Saladin Governorate

Saladin takes its name from the Kurdish Muslim commander who recaptured Jerusalem from Crusaders—ironic given the governorate's predominantly Arab Sunni population today. Tikrit, the capital, is notorious as Saddam Hussein's hometown, creating post-2003 political sensitivities that affected how Baghdad distributed reconstruction resources and security responsibilities.

ISIS overran much of Saladin in 2014, with the massacre of Camp Speicher's mostly Shia military cadets becoming one of the conflict's defining atrocities. Liberation required extensive urban combat that damaged Tikrit and surrounding towns. The Emergency Operation for Development Project now includes Saladin among five governorates receiving reconstruction priority, with roads, housing, and services under rehabilitation.

Agriculture dominates Saladin's economy beyond reconstruction. The Tigris River valley supports irrigation that produces grains and vegetables, while Baiji—site of Iraq's largest refinery—provides some industrial employment. The Baiji refinery, heavily damaged during ISIS occupation, has partially resumed operation, though security concerns and infrastructure decay limit output.

The governorate's Sunni Arab identity creates political alignment with Anbar rather than Shia-majority southern provinces or Kurdish north. This regional solidarity influences federal budget negotiations and security arrangements. By 2026, expect continued reconstruction investment, agricultural production tied to water availability, and gradual economic normalization in a governorate still processing the traumas of sectarian conflict and ISIS occupation.