Hazem al-Sharaa | |
|---|---|
| حازم الشرع | |
| Director of the Syrian Investment Agency | |
| Assumed office February 2025 | |
| President | Ahmed al-Sharaa |
| Prime Minister | Mohammed al-Bashir |
| Preceded by | Ayman Hamwiya |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1975 |
| Relations | Maher al-Sharaa (brother) Ahmed al-Sharaa (brother) |
| Parent |
|
| Alma mater | Damascus University (LL.B., 2000) EAIU (M.A., Legal and Economic Sciences, 2007 and Ph.D., Legal and Economic Sciences, 2013) |
| Occupation | Lawyer, politician |
Hazem al-Sharaa [a] is a Syrian lawyer and politician who is the acting director of the Syrian Investment Agency. He is the brother of Ahmed al-Sharaa, the transitional President of Syria. [1]
Hazem al-Sharaa was born in 1975 to Hussein al-Sharaa, a prominent economist. He studied law at Damascus University and became a registered member of the Damascus Bar Association in February 2007. [1] He later earned a master's degree in Legal and Economic Sciences from the Egyptian American International University in January 2007, followed by a doctorate in the same field from the same institution in December 2013. [2]
Al-Sharaa had held various positions in relation to management and sales, including positions at PepsiCo in Syria [b] and Iraq. [c] [2]
Al-Sharaa's public profile rose when he appeared as part of a Syrian delegation to Saudi Arabia on 2 February 2025, alongside key government officials as part of Ahmed al-Sharaa's first international trip as transitional president of Syria. His presence in this high-ranking diplomatic meeting, particularly his seating arrangement next to Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, led to speculation about his exact role in the government. [5]
Al-Sharaa appeared again during the Syrian delegation's visit to Turkey on 4 February 2025, he was again seated next to the Foreign Minister without any information about his role. [6] [2]
On 13 February 2025, al-Sharaa appeared attending a meeting in Damascus between Ahmed al-Sharaa and a delegation of Syrian figures in Canada. [7] [ better source needed ]
Before these appearances, al-Sharaa was residing in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and had not been previously known for any political or diplomatic involvement, either before or after the fall of the Assad regime. [1]
On 27 February 2025, Syrian businessmen reported a meeting between the transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and a group of Syrian investors and business leaders. In their statements, some participants referred to Hazem al-Sharaa as the acting "Director of the Investment Agency" of Syria. [8]