Osama Bin Laden, better known as the emir general of Al Qaeda, was born on July 30, 1957 in Saudi Arabia to Muhammad bin Judah bin Laden and Humid. He was the seventeenth child out of fifty-two. Osama attended Kin Abdulaziz University where he began studying economics and management, but left college in his third year. While at university he learned Islamic studies and became very intrigued by this religion. Osama's father always urged his children to abstain from political and religious debate, but Osama seemed interested in government and international politics. In 1973, Osama focused his time and energy on the resources and progress of Islam and Islamism. He also gained higher knowledge in the mujahid's struggle with the wealth and good of Allah. Osama is well established among the Afghan people. He is one of the scholars of Jihad as well as being the main commander of the mujahideen worldwide. Dr. Abjullah Azzam, an Islamic leader, influenced Osama for the next 10 years. Together in 1984 the two founded the Afghan Service Bureau. Osama's first camera, al-Ansar, was built in Jaji, Afghanistan's Pakita province. In 1982 Essam al-Ride, a flight instructor, joined al Qaeda where he served as Osama's procurement officer and personal pilot. During this time Osama's father died and he inherited a huge sum of money, which he invested. He began to build several training camps and research houses for the Arab Mujidians. In the mid-1980s Osama began importing machinery, building roads, cave complexes and supervising the blasting of huge tunnels. Osama then began to win over the Afghan people by becoming humble and starting to live a simplistic life. He seemed to have the ability to make friends, communicate with fighters, and live with Afghan farmers. During his time on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, his religious beliefs began to deepen. In 1987, what was known as Operation Lions Den took place, exposing Osama to poisonous Soviet gas. He suffered minor injuries from this attack. This in turn upset him and his dislike of the Soviets grew. Osama's wealth and influence made him a natural leader of the Arab mujahideen people. Osama spent much of his time on the front lines while Azzam was the one who conceptualized Al Qaeda.