Saddam Hussein and His Wives: From His Harsh Cousin to the Two Women Who Left Their Husbands for Him + Photos

According to Saed News Political Service, April 28 marks the birthday of Saddam Hussein — the Iraqi dictator who, during his rule, committed numerous crimes against the Kurds of Iraq as well as the people of Iran and Kuwait. Setting aside Saddam Hussein’s dark political record, many reports and articles have been written about his wives and children. This report provides a brief overview of the lives of Saddam Hussein’s wives.

Sajida Talfah: Saddam’s Harsh Wife

According to official reports, the Iraqi dictator married three times. His first wife, Sajida Talfah, was his cousin — the daughter of his uncle Khairallah Talfah, with whom Saddam had a close relationship. The marriage produced two sons and three daughters. Saddam’s sons, Uday and Qusay, were killed during the U.S. invasion of Iraq, shortly before Saddam’s arrest. Sajida and her three daughters — Rana, Raghad, and Hala — fled Iraq after the invasion. Today, Raghad and Rana reside in Jordan, while Sajida and Hala are reportedly living in Qatar.

Before her marriage, Sajida worked as a teacher, but after marrying Saddam, she enjoyed a lavish social life due to her husband’s political position. European designers created expensive clothing for her, and she owned some of the most valuable jewelry. After her marriage, she changed her appearance — dyeing her hair blonde and wearing fine makeup.

Some sources claim that Sajida, much like her husband, was harsh and greedy. Women who had contact with the family described her as cruel and abusive toward her servants. One of her maids once recounted that Sajida tied her dog under the scorching sun as punishment, leaving it to howl in thirst and hunger.

After Saddam’s downfall, Sajida and her daughters fled to Jordan in hopes of obtaining visas to the United Kingdom or the United States, but their requests were denied. In 2015, some media outlets reported her death in a Jordanian hospital, though few details were ever released.

Samira Shahbandar: Saddam’s Favorite Wife

Saddam’s second wife was Samira Shahbandar. They had a son named Ali, though Saddam never granted him legal recognition. After the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Samira fled with her son to Lebanon and later moved to Canada.

Their marriage was highly controversial. Samira was originally married to Nureddin Safi, the managing director of Iraqi Airways. In the early 1980s, she met Saddam during an official visit. After several meetings, they fell in love, and Saddam forced Safi to divorce her. Soon after, Saddam married Samira himself.

According to some reports, Samira was Saddam’s favorite wife — the only person before whom he expressed his emotions. In an interview with The Sunday Times of London, Samira revealed that Saddam once cried in her presence.

She explained that during the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Saddam’s personal guards moved her and her son Ali from place to place for safety. Saddam met them during the second week of the war to reassure them, but on the day Baghdad fell, he arrived visibly upset and anxious. Realizing that he had been betrayed, Saddam broke down in tears.

The Scientist Wife

Saddam’s third wife was Nidal al-Hamdani, the director of the Solar Energy Research Center within Iraq’s Scientific Research Council. Like Samira, she had been forced to leave her previous husband. Little information exists about her later life, but some reports suggest she is now living in a Western country.

Was There a Fourth Wife?

According to The New York Times, Saddam may have entered a fourth marriage toward the end of his life. The woman was reportedly of German origin. However, the existence of this marriage has never been officially confirmed.