Swift. The concerts were due at the beginning of August 2024 at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna and were canceled at short notice following a warning from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The FBI tip-off led to the arrest of the alleged prime suspect and possibly prevented a catastrophe. According to reports, the man was planning an attack with explosive devices that could have affected thousands of concert-goers. Investigations quickly brought to light a connection to the Lower Austrian man imprisoned in Saudi Arabia. The two were apparently in close contact and are said to have shared a common ideological orientation.
The Austrian authorities initiated domestic proceedings against the suspect for attempted murder, terrorist association and criminal organization after the attack became known. A spokeswoman for the Vienna public prosecutor's office explained that this is the usual procedure when someone with Austrian citizenship commits a crime abroad.
However, it was assumed that the suspect was a lone wolf and therefore certain investigative steps were not taken. No formal arrest warrant was issued and the laptop and other evidence at the man's place of residence were not seized. The proceedings were finally discontinued on October 17 due to Hasan E.'s elusiveness.
Consular efforts and status of the investigation
Since the young man's arrest, the Austrian authorities have been in close contact with the Saudi authorities to ensure consular support. At the same time, investigations are also being conducted in Austria to clarify the exact background of the two men's radical ideologization and international connections.
One central question remains: How was a young man from Lower Austria able to radicalize himself to such an extent that he was capable of such extremist acts? Experts suspect that social media and extremist ideas circulating on the internet played a decisive role. They are also investigating whether other people in Austria or internationally were involved in the attack plans.
A case with far-reaching implications
The case of the 20-year-old Lower Austrian throws a spotlight on the challenges of deradicalization and combating extremist networks. It also highlights the international dimension of such crimes, where local radicalization leads to global threats.
The Saudi authorities have not yet released any information about a possible sentence or upcoming trial. However, the young man faces an uncertain future in a country with strict laws and severe penalties. Austrian authorities are working to ensure consular support and to intensify cooperation with international partners in order to better prevent such cases in the future.