Naji al-Suwaidi

Who was Naji al-Suwaidi?

Naji al-Suwaidi was an Iraqi politician who served as Prime Minister from November 1929 to March 1930.

Naji al-Suwaidi became prime minister in November 1929, following the suicide of Abd al-Muhsin as-Sa'dun. His short time in the post was marked by street protests agitating for a treaty that would pave the way towards Iraqi independence from the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. That turmoil, combined with attacks from hostile newspapers and undermining from both King Faisal I and Nuri as-Said, led him to resign in March 1930.

Al-Suwaidi presided over the 1937 Bloudan Conference, one of the first pan-Arab conferences held in solidarity with Palestinian Arabs against the Zionist movement.

He was the brother of Tawfiq al-Suwaidi, also a Prime Minister of Iraq.