Ayham al-Samarie
| Aiham Alsammarae | |
|---|---|
| أيهم السامرائي | |
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| Minister of Electricity, Iraq | |
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In office August 2003 – May 2005 |
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| President | Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer(interim) and Jalal Talabani |
| Preceded by | Coalition Provisional Authority |
| Succeeded by | Mohsen Shlash |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 July 1951 Baghdad, Iraq |
| Political party | Iraqi National List |
| Alma mater | University of Baghdad (B.Sc) Illinois Institute of Technology (M.S., Ph.D.) |
| Profession | Chief Executive Officer (engineering consulting firm) |
| Religion | Islam (Sunni) |
Aiham Alsammarae (also spelled Ayham Al-Samarie, and Ayham Al-Sammarae; Arabic: أيهم السامرائي; born 15 July 1951) is a nationalistic, Sunni, Iraqi politician who served as Minister of Electricity from August 2003 until May 2005. He has been an active member of the Iraqi National List (headed by Iyad Allawi) and has fought hard for political reconciliation among Iraq's political parties as well as against the policy of de-Ba'athification, since his resignation as Minister of Electricity. Previously, he was a prominent member of the Iraqi Opposition and lived in exile in the U.S. for over 30 years.
Alsammarae currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife and three children.
Alsammarae was born on 5 July 1951 to a prominent Sunni Muslim family in Baghdad, Iraq, the second youngest of 13 children. His father, Jasim, was born and raised in Samarra. He later founded one of Iraq's largest construction companies. From a young age, Alsammarae was intimately familiar with Iraqi politics due to his family's presence in this sphere. Many of his close relatives served as ambassadors, cabinet advisors, and members of parliament. Growing up in the 1960s, Alsammarae received his primary and secondary education in Baghdad, Iraq. He then attended the University of Baghdad, earning his B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering in 1973.
Upon obtaining his bachelor's degree, he completed his obligatory military duty (required of all men over the age of 18 in Iraq) by serving in the Air Force. After completing this requirement, Alsammarae received a scholarship to obtain post-graduate education in the U.S.. He obtained his Masters in Electrical Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology(IIT) in Chicago, IL in 1978 and began work on his Ph.D.
By 1980, Alsammarae had resigned from the Ba'ath Party, and his scholarship to complete his PhD was revoked. In order to complete his studies at IIT, he worked as a teaching assistant and was able to continue with his education, obtaining his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 1983. After graduation, Alsammarae resided and worked in Chicago, IL as an electrical engineer while also becoming active in the Iraqi opposition. During the 1990s, he became involved with Iraqi charity organizations, sending food, clothing and medicine to those in need in Iraq.
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