Damascus – Syrian President Ahmed Al-Shara issued on Saturday, May 9, 2026, a series of presidential decrees aimed at a comprehensive restructuring of the state’s administrative hierarchy. The seven decrees included key ministerial appointments, sovereign positions within the Presidency, and leadership changes in the local administration of four vital provinces, reflecting a strategic move toward modernizing government institutions and enhancing performance efficiency.
Ministerial Reshuffle: Academics and Experts to the Fore
The decrees included the appointment of Basil Hafez Al-Suwaidan as Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform. Al-Suwaidan brings a blend of field experience as a former deputy minister and investment expertise, signaling a push to link food security with economic transparency. In the media sector, Dr. Khaled Fawaz Zarour, former Dean of the Faculty of Mass Communication at Damascus University, was appointed Minister of Information, reflecting the leadership’s desire to modernize Syria’s media discourse and digital tools.
General Secretariat of the Presidency: Al-Aama Succeeds Maher Al-Shara
Decree No. (98) emerged as one of the most significant sovereign decisions, appointing Abdul Rahman Badr Al-Din Al-Aama as Secretary-General of the Presidency, succeeding Maher Al-Shara. Observers view this move as an effort to institutionalize the separation between familial ties and public office, prioritizing meritocracy. Al-Aama holds an MBA and has extensive administrative experience as a former minister and governor of Homs.
Restructuring Local Administration in 4 Provinces
Regarding local administration, President Al-Shara issued four decrees appointing new governors: Ghassan Elias for Quneitra, Murhaf Khaled Al-Naasan for Homs, Ahmed Ali Mustafa for Lattakia, and Ziad Fawaz Al-Ayesh for Deir ez-Zor. These appointments aim to accelerate reconstruction efforts and improve the quality of direct services to citizens through a modernized administrative structure capable of handling the upcoming phase of Syria’s development.
