Arshad al-Umari
Arshad Pasha al-Umari (Arabic: أرشد العمري; 8 April 1888 – 5 August 1978) was an Iraqi statesman, engineer, diplomate, and cabinet official who held several political roles during the monarchy era of Iraq. Born in Mosul to the ancient and well-known al-Umari family clan, he served as Prime Minister of Iraq twice in 1946 and 1954 respectively. In 1945, as Foreign Affairs Minister, he led the Iraqi delegation to the San Francisco UN Conference.
Arshad Pasha al-Umari | |
|---|---|
ارشد باشا العمري | |
| 28th and 41st Prime Minister of Iraq | |
| In office 1 June 1946 – 21 November 1946 29 April 1954 – 4 August 1954 | |
| Monarch | Faisal II |
| Preceded by | Tawfiq al-Suwaidi Muhammad Fadhel al-Jamali |
| Succeeded by | Nuri as-Said (twice) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 April 1888 Mosul, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | 5 August 1978 (aged 90) Baghdad, Ba'athist Iraq |
Among al-Umari's achievements was his work to establish the Iraqi Red Crescent Society in 1932 which was a welcoming development by the Iraqi educated elite at the time, the construction of various main roads, dams, including the Kut Barrage, and oil pipes, and sending Iraqi troops to help in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. However, al-Umari was criticized for his lack of interest in archaeological sites and monuments. Most notoriously, he allowed the demolishment of the Murjan Mosque's walls in favor of road expansion. His first ministry also saw the Gavurbağı incident which damaged his reputation.