In one of the most startling disclosures yet from the recently unsealed Jeffrey Epstein Files, emails show that three pieces of the Kiswa, the sacred black and gold cloth that covers the Kaaba in Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, were shipped from Saudi Arabia to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in the United States in 2017. What has made the revelation particularly explosive is that the shipment was reportedly arranged through contacts linked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including an Emirati businesswoman and a Saudi intermediary.The documents, part of a growing cache of correspondence released under increased legal transparency demands, include detailed emails from February and March 2017 outlining how the cloth, normally a deeply revered religious artefact, was handled, packaged and transported by air freight from Saudi Arabia to Florida via British Airways before reaching Epstein’s residence in the US Virgin Islands.
What the Epstein Files mails reveal
According to multiple reports summarising the newly released files, the transaction involved:
- Three separate pieces connected to the Kiswa, one from inside the Kaaba’s covering, one from the outer embroidered cloth that had been used and a third unused piece made from the same material.
- Coordination between Emirati businesswoman Aziza Al-Ahmadi and a Saudi contact named Abdullah Al-Maari, who arranged the shipment.
- The shipment was described in part as “artwork” for customs classification purposes, likely to avoid scrutiny over its sacred origin and contents.
Emails underscore the religious significance of the pieces, noting that the cloth had been touched by millions of pilgrims of varied Islamic denominations during tawaf rituals, with prayers, tears and hopes embedded in it. Despite the detailed logistics in the correspondence, the documents do not explain how Al-Ahmadi first came into contact with Epstein, nor the reason Epstein wanted or had shipped to him such deeply symbolic religious artefacts.
International outrage and cultural backlash over Epstein Files’ Kiswa shipment
As news of the shipment circulated online, reactions in Muslim communities were intense and polarised. On social platforms like Reddit, users expressed shock, disgust or disbelief, touching on the religious weight of the Kaaba’s covering and what it means for sacred items to be diverted to a private figure, much less a convicted child sex offender.
🚨 BREAKING:
Kaaba covering pieces were PURCHASED by Jeffery Epstein as CARPETS for his home.
The Kaaba Kiswa was shipped from Saudi Arabia to Jeffrey Epstein, with their religious significance explicitly explained in emails.
Who was involved?
– Aziza Al-Ahmadi (UAE based… pic.twitter.com/QPNcbvHyUk
— Jvnior (@Jvnior) February 1, 2026