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Ali al-Zaidi
Ali Falih Kadhim al-Zaidi (Arabic: علي فالح كاظم الزيدي; born 1986) is an Iraqi multimillionaire businessman and politician who has been the prime minister-designate of Iraq since 27 April 2026.
| Ali al-Zaidi |
|---|
| علي الزيدي |
| Zaidi in 2026 |
| Designate |
| Assuming officeTBD |
| Nizar Amidi |
| Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani |
| 1986 (age 39–40)Baghdad, Iraq |
| Independent |
| Coordination Framework |
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Ali Falih Kadhim al-Zaidi (Arabic: علي فالح كاظم الزيدي; born 1986) is an Iraqi multimillionaire businessman and politician who has been the prime minister-designate of Iraq since 27 April 2026.
Al-Zaidi was born in Baghdad in 1986 to a prominent family that hails originally from the southern Iraqi governorate of Dhi Qar. He holds bachelor's degrees in law and finance as well as a master's degree in finance and banking. He is a member of the Iraqi Bar Association.
He was appointed chairman of Al-Watania Holding Group, a private multi-sector conglomerate that was founded in 2017. He served as chairman of the board of directors for the Al-Janoob Islamic Bank until 2019, garnering experience in banking management and financial governance. The bank was sanctioned by the United States in 2024 over alleged money laundering, fraud, and the illicit use of US currency, and was also banned by the Central Bank of Iraq. Al-Zaidi also heads the board of directors at Al-Shaab University, the Ishtar Medical Institute, in addition to being the CEO of Dijlah TV, and the Taawon Hypermarket chain in Baghdad. He is also the CEO of al-Oways, a multi-sector conglomerate that has contracts with the Iraqi Ministry of Trade.
Al-Zaidi was not widely known in Iraq's political landscape prior to his nomination as prime minister-designate, with sources describing him as a "political newcomer". In the public sector, al-Zaidi previously worked with the Ministry of Trade, where he managed the administration of the national ration card system.
On 27 April 2026, the Coordination Framework (CF) nominated al-Zaidi as a consensus candidate to succeed Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani. He was officially tasked by president Nizar Amidi to form a government immediately following his nomination by CF. Per the Constitution of Iraq, al-Zaidi has 30 days to select his cabinet members and present them to the Council of Representatives for a vote of confidence. The decision came after a weeks-long deadlock within the coalition, which had previously backed former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki but later withdrew his candidacy after US president Donald Trump threatened to withhold Iraq's access to the petrodollar over al-Maliki's pro-Iranian stance. Al-Zaidi's nomination came after a meeting at the residence of Popular Mobilization Forces leader Falih al-Fayyad in Baghdad, and was agreed upon by both al-Maliki and sitting prime minister al-Sudani. According to al-Sudani, there was a "lack of consensus" on naming a candidate during the meeting, and al-Zaidi was chosen in order to break the political deadlock. Faiq Zaidan, the chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Council, was involved in al-Zaidi's nomination as a settlement candidate.
In his first public statement since his nomination, al-Zaidi said that his government would expand on prior efforts to improve social services and conditions, while assessing risks and capitalizing on opportunities. He also encouraged cooperation between Iraq's "political and social forces" amidst his appointment, and affirmed his intention to maintain balanced diplomatic relations both regionally and internationally.
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