{{Short description|Iraqi politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Abdul Karim Luaibi Bahedh | image = | image_size = | office1 = | prime_minister1 = | predecessor1 = | successor1 = | term_start1 = | term_end1 = | office = Minister of Oil | president = | prime_minister = Nouri Maliki | predecessor = Hussain Al Shahristani | successor = Adil Abdul-Mahdi | term_start = December 2010 | term_end = 8 September 2014 | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1959}} | birth_place = Baghdad, Iraqi Republic <br /> (now in Republic of Iraq) | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | party = | alma_mater = Baghdad University | spouse = | children = Six | website = | footnotes = }}

'''Abdul Karim Luaibi Bahedh''' (born 1959) is an Iraqi politician who served as the minister of oil of Iraq between December 2010 and 8 September 2014.

==Early life and education== Luaibi was born into a Shiite family in Baghdad in 1959.<ref name=wat3jan>{{cite journal|last=Watkins|first=Eric|title=Iraq promotes al-Shahristani; appoints Luaibi as oil minister|journal=Oil and Gas Journal|date=3 January 2011|volume=109|issue=1|url=http://www.ogj.com/articles/print/volume-109/issue-1/general-interest/iraq-promotes-al-shahristani-appoints-luaibi-as-oil-minister.html|accessdate=27 February 2013}}</ref><ref name=bbc21dec>{{cite news|title=Iraqi parliament approves new government|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12047721|accessdate=27 February 2013|newspaper=BBC|date=21 December 2010}}</ref> He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in petroleum engineering, which he received from Baghdad University in 1982.<ref name=opecbio>{{cite web|title=Speakers' Biographies|url=http://www.opecseminar.org/page/speakers|work=OPEC|accessdate=17 February 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620004947/http://www.opecseminar.org/page/speakers|archivedate=20 June 2012}}</ref>

==Career and activities== From 1982 to 1998, Luaibi worked in several oil companies.<ref name=opecbio/> He began to work at state-owned South Oil Company in 1982.<ref>{{cite news|title=Who's Who in the New Iraqi Cabinet|url=http://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2010/12/20/whos-who-in-the-new-iraqi-cabinet/|accessdate=13 September 2013|work=Iraq Business News|date=20 December 2010|agency=Reuters, AP}}</ref> In 1998, he joined the ministry of oil, and served in different positions until 2009.<ref name=aind/> He was appointed deputy minister of oil in charge with the upstream operations in 2009, and was in office until 2010.<ref name=opecbio/> During his tenure, he was instrumental in securing the oil and gas contracts with international oil companies and other oil-related agreements with neighboring countries of Iraq.<ref name=wat3jan/>

In December 2010, he was appointed oil minister, replacing Hussain Al Shahristani, to the cabinet headed by prime minister Nouri Maliki.<ref name=aind>{{cite news|title=Abdul Kareem Al Luaibi|url=http://arabianindustry.com/oil-and-gas-power-50-2013/profile/17890/#.USDvsKVSjm4|accessdate=17 February 2013|newspaper=Arab Industry}}</ref><ref name=jpost>{{cite news|title=Iraq confirms Luaibi as Oil Minister|url=http://post.jagran.com/iraq-confirms-luaibi-as-oil-minister-1292941452|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064241/http://post.jagran.com/iraq-confirms-luaibi-as-oil-minister-1292941452|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 March 2016|work=Jagran Post|date=21 December 2010|location=Baghdad}}</ref> Luaibi was part of the Iraqi National Alliance.<ref name=kkatzman>{{cite book|author=Kenneth Katzman|title=Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gpr3OyvZszIC&pg=PA19|publisher=DIANE Publishing|isbn=978-1-4379-8475-0|page=19}}</ref> He acted as the president of OPEC's 162nd ordinary meeting which was held in Vienna on 12 December 2012.<ref name=op162>{{cite web|title=162nd Ordinary Meeting |url=http://www.opec.org/opec_web/static_files_project/media/downloads/press_room/PressBack.pdf|work=OPEC|accessdate=17 February 2013|url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702195547/http://www.opec.org/opec_web/static_files_project/media/downloads/press_room/PressBack.pdf |archivedate=2 July 2010}}</ref>

== Corruption == In March 2016, an investigate report published on the Huffington Post revealed that Luaibi was part of a major corruption ring in the Iraqi oil industry. The report noted that Luaibi played a role in securing oil contracts for foreign oil companies in exchange for bribes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/unaoil-bribe-scandal_us_56fc3e7de4b0a06d5804a532|title=How The World's Biggest Bribe Scandal Unfolded in Iraq|work=The Huffington Post|date=30 March 2016 |access-date=2 April 2016}}</ref>

== Family == Luaibi is married and has six children.<ref name=opecbio/><ref name=oilbio>{{cite web|title=Biography |url=http://www.moo-iraq.com/en/index.php?name=Pages&op=page&pid=91 |work=Oil Ministry |accessdate=13 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726062503/http://www.moo-iraq.com/en/index.php?name=Pages&op=page&pid=91 |archivedate=26 July 2013 }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Hussain Al Shahristani}} {{s-ttl|title=Oil Minister of Iraq|years=2010 &ndash; present}} {{s-aft|after= Incumbent}} {{s-end}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Luaibi, Abdul Karim}} Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:Oil ministers of Iraq Category:University of Baghdad alumni Category:Iraqi engineers Category:Iraqi Shia Muslims