Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who is the prime minister-designate of Iraq, was born in the Al-Nawab neighborhood of Kadhimiya, Baghdad.
His father, originally from the Shatrah area of Dhi Qar province, was a surveyor and an art expert.
According to locals in the neighborhood, Kadhimi eyed power as a child, taking charge as a leader of the neighborhood children. Others describe him as “enthusiastic” and “involved”.
His friends today describe him as a calm person.
“When he speaks with someone, he listens and then argues. This is a very good quality, which very few people have,” says Nibras Al-Maamouri, an activist and media worker.
The fifty three-year old PM is married and the father of two. He is the son-in-law of Mahdi Allaq, a leader of the Dawa Party and former secretary of Iraq's Council of Ministers.
Two of his brothers have risen to the rank of advisor to the prime minister.