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Arshad Al-Umari28th and 41st Prime Minister of Iraq
Date of Birth: 08.04.1888
Country:  Iraq |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- World War I and Postwar Career
- Political Career
- Diplomacy and International Relations
- Premierships and Later Life
Early Life and Education
Arshad al-Umari was born on April 8, 1888, in Mosul, Iraq. His father served as the mayor of Mosul. Arshad completed high school in 1904 and embarked on a remarkable journey to Istanbul, the Ottoman Empire's capital. After a 40-day expedition on horseback and by ship, he enrolled in the prestigious Imperial Engineering School's architectural department. The school boasted an illustrious faculty from Germany, Belgium, and Austria. In 1908, Arshad graduated as an architect and was employed in Istanbul's architectural department.
World War I and Postwar Career
The outbreak of World War I in 1914 saw Arshad drafted as an engineer into the Ministry of Defense. After the war ended in 1918, he resumed his position as chief engineer in Istanbul's municipality. Following the separation of Arab lands from the Ottoman Empire, Arshad returned to Mosul and served as the municipality's chief engineer until 1924.
Political Career
Arshad's political trajectory began with his election to the Iraqi Parliament in 1924. He held various ministerial positions, including Director General of Posts and Telegraphs (1925-1931), Mayor of Baghdad (1931-1933), Minister of Public Works (1934-1935), and Mayor of Baghdad again (1936-1944).
Diplomacy and International Relations
Arshad's diplomatic prowess was evident in his role as Foreign Minister and Deputy Minister of Defense from 1944 to 1945. He established diplomatic relations with the USSR and participated in the founding of the Arab League. As Iraq's representative at the San Francisco Conference, he protested against the partition of Palestine and witnessed the signing of the United Nations Charter.
Premierships and Later Life
Arshad al-Umari served as Prime Minister of Iraq twice, from 1946 to 1946 and from 1954 to 1954. He also held the post of Minister of Defense from 1948 to 1948. Arshad retired to Istanbul after the July Revolution in 1958. He returned to Iraq in 1968 and lived in Baghdad until his passing in 1978 at the age of 90. Arshad al-Umari was laid to rest in the family cemetery in Mosul.
