Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani[b] (born 1987) is a Syrian diplomat and politician who has been serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates since 2024. He is one of Ahmed al-Sharaa's closest allies and one of the most prominent figures in the country's post-Assad government.[1]
Born into an Arab family from the Banu Shayban tribe in the eastern countryside of al-Hasakah Governorate, he later moved with his family to Damascus. He graduated from Damascus University in 2009 with a degree in English Language and Literature from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. He earned a master's degree in Political Science and International Relations from Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University in 2022 and pursued a Doctor of Philosophy in the same field until 2024. He is also completing the final stage of a Master of Business Administration program at an American university.
During his time as foreign minister, al-Shaibani became the first Syrian official to visit Russia, Lebanon, the United Kingdom, and China after the Assad regime, and the first Syrian official to visit the United States in 25 years. He also participated in key international forums and continues to work on rebuilding relations with Western and global partners while consistently advocating for the lifting of sanctions on Syria. He accompanied al-Sharaa on official international trips.
During the war, al-Shaibani operated under aliases, including "Naseem", "Abu Aisha", "Abu Ammar al-Shami", "Hussam al-Shafi'i", and most notably "Zaid al-Attar". Before his current role, he participated in founding the Syrian Salvation Government in 2017, establishing and heading up its Political Affairs Administration. In this role, he engaged with representatives from the United Nations, major international organizations, and diplomatic officials.[3][7]
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates (2024–present)
Appointment
Al-Shaibani meets with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 12 January 2025
He immediately began shaping the foreign policy and diplomatic relations of the new government, which adopted a different approach from the previous Ba'athist regime.[11] He also attended international meetings that the former government had been barred from due to the diplomatic isolation resulting from the Syrian civil war, which stemmed from the Ba'athist regime's violent crackdown on the 2011 Syrian revolution.[12][13]
Al-Shaibani undertook diplomatic visits to various countries, including Gulf states,[14][15] and most notably Turkey, with whom relations had been severed for nearly 14 years.[16][17] He also visited the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, during which he pledged that the Syrian government would destroy any remaining chemical weapons in the country.[18]
On 4 November, al-Shaibani decided to reinstate 21 diplomats who had defected from the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad, describing the move as “an important step to restore national competencies.”[28]
On 5 January 2026, al-Shaibani and the head of the General Intelligence Directorate, Hussein al-Salama along with their delegation met with Israeli officials in Paris, France in order to discuss of reaching a security agreement and to defuse the tensions between the two countries.[29] The talks were mediated and led by the Tom Barrack, the United States ambassador to Turkey.[30] According to the Associated Press, an anonymous Syrian official stated that Syria is seeking "the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the lines prior to 8 December 2024 within the framework of a reciprocal security agreement that prioritizes full Syrian sovereignty and guarantees the prevention of any form of interference in the country's internal affairs."[31]
Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS
On 9 February 2026, al-Shaibani and General Intelligence Director Hussein al-Salama took part in the meeting of Political Directors of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, which was held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.[32]
Visits to Russia, Lebanon, and China
In July 2025, al-Shaibani became the first official of the post-Assad Syrian government to visit Russia, where he held meetings with foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and president Vladimir Putin in Moscow.[33]
On 10 October 2025, al-Shaibani paid an official visit to Beirut, where he met with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji. Discussions focused on border management, the return of refugees, missing persons, and the situation of detained Syrians in Lebanon. It was the first high-profile Syrian visit to Lebanon since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024.[34][35]
In November 2025, al-Shaibani visited China, where he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Secretary Chen Wenqing.[36] While meeting Wang, al-Shaibani announced that Syria continued to adhere to one China, recognizing the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate government representing China, including Taiwan. He also praised Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative, Global Development, Security, Civilization, and Governance initiatives, and promised that Syria would not be a source of threat to China and would not let any entity use Syrian territory for actions against Chinese interests.[37] Al-Shaibani met on 17 November in Beijing with several members of the Syrian community residing in China, and the head of the General Intelligence Directorate, Hussein al-Salama, also attended the meeting.[38]
On 23 December, al-Shaibani and Minister of Defense Murhaf Abu Qasra met in Moscow with Putin to discuss a range of political, military, and economic issues of mutual interest, with particular emphasis on strategic cooperation in the military industries sector.[39]
Visit to the United Kingdom
On 12 November 2025, al-Shaibani made his first official visit to the United Kingdom for talks with British officials on bilateral and regional issues.[40] The Embassy of Syria, London was reopened the following day, with al-Shaibani raising the new Syrian flag over the embassy building.[41]
On 25 September, al-Shaibani participated in an open interview with Fareed Zakaria during an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.[47] The discussion focused on regional developments, U.S.–Syria relations, and Syria’s diplomatic priorities, including sovereignty, sanctions relief, global partnerships, and foreign policy goals, as well as governance, security, minority protection, economic recovery, and the country’s reintegration into the international community.[48]
South Korea
On 10 April 2025, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul visited Damascus and met with al-Shaibani. During the meeting, both sides signed a formal agreement to establish diplomatic relations, which included plans to open embassies and exchange diplomatic missions.[49][50] The agreement made Syria the last United Nations member state, outside of North Korea, to establish diplomatic relations with South Korea.[51]
In October 2025, al-Shaibani warned during an interview with Al Ekhbariya that Israel was "pursuing expansionist projects, exploiting recent changes in Syria, and destabilizing the region."[52] Al-Shaibani stressed the urgent implementation of the 10 March agreement to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces into state institutions. He said delays would harm civilians and slow the return of displaced people, while reaffirming that Syria rejects any form of division or federalism as “non-negotiable.”[53]
On 7 December 2025, al-Shaibani stated that Damascus would not enter a security agreement with Israel unless it fully withdrew from the areas it had occupied after 8 December 2024. Speaking at the Doha Forum in Doha, al-Shaibani emphasized that a security agreement was impossible while Israel controlled parts of Syrian territory and that the borders should be restored to their status as of 7 December 2024.[54]
On 13 November, al-Shaibani visited Chatham House in the United Kingdom for his first public event, where he discussed UK–US relations, minority rights, and Syria's commitment to inclusive governance with Chair Simon Fraser. He said the government is pursuing pluralism despite post-war challenges, described Israel as a negative influence while expressing openness to dialogue, and outlined a pragmatic foreign policy aimed at rebuilding trust after the former Bashar al-Assad, including relations with Russia.[55]
↑"من هو أسعد الشيباني وزير الخارجية في الحكومة السورية الجديدة"[Who is Asaad al-Shaibani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the New Syrian Government?]. Journalist Zeno Yasaer Mhamid (in Arabic). 21 December 2023. Archived from the original on 11 April 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
↑"أسعد الشيباني وزيرا للخارجية السورية.. فمن هو؟"[Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani appointed Foreign Minister, who is he?]. Erem News (in Arabic). 21 December 2024. Archived from the original on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
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