Mark Savaya (left) prior to his appointment as the special envoy to Iraq by US President Donald Trump in the oval office in August 2025. Photo: Mark Savaya/Instagram
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - This week, US President Donald Trump appointed businessman Mark Savaya, of Iraqi descent, as his Special Envoy to the country.
Rudaw's Namo Abdulla toured Michigan, Savaya's hometown, where he grew up and came into prominence, visiting his family and friends to react to his appointment as Trump's envoy to Iraq - the country he fled in search for a better life.
Essam Satam is Savaya's uncle who sponsored him when he was around 16 years old to migrate to the US together with his family, fleeing violence.
Mark was "very smart, very fast-learner, learned the language very fast. He worked his way very quick. He kept surprising everyone in the family," Sattam said.
Savaya, a Chaldean entrepreneur of Iraqi descent, is the founder of Leaf and Bud, a company specializing in the cultivation of marijuana for medical and recreational use.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s own Chaldean population has seen a significant decrease and struggle for genuine political representation.
Savaya is also a social media influencer who has appeared in several photos with Trump and is a supporter of his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
His family and friends say Savaya helped Trump gain votes of Muslims in Michigan during his reelection as the US President.
"I got to know Mark better last year, during Donald Trump campaign 2024. And we worked together. We attended many functions and rallies together. He was very supportive of Donald Trump. He spent quite a bit of his financial, as well as time to make sure Donald Trump will win," Sam Yono, an American-Chaldean politician, based in Michigan, told Rudaw.
Yono hailed Savaya as a "good communicator" and "a fine speaker" as well as "a compromiser."
Asaad Kalasho, is another Michigan-based businessman who is well-familiar with Savaya, warning Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq that they must be afraid of Savaya.
"America was at fault, leaving Iraq to those individuals, whom are... proxies of Iran. Now Mr. President [Trump] probably knows exactly what needs to be done, hoping that Mark and others can help him to put that together," Kalaso said.
Other Iraqis who are not familiar with Savaya, believe he will not do what other traditional diplomats overseas do, hoping this businessman will help Iraq to progress in all fields and maintain stronger ties with the West and the US.
"We all throw our support behind him," said Omed Ali, an Iraqi Kurdish businessman in Michigan. "He will be successful, because he is well-acquainted with Iraq's traditions and culture and maintains good ties with all Iraqis, inside and outside the country."
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