SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT




Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):    July 21, 2003


Commission File Number:   0-49677



                            WEST BANCORPORATION, INC.
             ------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)



         Iowa                                           42-1230603
------------------------                   -------------------------------------
(State of Incorporation)                   (I.R.S. Employer Indentification No.)


                  1601 22nd Street, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266
                  ---------------------------------------------
                    (Address of principal executive offices)


                  Registrant's telephone number: 515-222-2300


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Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c)      Exhibits

99.1     Press Release of West Bancorporation, Inc. dated July 21, 2003.

Item 9. Regulation FD Disclosure

On July 21, 2003, West  Bancorporation,  Inc. issued a press release  announcing
its wholly-owned subsidiary,  West Des Moines State Bank (West Bank), has closed
on the  purchase of Hawkeye  State Bank as of July 18, 2003. A copy of the press
release is attached as Exhibit  99.1 and is  incorporated  herein by  reference.
Further  information  concerning the aquisition is set forth in an 8-K which was
filed on May 6, 2003.

The information  contained in this Press Release and other financial reports may
contain  forward-looking  statements  about the Company's growth and acquisition
strategies,  new  products  and  services,  and  future  financial  performance,
including earnings and dividends per share, return on average assets,  return on
average equity, efficiency ratio and capital ratio.  Forward-looking  statements
are encouraged by the Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform Act of 1995.  Such
forward-looking information is based upon certain underlying assumptions,  risks
and  uncertainties.  Because  of the  possibility  of change  in the  underlying
assumptions,  actual results could differ materially from these  forward-looking
statements.  Risks and  uncertainties  that may affect future  results  include:
pricing  pressures  on  loans  and  deposits,   actions  of  bank  and  non-bank
competitors,  changes  in local and  national  economic  conditions,  changes in
regulatory  requirements,  actions of the Federal Reserve Board,  and customer's
acceptance of the Company's  products and  services.  The Company  undertakes no
obligation  to revise or update such  statements  to reflect  current  events or
circumstances   after  the  date  hereof  or  to  reflect  the   occurrence   of
unanticipated events.


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                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the  requirements  of Section 12 of the  Securities  Exchange Act of
1934,  West  Bancorporation,  Inc.  has caused  this  Report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

West Bancorporation, Inc.
-------------------------
(Registrant)

July 21, 2003                               By: /s/ Douglas R. Gulling
-------------                               --------------------------
Dated                                       Douglas R. Gulling
                                            Chief Financial Officer


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                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

The following exhibit is filed herewith:

         Exhibit No.                                             Description
         ------------------------------------------          -------------------
99.1     Press Release of West Bancorporation, Inc.          Dated July 21, 2003


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