UPDATE: Syrian Caretaker Government links
Information on cabinet members, ministries, governors, and state media outlets
03/09/25: See Aaron Zelin’s similar list additionally including military appointments and lower level local offices
This is an updated and expanded (though still very incomplete) version of a post I published two months ago listing SCG-appointed ministers and governors and linking to state-run media outlets and accounts. I’ve published the entire post without a paywall so it can serve as a general resource. If you find it useful to your work please consider becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter.
The new information provided was pulled from the official social media accounts of the different ministries and provincial governments. The behavior of these accounts varies from office to office meaning there is a discrepancy in how much information is available from ministry to ministry, province to province, and that there are different position titles used. Therefor it is still unclear to me what degree of bureaucratic uniformity exists across the areas nominally controlled by the Syrian Caretaker Government. One can observe that there is much less information available for the southern provinces of Dar‘a, Quneitra, and Suwayda, which makes sense given that these do not appear to have been fully integrated with Damascus. So far the SCG has not made any appointments for Raqqah and Hasakah or set up provincial media outlets, as these provinces are partially/fully under the control of the SDF.
Additionally there are a host of directorates, commissions, and seemingly state-owned corporations operating below the ministerial level whose affiliations I have yet to fully chart out, meaning I am not 100% certain about the chain of command implied below. This is very much a work in progress and I imagine that a number of these appointments and offices will change in the ensuing months.
I’ve included some biographical information for ministers and governors, but only names for the sub-ministerial positions. While I have not provided links for the later I’ve added the Arabic spellings so one can easily search for these individuals online.
What I have yet to include is military appointments below Chief of Staff. A number of appointments have been reported but the Ministry of Defense has not announced any, so I’d like to take more time to try to confirm these positions. Additionally I have yet to look into judicial appointees.
Executive
Presidency: Ahmad al-Shar‘
b. 1982, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, raised in al-Mezzeh, Damascus. Former commander of HTS and predecessor Jabhat al-Nusrah, appointed President on January 29th at the “Victory Conference of the Syrian Revolution. Profile: Wiki, SMI
Prime Minister: Muhammad al-Bashir
b. 1983 in Jabal Zawiyah, Idlib. Former Prime Minister of the SSG. Profile: Wiki, SMI, NYT, The National, New Arab
General Authority of Land and Sea Ports (FB, TG)
Created Jan 1, 2025
Director of Relations: Mazen ‘Alloush (مازن علوش)
Minister: Murhaf Ahmad Abu Qasrah
b. 1984 in Halfaya, Hama. Former HTS commander. Profile: MoD, Wiki, SMI, al-Jazeera
Army Chief of Staff: ‘Ali Nour al-Din al-Na‘san
Profile: Wiki, The New Arab
General Intelligence Service
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates (FB, TG)
Minister: As‘ad Hasan al-Shaibani
b. 1987 in Abu Rassin, al-Hasakah. Profile: Wiki, SMI, al-Jazeera
Ministry of the Interior (FB, TG)
Minister: ‘Ali Keddah (علي كده)
Replaced Muhammad ‘Abd al-Rahman, current Governor of Idlib
Profile: Wiki
Provincial Security officials
Damascus Director of Security: ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Dabbagh (عبد الرحمن الدباغ)
Rural Damascus Director of Security: Hussam al-Tahhan (حسام الطحان)
Aleppo Director of General Security: Muhammad ‘Abd al-Ghani (محمد عبد الغني)
Idlib Director of Internal Security Service: Omar Ali al-Ayham (عمر علي الأيهم)
Latakia Director of the General Security Department (GSD): Mustafa Kanifati (مصطفى كنيفاتي)
Dar‘a General Security Department: ‘Abd al-Razzaq al-Khatib (عبد الرزاق الخطيب)
Police chiefs
Rural Damascus Police Chief: Tahir al-Omar (طاهر العمر)
Aleppo Police Chief: Ahmad Latouf (أحمد لطوف)
Idlib Police Chief: Maher Muhammad Hilal (ماهر محمد هلال)
Latakia Police Chief: Mustafa Sabouh (مصطفى صبوح)
Hama Police Chief: Maher Mar‘i (ماهر مرعي)
Homs Police Chief: ‘Alaa ‘Umran (علاء عمران)
Deir ez-Zour Police Chief: Muhammad al-Sheikh (محمد الشيخ)
Minister: Shadi Muhammad al-Waisi
b. 1985 in Aleppo. Profile: Wiki, Long War Journal. See France 24, The New Arab, The National, and Verify-Sy on recent controversy regarding 2015 video showing al-Waisi overseeing a woman’s execution
Ministry of Education (FB, TG)
Minister: Nazir al-Qadri
b. 1970 in Damascus. Profile: Wiki. See FT, NYT, al-Monitor, The New Arab on recent controversy regarding curriculum changes
Director of the National Center for Curriculum Development: Hussein al-Qasim (حسين القاسم)
Director of Administrative Development: Khalid al-Khalid (خالد الخالد)
Director of Planning and International Cooperation : Yousef ‘Annan (يوسف عنان)
Provincial directors
Rural Damascus: Fadi Nazhat (فادي نزهت)
Idlib: Ziyad al-Omar (زياد العمر)
Latakia: Walid Kaboulah (وليد كبولة)
Tartous: Muhannad ‘Abd al-Rahman (مهند عبد الرحمن)
Hama: Ahmad al-Madloush (أحمد المدلوش)
Homs: Ahmad al-Hasan (أحمد الحسن)
Damascus: Ghassan al-Lahham (غسان اللحام)
Aleppo: Anas Qasim (أنس قاسم)
Deceased
Dar‘a: Muhammad al-Kafri (محمد الكفري)
Suwayda: Laila Jahjah (ليلى جهجاه)
Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (FB, TG)
Minister: ‘Abd al-Mun‘im ‘Abd al-Hafiz
b. 1961 in Ma‘r Shourin, Idlib. Idlib University. Profile: Wiki
Assistant Minister: ‘Abd al-Hamid al-Khalid (عبد الحميد الخالد)
Minister: Maher al-Shar‘
b. 1973 in Damascus, brother of Ahmad al-Shar‘. Profile: Wiki
Deputy Minister: Hussein al-Khatib (حسين الخطيب)
Director of Ambulance and Emergency Services Integration and Coordination Mechanisms: Najib al-Na‘san (نجيب النعسان)
Director of International Cooperation and Planning: Zuhair Qarat (زهير قراط)
Director of the Directorate of Primary Health Care: Razan Tarabishi (رزان طرابيشي)
Director of Drug Control and Research: Ibrahim al-Hassani (إبراهيم الحساني)
Provincial directors
Rural Damascus: Tawfiq Hasaba (توفيق حسابا)
Idlib: Samir Arabi (سامر عرابي)
Latakia: Samir Ahmad (سامر أحمد)
Ministry of Economy & Foreign Trade (FB, TG)
Minister: Basil ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ‘Abd al-Hanan (باسل عبد العزيز عبد الحنان)
b. 1984 in Aleppo. Profile: Wiki
Provincial Directors
Latakia: Mudar Omar (مضر عمر)
Minister: Basil ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ‘Abd al-Hanan (see above)
Deputy Minister: Muhammad Yasin Houriyah (محمد ياسين حورية)
Industrial Cities Commission
Director: Mu‘ayyid ‘Abdullah al-Bana (مؤيد البنا)
Minister: Muhammad Abazaid
from Dar‘a
Deputy Minister: Salih al-‘Abd (صالح العبد)
Director of Planning and International Cooperation: Muhammad al-Atasi (محمد الأتاسي)
Director of Financial Performance: Muhammad al-Bakour (محمد البكور)
Ministry of Domestic Trade & Consumer Protection (FB, TG)
Minister: Mahir Khalil al-Hasan
Profile: Wiki
Ministry of Electricity (FB, TG)
Minister: ‘Omar Shaqrouq (SSG/HTS)
Provincial Directors
Rural Damacus: Samir Latouf (سامر لطوف)
Suwayda: Ma‘rouf al-Barbour (معروف البربور)
Idlib Director of the Electricity Company: Ibrahim Hamijou (إبراهيم حميجو)
Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (FB, TG)
Minister: Giyath Diyab
Deputy Minister: Riyadh Jubasi (رياض جوباسي)
Public Relations Officer: Ahmad al-Suleiman (أحمد السليمان)
Ministry of Water Resources (FB, TG)
Minister: Usama Abuzaid (SSG/HTS)
Profile: Wiki
Provincial Directors:
Latakia: ‘Abd al-Khaliq Diyab (عبد الخالق دياب)
Hama: ‘Abd al-Sattar al-‘Ali (عبد الستار العلي)
Director General of the General Establishment for Drinking Water in Aleppo: Muhammad Jamal Diban (محمد جمال ديبان)
Director of the Water Corporation in Tartous: ‘Abdullah Tahir al-Hamoud (عبدالله طاهر الحمود)
Director General of the General Corporation for Drinking Water in Homs: ‘Abd al-Hadi ‘Awdah (عبد الهادي عودة)
Director of the Drinking Water Directorate in Damascus: Muhammad al-Hajj (محمد الحاج)
Director General of the Drinking Water Corporation in Damascus and its countryside: Ahmad Darwish (أحمد درويش)
Director General of the Suwayda Water Corporation: Muthanna Abu ‘Assaf (مثنى أبو عساف)
Ministry of Transport (FB, TG)
Minister: Baha’ al-Din Sharm (بهاء الدين شرم)
Deputy Minister: Muhammad Rahhal (محمد رحال)
Director of the Directorate of Organizing Freight Transport: Khalid al-Kashah (خالد الكسحة)
Provincial Directors
Idlib: As‘ad Bilsani (أسعد بيلساني)
Aleppo Director of Land Transport: Muhammad Hussein al-Sheikh (محمد حسين الشيخ)
Hama Director of Land Transportation: Basil al-‘Awir (باسل العوير)
Ministry of Agriculture & Agrarian Reform (FB, TG)
Minister: Muhammad Taha al-Ahmad (SSG/HTS)
Provincial Directors:
Suwayda: Malik al-Halabi (مالك الحلبي)
Idlib: Mustafa Muwahhid (مصطفى موحد)
Ministry of Information (FB, TG)
Minister: Muhammad Ya‘qoub al-‘Omar (SSG/HTS)
Profile: Wiki
Ministry of Communications & Information Technology (FB, TG)
Minister: Hussein al-Masri
Profile: Wiki
Deputy Minister: ‘Imad al-Din Hamad (عماد الدين حمد)
Ministry of Religious Endowments (FB, TG)
Minister: Hussam Hajj Hussein (SSG/HTS)
Profile: Wiki
Spokesman: Ahmad al-Hallaq (أحمد الحلاق)
Provincial Directors:
Rural Damascus: Sharif al-‘Abdou (شريف العبدو)
Aleppo: Omar Muhammad ‘Akkash (عمر محمد عكاش)
Idlib: ‘Abd al-Hamid al-Khalaf (عبدالحميد الخلف)
Homs: Muhammad Samir al-Hamoud (محمد سامر الحمود)
Hama: Mustafa al-Qarat (مصطفى القراط)
Tartous: Mahmoud Arabi (محمود عرابي)
Dar‘a: Hamid Aba Zaid (حامد أبا زيد)
Quneitra: Anas al-Sari (أنس الساري)
Ministry of Local Administration & the Environment (FB, TG)
Minister: Muhammad Muslim (SSG/HTS)
Profile: Wiki
Provincial Directors:
Idlib: Safwan Badlah (صفوان بدلة)
Aleppo: Muhammad ‘Ali al-‘Aziz (محمد علي العزيز)
Tartous: ‘Abd al-Fattah al-Khatib (عبد الفتاح الخطيب)
Dar‘a/Quneitra: Anas Rajab (أنس رجب)
previously Mustafa Dibo (مصطفى ديبو)?
Rural Damascus: Mustafa al-Sa‘id (مصطفى السعيد)
Latakia: ‘Ali ‘Asi (علي عاصي)
Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (FB, TG)
Minister: Fadi al-Qasim (SSG/HTS)
Profile: Wiki
Deputy Minister: Ibrahim al-Ibrahim
Provincial Directors:
Idlib: Firas Kardoush (فراس كردوش)
Damascus: Mahmoud al-Khatib (محمود الخطيب)
Rural Damascus: ‘Abd al-Razzaq al-Muhammad (عبدالرزاق المحمد)
Latakia: Mahmoud Hajj Ibrahim (محمود حاج إبراهيم)
Ministry of Administrative Development (FB, TG)
Minister: Muhammad Hassan al-Sakkaf (محمد حسان السكاف)
Provincial
Governor: ‘Amir al-Sheikh (عامر الشيخ)
Deputy Governor: Ahmad al-Dalati (أحمد الدالاتي)
District officials
Qatani: Hassan al-Zain (حسن الزين)
al-Kiswah/Southern Damascus: Ahmad al-Rahil (أحمد الرحيل)
Eastern Ghouta: Muhammad ‘Ali ‘Amir (محمد علي عامر)
Darayya: Jamil Madour (جميل مدور)
al-Zabadani: Ra’id al-Tinawi (رائد التيناوي)
Qudsaya: Wa’il Sadqah (وائل صدقة)
Nabk & Yabroud: Muhammad Krimah (محمد كريمة)
al-Qutayfah: Bilal Sakhr (بلال صخر)
al-Tall: Riyadh ‘Abdullah Maryam (رياض عبد الله مريم)
Governor: ‘Azzam Gharib (عزام غريب)
Mufti of Aleppo: Ibrahim Shashou (إبراهيم شاشو)
Director of Political Affairs: Sa‘d Na‘san (سعد نعسان)
Director of Civil Affairs: Muhammad al-Shawakh (محمد الشواخ)
Governor: Muhammad ‘Abd al-Rahman (محمد عبد الرحمن)
b. 1985 in Muhambal, Idlib. Briefly SCG Minister of the Interior. Profile: Wiki
position previously held by Ahmad ‘Isa al-Sheikh (Commander of Suqour al-Sham)
Deputy Governor: Qutaibah al-Khalaf (قتيبة الخلف)
Director of Political Office: Muhammad al-Azraq (محمد الأزرق)
District officials
Idlib: Hassan al-Fajr (حسن الفجر)
Khan Sheikhoun: Hassan al-Amin (حسن الأمين)
Northern Region: Muhammad Hussein (محمد حسين)
Jisr al-Shughur: Yousef ‘Abd al-‘Aal (يوسف عبد العال)
Ma‘arat al-Nu‘man: Kifah Ja‘far (كفاح جعفر)
Governor: Muhammad ‘Othman (محمد عثمان)
(SSG/HTS)
Governorate Secretary General: ‘Abd al-Qadir Naji Qidhou (عبد القادر ناجي فيضو)
Director of Internal Control: Souzan ‘Alyou (سوزان عليو)
Director of Public and Legal Affairs: Aws Ma‘rouf (أوس معروف)
District officials
Qardaha: Jamal Mathbout (جمال مثبوت)
al-Haffa: Yamin al-Shaghri (يامن الشغري)
Northern Countryside: Muhammad al-Tarifi (محمد الطريفي)
Governor: Ahmad al-Shami (أحمد الشامي)
(SSG/HTS)
Deputy Governor: Sami al-Zukh (سامي الزخ)
Tartous Governorate Secretary General: Reem Salih (ريم صالح)
District officials
Baniyas: Omar Mansour (عمر منصور)
Governor: ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sahyan (عبد الرحمن السهيان)
(HTS*)
Deputy Governor: Muhammad Ta‘mah (محمد طعمة)
District officials
Souran: Younis al-Faris (يونس الفارس)
Salhab: Ibrahim al-‘Awdh (إبراهيم العوض)
Muhardah: Ahmad al-Sayyadi (أحمد الصيادي)
Maysaf: Muhammad Ta‘mah (محمد طعمة) ?
al-Suqaylabiyah: Fayiz Latouf (فايز لطوف)
Salamiyah: Amin Swaid (أمين سويد)
Governor: ‘Abd al-Rahman al-A‘ma (عبد الرحمن الأعمى)
(SSG/HTS)
Director of Public Relations: Hamzah Qablan (حمزة قبلان)
District officials
al-Qusayr: Ahmad al-Sama‘il (أحمد السماعيل)
Governor: Hussein al-Salamah (حسين عبد الله السلامة)
(SSG/HTS)
Deputy Governor: Ghassan al-Sayyid Ahmad (غسان السيد أحمد)
District officials
al-Bukamal: ‘Abdullah al-Hussein (عبد الله الحسين)
Governor: Mustafa al-Bakour (مصطفى البكور)
listed as “the special envoy of the [Military Operations Administration] General Command” until 03/03/25
Formerly SSG official in the Harim region of Idlib, home to the small Druze population forcibly converted by IS and HTS-predecessor Jabhat al-Nusrah.
Head of Governorate Council: Muhsinah al-Muhaythawi (محسنة المحيثاوي)
Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Nabih Bakri (نبيه بكري)
Governor: NA
Governor: NA
Executive/President of Quneitra City Council: Muhammad ‘Awdh al- Sa‘id (محمد عوض السعيد)
Raqqah: NA
Hasakah: NA
Other
Central Bank of Syria (FB, TG)
Governor: Maysaa Sabrin (ميساء صابرين)
Syrian Arab Red Crescent
President: Hazim Baqlah (حازم بقلة)
Provincial branches
Idlib: Ma’moun Kharbout (مأمون خربوط)
Syrian Chamber of Commerce
President: ‘Alaa al-‘Ali (علاء العلي)
Preparatory Committee for the National Dialogue Conference
Hasan al-Daghaim (حسن الدغيم): previously the head of the SNA’s Moral Guidance Department and a prominent opposition personality originally from Idlib; background in Islamic education and preaching; notably introduced Ahmad al-Shar‘ at the January 29th ‘Victory Conference’ where he was named President. (Twitter account)
Maher ‘Alloush (ماهر علوش): A prominent opposition figure from Homs historically close to Ahrar al-Sham; was imprisoned in Sednaya from 2007-2012 for his opposition activity. (Twitter account)
Muhammad Mastat (محمد مستت): Formerly a political figure affiliated Faylaq al-Sham from Aleppo city; worked as a preacher in western Aleppo before working in development, education, and opposition politics in A‘zaz; took part in the HTS-led November offensive as a member of the General Command’s Public Relations team.
Mustafa al-Mousa (مصطفى موسى): A pharmacist from Idlib; formerly a member of the SSG’s health committee and the president of its General Shura Council.
Yousef al-Hajar (يوسف الهجر): aka Abu al-Bara’ Shuhail; a founding member of Jabhat al-Nusrah from Deir ez-Zour; previously worked an a member of the SSG’s General Shura Council; was close to prominent Jabhat al-Nusrah/HTS figure Abu Maria Qahtani, an Iraqi national who was assassinated in April 2024.
Hind Qabawat (هند قبوات): Long time opposition and women’s rights activism involved in a number of civil society organizations as well as Etilaf-affiliated Syrian Negotiating Commission; born in India but from a Damascene Christian family, possesses both Syrian and Canadian citizenship. (Twitter account)
Huda Atasi (هدى أتاسي): An activist from Homs involved in a number of different aid and civil society organizations; an activist by trade.
Constitutional Declaration Committee
‘Abd al-Hamid al-‘Awak (عبد الحميد العواك)
Yasir al-Huwaysh (ياسر الحويش)
Isma‘il al-Khalfan (إسماعيل الخلفان)
Ri‘an Kahilan (ريعان كحيلان)
Muhammad Rada Jalkhi (محمد رضى جلخي)
Ahmad Qurbi (أحمد قربي)
Bahiyah Madirini (بهية مارديني)
State media outlets:
Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
al-Thawrah (formerly owned by the Ba‘th party)
al-Watan (state-aligned, current ownership unclear)
Free Syria (Facebook, Telegram) - run by the ‘Syrian Governorates Media Administration’ - provincial pages linked above
Military Media - HTS-linked outlet
Creative Syrians - HTS-linked outlet