Al-Saadi played a critical role in defeating ISIS during the War in Iraq (2013–2017), and served as the head of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service from 2020 to 2023.

[6] In September 2019, al-Saadi was removed from his office as second-in-command of ICTS by then Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and transferred to work in the Ministry of Defense, without mentioning the reasons for the decision.

Al-Saadi said that the decision was at the request of the head of the Counter-Terrorism Agency, General Talib Shaghati and that it was considered "insulting to him and his military history."

The firing could be considered one of the reasons for protests that escalated into street clashes resulting in thousands of deaths.

[10] He was succeeded as head of ICTS by Lieutenant General Karim Abboud Al-Tamimi [ar] on November 1, 2023.