Ar-Rutbah

Ar-Rutbah, Iraq Arabic: الرطبة
Town
Ar-Rutbah
A rooftop view of Ar-Rutbah on 1 January 2009
Ar-Rutbah, Iraq
Coordinates: 33°2′17″N 40°17′4″E / 33.03806°N 40.28444°E / 33.03806; 40.28444
Country	Iraq
Province	Al-Anbar
District	Al-Rutbah
Government
• Mayor	Imad al-Dulaimi
Population  (2018)
• Total	28,400
Time zone	UTC+3 (GMT+3)
Postal code	31011

Ar-Rutbah (Arabic: الرطبة ar-Ruṭba, also Romanized Rutba, Rutbah) is an Iraqi town in western Al Anbar province, completely inhabited with Sunni Muslims. The population is approximately 28,400. It occupies a strategic location on the Amman–Baghdad road, and the Kirkuk–Haifa oil pipeline. Considered a "wet spot", it receives 114.3 mm (4.5 inches) of rain annually, and is located on a high plateau. It has been described as "the most isolated town of any size in Iraq."^[1]

Ar-Rutbah began as a rest stop for Imperial Airways flights in the early 20th century, and also served as a water stop for the Nairn Transport Company. In December 1934, sixteen kilometers south of Ar-Rutbah, the famous Dutch plane Uiver crashed, with all onboard killed. During the Anglo-Iraqi War in 1941, Ar-Rutbah was the site of a clash between British forces, including the Arab Legion, and forces loyal to Rashid Ali al-Gaylani.