Maher al-Sharaa[b] is a Syrian politician and physician who is currently serving as the Secretary-General to the Presidency since April 2025. He previously served as the Acting Minister of Health in the Syrian caretaker government from December 2024 to March 2025. He is the brother of Ahmed al-Sharaa, the current President of Syria.
Born in Damascus, Syria, he spent many years living in the Russian city of Voronezh, where he earned a diploma in health systems management from Burdenko Voronezh State Medical University in 2000. He also holds a doctorate in medical sciences and has completed multiple advanced training programs at both the Voronezh Medical Academy and Voronezh State Medical University. In July 2022, he flew to İzmir, Turkey, and has not returned to Russia since. He later reappeared in Syria as part of the caretaker government.
On 5 April 2025, Al-Sharaa was appointed Secretary-General, a position regarded as a high-ranking post within the Syrian state. During his tenure, he met with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and Patriarch John X of Antioch.
Al-Sharaa reportedly spent many years living in the Russian city of Voronezh, where he earned a diploma in health systems management from the Burdenko Voronezh State Medical University in 2000. He later completed a specialization in obstetrics and gynecology at the same institution in 2004. He also holds a doctorate in medical sciences and has participated in multiple advanced training programs at both the Voronezh Medical Academy and Voronezh State Medical University.[2] The Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) stated that al-Sharaa served at Syria’s Minister of Health as head of the gynecology department until 2012, when he was arrested and fled the Assad regime.[3]
Between 2004 and 2013, al-Sharaa worked in several hospitals across Syria. He later returned to Voronezh, where he practiced in various women’s health clinics.[2] From 2014 to 2018, he worked at Abha Maternity and Children’s Hospital, and in 2018, he joined Es Class Clinic, a medical center in Russia.[4] From 2014 to 2021, he also served as a gynecologist at the Road Clinical Hospital in Voronezh.[5]
Agentstvo also cited a doctor-review website that listed al-Sharaa as a Voronezh-based obstetrician-gynecologist with 25 years of experience and a five-star rating as of December 2023.[6]
According to the SSG, he worked between several regional Arab and Western countries and in northern Syria from 2022 to 2023.[3] Based on information from Russian border authorities, al-Sharaa flew to İzmir, Turkey, in July 2022 and has not returned to Russia since. He later resurfaced in Syria as part of the Syrian caretaker government.[4]
On 16 December 2024, he was appointed acting Minister of Health in the Syrian caretaker government. According to the Shaam News Network, the appointment was seen as nepotistic, since al-Sharaa is the brother of Syrian de facto leader (and later president) Ahmed al-Sharaa.[7] On 31 December, al-Sharaa praised Turkey's role during Syrian civil war as “resolute and supportive” and said future relations would be friendly and cooperative, with a bond “like family.”[8]
On 6 January 2025, al-Sharaa met in Damascus with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid team to discuss supporting Syria’s healthcare sector.[9] On 15 January, German Development Minister Svenja Schulze met with al-Sharaa to discuss hospital cooperation, becoming one of the first senior Western officials to visit Syria in more than a decade.[10] On 29 March, the caretaker government was succeeded by the Syrian transitional government, and he succeeded Musaab Nazzal al-Ali as Minister of Health.[11][12]
Al-Sharaa meets Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, September 2025
Secretary-General to the Presidency (2025–present)
On 5 April 2025, the Syrian Presidency appointed al-Sharaa as Secretary-General, succeeding Abdul Rahman Salama.[13] The position of Secretary-General was reportedly regarded as a high-ranking post within the Syrian state.[14] He also served as the President’s Chief of Staff, where he was in charge of protocols, ceremonies, scheduling, security, and the palace’s logistical operations.[15]
In July 2025, al-Sharaa was reportedly supervising Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani during his meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.[16] On 13 August, Patriarch John X of Antioch met with al-Sharaa at the Damascus Patriarchate, and al-Sharaa offered condolences for the St. Elias Church martyrs, stressing that the crime threatens Syria’s unity.[17] On 9 September, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak met with al-Sharaa to discuss prospects for broad bilateral cooperation.[18]
Personal life
Al-Sharaa is married to Tatyana Zakirova, a Russian-Syrian national of Russian ancestry. She was active in the business sector until 2020. The couple has three children: Rashid, Maria, and Kamel.[2][4] Al-Sharaa is the brother of Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and the president of Syria following the fall of the Assad regime.[19]
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