List of presidents of Syria

This is a list of presidents of Syria since 1922.

List of officeholders

Syria (1922–1958)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party		Note(s)
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
French mandate (1922–1930)
Syrian Federation (1922–1925)
Position not established (28 June 1922 – 29 June 1922)
1		Subhi Bey Barakat صبحي بك بركات (1889–1939)	—	29 June 1922 [1]	1 January 1925	2 years, 185 days		Independent
State of Syria (1925–1930)
(1)		Subhi Bey Barakat صبحي بك بركات (1889–1939)	—	1 January 1925	21 December 1925	354 days		Independent
Vacant (21 December 1925 – 9 February 1926)
—		François Pierre-Alype فرانسوا بيير أليب (1886–1956)	—	9 February 1926	28 April 1926	78 days		Independent	Acting President as Envoy Extraordinary of the High Commissioner.
2		Ahmad Nami أحمد نامي (1873–1962)	—	28 April 1926	15 February 1928	1 year, 293 days		Independent
—		Taj al-Din al-Hasani تاج الدين الحسني (1885–1943)	—	15 February 1928	14 May 1930	2 years, 88 days		Independent
First Syrian Republic (1930–1950)
Mandatory Syrian Republic (1930–1946)
—		Taj al-Din al-Hasani تاج الدين الحسني (1885–1943)	—	14 May 1930	19 November 1931	1 year, 189 days		Independent
—		Léon Solomiac ليون سولومياك (1873–1960)	—	19 November 1931	11 June 1932	205 days		Independent	Acting President as High Commissioner.
3		Muhammad Ali Bey al-Abid محمد علي بك العابد (1867–1939)	1932	11 June 1932	21 December 1936	4 years, 193 days		Independent
4		Hashim al-Atassi هاشم الأتاسي (1875–1960)	1936	21 December 1936	7 July 1939	2 years, 198 days		National Bloc
5		Bahij al-Khatib بهيج الخطيب (1895–1981)	—	8 July 1939	4 April 1941	1 year, 270 days		Independent
—		Khalid al-Azm خالد العظم (1903–1965)	—	4 April 1941	16 September 1941	165 days		Independent
6		Taj al-Din al-Hasani تاج الدين الحسني (1885–1943)	—	16 September 1941	17 January 1943	1 year, 123 days		Independent	Hasani died in office. [2]
—		Jamil al-Ulshi جميل الألشي (1883–1951)	—	17 January 1943	25 March 1943	67 days		Independent
7		Ata Bey al-Ayyubi عطا الأيوبي (1877–1951)	—	25 March 1943	17 August 1943	145 days		Independent
8		Shukri al-Quwatli شكري القوّتلي (1891–1967)	1943	17 August 1943	17 April 1946	2 years, 68 days		National Bloc
Independent First Syrian Republic (1946–1950)
(8)		Shukri al-Quwatli شكري القوّتلي (1891–1967)	1948	17 April 1946	30 March 1949	3 years, 157 days		National Bloc	Quwatli was ousted from power in the March 1949 coup d'état by Husni al-Za'im, his chief of staff. [3]
								National Party
Vacant (30 March 1949 – 26 June 1949)
9		Husni al-Za'im حسني الزعيم (1897–1949)	1949 (Jun.)	26 June 1949	14 August 1949	49 days		Independent (SSNP–affiliated)	Za'im was overthrown in the August 1949 coup d'état led by Adib Shishakli; Za'im was later executed on the orders of the new government. [4]
—		Sami al-Hinnawi سامي الحناوي (1898–1950)	—	14 August 1949	15 August 1949	1 day		Military (SSNP)
Vacant (15 August 1949 – 19 December 1949)
(4)		Hashim al-Atassi هاشم الأتاسي (1875–1960)	1949 (Dec.)	19 December 1949	5 September 1950	260 days		People's Party	Head of State. During this period, Hinnawi served as the country's de facto leader (as Chairman of the Supreme Council of War) until his overthrow in the December 1949 coup d'état, led by Shishakli, who then became de facto leader as head of the Council of Colonels (later the Supreme Military Council).
Second Syrian Republic (1950–1958)
(4)		Hashim al-Atassi هاشم الأتاسي (1875–1960)	1950	5 September 1950	2 December 1951	1 year, 88 days		People's Party	Atassi resigned in the aftermath of the 1951 coup d'état.
—		Adib Shishakli أديب الشيشكلي (1909–1964)	—	2 December 1951	3 December 1951	1 day		Syrian Social Nationalist Party	Acting President as Chief of the General Staff and head of the Supreme Military Council.
10		Fawzi Selu فوزي سلو (1905–1972)	—	3 December 1951	11 July 1953	1 year, 220 days		Military (ALM–affiliated)	After the coup the Army Command Council announced that it was collectively assuming responsibility for government, entrusted Selu with all executive and legislative powers, and dissolved the parliament. Shishakli assumed supreme command in the country and took the office of deputy chief of staff.
11		Adib Shishakli أديب الشيشكلي (1909–1964)	1953	11 July 1953	25 February 1954	229 days		Arab Liberation Movement	Shishakli resigned from office in the evening of 26 February 1954, amidst a coup d'état. [5] He fled the country, claiming that he did not want Syria to fall into a civil war. [5]
—		Maamun al-Kuzbari مأمون الكزبري (1914–1998)	—	25 February 1954	28 February 1954	3 days		Arab Liberation Movement
(4)		Hashim al-Atassi هاشم الأتاسي (1875–1960)	—	28 February 1954	6 September 1955	1 year, 190 days		People's Party
(8)		Shukri al-Quwatli شكري القوّتلي (1891–1967)	1955	6 September 1955	22 February 1958	2 years, 169 days		National Party

United Arab Republic (1958–1961)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
12		Gamal Abdel Nasser جمال عبد الناصر (1918–1970)	1958	22 February 1958	29 September 1961	3 years, 219 days		National Union

Syria (1961–present)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party		Note(s)
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
Syrian Arab Republic (1961–present)
Second Syrian Republic (1961–1963)
Vacant (29 September 1961 – 14 December 1961)
13		Nazim al-Qudsi ناظم القدسي (1906–1998)	1961	14 December 1961	8 March 1963	1 year, 84 days		People's Party	The 1963 coup d'état, an event known as the March 8 Revolution, toppled Qudsi and brought the National Council for the Revolutionary Command (NCRC) to government, although real power lay with the Ba'athist Military Committee, which organized the coup. [6]
Ba'athist Syria (1963–2024)
Vacant (8 March 1963 – 9 March 1963)
14		Lu'ay al-Atassi لؤي الأتاسي (1926–2003)	—	9 March 1963	27 July 1963	140 days		Independent	Atassi was appointed president by the NCRC because he posed no threat to the Military Committee's power. [7] He resigned after high-ranking non-Ba'athist officers were purged. [8] [a]
15		Amin al-Hafiz أمين الحافظ (1921–2009)	—	27 July 1963	23 February 1966	2 years, 211 days		Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Hafiz was overthrown by the Military Committee because of his support for Michel Aflaq and the Ba'athist National Command. [9] [b]
Vacant (23 February 1966 – 25 February 1966)
16		Nureddin al-Atassi نور الدين الأتاسي (1929–1992)	—	25 February 1966	18 November 1970	4 years, 266 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Atassi was overthrown when a falling out occurred between Salah Jadid, the country's de facto leader from 1966 to 1970 as Assistant Regional Secretary of the Regional Command, and Hafez al-Assad, the Minister of Defense. [10] Assad initiated a coup in 1970, known as the Corrective Movement. [11]
—		Ahmad al-Khatib أحمد الخطيب (1933–1982)	—	18 November 1970	12 March 1971	114 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Assad served as the country's de facto leader during this period, as head of the Temporary Regional Command and as Regional Secretary of the Regional Command.
17		Hafez al-Assad حافظ الأسد (1930–2000)	1971 1978 1985 1991 1999	12 March 1971	10 June 2000	29 years, 90 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	In late 1983, due to deteriorating health, Assad transferred his powers during his absence and recovery to a committee consisting of members from his close circle. [c] [12] [13] Assad recovered and died in office seventeen years later. [14]
—		Abdul Halim Khaddam عبدالحليم خدام (1932–2020)	—	10 June 2000	17 July 2000	37 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Khaddam constitutionally succeeded from the vice presidency, and served on an acting basis until the new confirmative referendum.
18		Bashar al-Assad بَشَّارُ ٱلْأَسَدِ (born 1965)	2000 2007 2014 2021	17 July 2000	8 December 2024	24 years, 144 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Assad was overthrown during the fall of Damascus in the Syrian civil war, and fled the country to Russia. [15]
Transitional period (2024–present)
Ahmed al-Sharaa served as the de facto Leader of Syria (8 December 2024 – 29 January 2025) [d]
19		Ahmed al-Sharaa أحمد الشرع (born 1982)	—	29 January 2025	Incumbent	218 days		Independent	Al-Sharaa was appointment as president by the Syrian General Command during the transitional period at the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference. [18]

Timeline

See also

• President of Syria
• List of heads of state of Syria
• Vice President of Syria
• Prime Minister of Syria
  • List of prime ministers of Syria
• Speaker of the People's Assembly of Syria

Notes

1. During Atassi's tenure, the office of head of state was entitled President of the National Council for the Revolutionary Command.
2. During Hafiz's tenure, the office of head of state was entitled President of the National Council for the Revolutionary Command, and later as President of the Presidential Council.
3. The committee consisted of Rifaat al-Assad (younger brother of Assad), Abdul Halim Khaddam (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Mustafa Tlass (Minister of Defense), Hikmat al-Shihabi (Chief of the General Staff), Ali Duba (Director of the Military Intelligence Directorate), Abdullah al-Ahmar (National Ba'ath Party official), Zuhair Masharqa (Regional Ba'ath Party official) and Abdul Rauf al-Kasm (Prime Minister).
4. Following the fall of the Assad regime, al-Sharaa served as Syria's de facto leader ^[16] as the emir of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, general commander and head of the new Syrian administration until 29 January 2025, when he was appointed President of Syria by the Syrian General Command. ^{[17] [18] [19]}

References

Citations

1. Arrêtés Nos. 1, 2 & 3, Bulletin hebdomadaire des actes administratifs du Haut-Commissariat (8 October 1922), p. 268; .
2. Moubayed 2006, p. 345.
3. Moubayed 2006, p. 311.
4. Moubayed 2006, p. 610.
5. Moubayed 2006, p. 339.
6. Moubayed 2006, p. 133.
7. Moubayed 2006, p. 175.
8. Rabinovich 1972, p. 72.
9. Seale 1990, pp. 99–101.
10. Seale 1990, pp. 142–144.
11. Seale 1990, pp. 162–163.
12. "Major Illness Said To Incapacitate Syrian President". The Washington Post. 6 December 1983. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
13. Seale, Patrick (8 February 1989). "Chapter 24: Brothers's war". Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East. University of California Press. p. 427. ISBN 978-0520069763.
14. Moubayed 2006, pp. 154–155.
15. "Syrian rebels topple President Assad, prime minister calls for free elections". Reuters. 8 December 2024.
16. • Salame, Richard (29 December 2024). "Syrian elections may not be held for 4 years, says de facto leader". Financial Times . Archived from the original on 29 December 2024.
    • Sarkar, Alisha Rahaman (19 December 2024). "Syria's de facto new leader says it is not a threat to the West". The Independent . Archived from the original on 20 December 2024.
    • Jewers, Chris (19 December 2024). "Syrian rebel leader says women's education will continue – but refuses to be drawn on alcohol". The Telegraph . Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's de facto leader, said he believed in education for women as he denied the new government would be another version of the Taliban.
    • Bowen, Jeremy (18 December 2024). "Syria not a threat to world, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa tells BBC". BBC News . Archived from the original on 18 December 2024. The de facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has said the country is exhausted by war and is not a threat to its neighbours or to the West.
    • Griswold, Eliza (17 December 2024). "Reasons to Leave Syria—and to Return". The New Yorker . Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. He wanted to see how Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the head of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham—an Islamist group formerly linked to the Islamic State and Al Qaeda—and now the de-facto leader of Syria, behaved.
    • Maher, Hatem (14 December 2024). "Syria's de facto leader not interested in new conflicts despite Israeli attacks". Reuters . Archived from the original on 14 December 2024.
17. "Ahmed al-Sharaa named Syria's transitional president". www.bbc.com. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025. Ahmed al-Sharaa has been Syria's de facto leader since leading the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad
18. "General Command appoints Ahmed al-Sharaa as President of Syria". Enab Baladi . 29 January 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
19. "Leader of Syria's new administration congratulates Trump". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 20 July 2025. The leader of the new Syrian administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa, congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration

Bibliography

• Moubayed, Sami M. (2006). Steel & Silk: Men and Women who shaped Syria 1900–2000. Cune Press. ISBN   1-885942-40-0.
• Rabinovich, Itamar (1972). Syria Under the Ba'th, 1963–66: The Army Party Symbiosis. Transaction Publishers. ISBN   0-7065-1266-9.
• Seale, Patrick (1990). Asad of Syria: The Struggle for the Middle East . University of California Press. ISBN   978-0520069763.