Syria has put in place a new government, which includes a wide variety of ministers and is supposed to help Damascus address the challenges of running a state that is in transition.
Ahmad al-Shara'a, the president of Syria, came to power after the fall of the Assad regime in December. He was officially named the president of the transition government in late January. The new government has 22 ministers from a variety of backgrounds.
He has been moving quickly to try to unify Syria after a decade and a half of civil war that began in 2011. Shara’a faces many challenges. He was the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group that was largely confined to Idlib before it launched an offensive in late November 2024.
His group was known for its religious Islamic conservativism and its former connections to Al Qaeda. Some have been concerned that Syria could turn into a country that resembles other states led by extremists, such as Afghanistan under the Taliban. However, Shara’a has gone a long way to play down these concerns. He made a deal with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. He has also attempted to listen to minorities, such as the Druze, Shi’ites, and others.
Not everything has been smooth. A massacre of Alawites in Latakia in early March led to concerns that the worst fears would be realized. However, Shara’a new government, announced on March 29, illustrates accommodation and compromise. “President Ahmad al-Sharaa said on Saturday that at a decisive moment in the history of our nation, which requires us to stand together and be united, ‘I stand before you today, addressing each and every one of you, carrying the hopes of every one of you as we witness the birth of a new era’,” Syrian state media reported.
“We are witnessing the birth of a new phase in our national process, and the formation of a new government today is a declaration of our common will to build a new State,” President al-Sharaa said in a speech.
“Our plan for the future will rely on a number of axes, including preserving and developing human resources, and seeking to attract Syrian human resources from abroad,” the President said. The goal of the new government now is to focus on every day issues, such as healthcare and making sure people have electricity. “We will seek to rehabilitate industry, protect national products, and create an encouraging environment to investment in all sectors, we will also strive to reform the monetary situation, strengthen the Syrian currency, and prevent manipulation,” the Syrian President stated.
In addition to the usual ministries, the country has established the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management to address any challenges or disasters that may confront the nation. It is tapping into the work the White Helmets did during the war to save people to run this new ministry.
“We will pay great attention to keeping pace with technological developments, artificial intelligence programs, and digital transformation, we will begin by building the necessary infrastructure for this, including training personnel, attracting expertise, research centers, and a market that encourages this goal,” President al-Sharaa said.
The Foreign Minister in the new government, Asaad al-Shibani, praised the new ministers that have been chosen. Shibani was born in 1987 and educated in Turkey and was a key member of Nusra front, before it became HTS. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said, "we will restore Syria’s rightful army, after the former deposed regime defamed its reputation.” Qasra was also a key member of HTS.
Interior Minister Anas Khatab, who was born in 1987, spent time fighting against the US in Iraq before rising through the ranks of HTS to lead its intelligence service. The Minister of Energy Muhammad al-Bashir was born in 1983 and has a degree from a university in Idlib. He served as part of the HTS government in Idlib, which is often called the Salvation Government.
Minister of Local Administration and Environment Mohammad Anjarani also previously served in the Salvation Government. Minister of Public Works and Housing Mustafa Abd al-Razak, born in 1989 and educated in Aleppo, rose under the Salvation Government. Minister of Sports and Youth, Mohammad Samih Hamid, worked under the Salvation Government in Idlib. His ministry is a new ministry. The new Minister of Administrative Development, Mohammad Skaf, was born in 1990 and grew up in Idlib. He is the youngest minister in the new government.
Two ministers in the new government also served the former Assad regime during the lead-up to the Syrian rebellion. Minister of Economy Nidal al-Shaar served briefly in 2011 and 2012. Born in Aleppo, he was a professor of economics and has a degree from George Washington University. Minister of Transportation Yaroub Badr served the Assad regime from 2006-2011. Born in Latakia, he holds a PhD. from the École nationale des ponts et chaussées (ENPC) in Paris, France and was a professor of engineering. Badr is an Alawite, according to Arab News.
The new Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais has a background in Islamic Jurisprudence as does the new Endowments Minister Mohammad Abu al-Khair Shukri. Shukri was born in 1961 and educated in Beirut and has a background in teaching and activism. Wais is from Deir Ezzor in central Syria.
There is one woman among the new ministers, Minister of Work and Social Affairs Hind Qabawat. She is a Christian and was a director of Interfaith Peacebuilding at George Mason University, as well as working at the United States Institute of Peace. She also lived in Toronto.
Other members of minority groups have been chosen to lead ministries. Minister of Agriculture: Amjad Badr is a Druze from Suwayda. One social media post said that the new Minister of Higher Education is also a Druze. His name Marwan al-Halabi. Halabi was the Head of the Department of Anatomy, Histology, Embryology, and Genetics at Damascus University, according to a post by Aaron Zelin, an expert on Syria. A post online said that Minister of Education Mohammad Abd al-Rahman Tarko is Kurdish.
He was born in 1978 and received a PhD from the University of Leipzig in Germany. More details were not clear. Finance Minister Mohammad Yusir Barneiah was born in 1967 and educated in the US. Health Minister: Musaab Nazal al-Ali was educated in Homs and Aleppo and worked in Germany. He is from Deir Ezzor. He replaced the brother of Shara’a, who had been the first health minister in the transition government, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Minister of Emergency and Disasters Raed al-Saleh was born in 1984 and served as a key figure in the White Helmets. His appointment and the creation of this ministry illustrate a unique outcome of the Syrian revolution and how those who played a key role in civil defense have risen to the top. Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abd El-Salam Haykal was born in 1978 and spent time in the UAE.
The government also includes Minister of Culture Mohammad Saleh, who was born in 1985 and educated in the UK. Tourism Minister Mazen al-Salhani lived in the US and Canada and is a businessman born in 1979. The new Minister of Information, Hamza Mustafa, was born in 1985 and has a PhD from the University of Exeter in the UK.
Diverse backgrounds
Overall, the new ministers come from numerous backgrounds. Many are young, and several have PhDs. It is a diverse group, including many educated in the West, and key positions held by men who were active in HTS or lived under its government in Idlib.
Seven ministers served under HTS while nine of the new ministers are considered independent or technocrats. Many of the new ministers also come from different backgrounds, in business and other fields. It seems most of them come from the main populated areas of western Syria, although Wais and the new minister of health come from Deir Ezzor in central Syria.
