Maher al-Sharaa | |
|---|---|
ماهر الشرع | |
| Secretary-General to the Presidency | |
| Assumed office 5 April 2025 | |
| President | Ahmed al-Sharaa |
| Preceded by | Abdul Rahman Salama |
| Acting Minister of Health | |
| In office 16 December 2024 –29 March 2025 | |
| President | Ahmed al-Sharaa [a] |
| Prime Minister | Mohammed al-Bashir |
| Preceded by | Mazen Dukhan |
| Succeeded by | Musaab Nazzal al-Ali |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1973 (age 51–52) Damascus,Syria |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (until 2025) |
| Spouse | Tatyana Zakirova |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent | Hussein al-Sharaa (father) |
| Relatives | Hazem al-Sharaa (brother) Jamal al-Sharaa (brother) Ahmed al-Sharaa (brother) |
| Occupation | Politician,physician |
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. [1] [2] 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.
Maher al-Sharaa was born in 1973 in Damascus,Syria. He is the eldest son of the Syrian economist and writer Hussein al-Sharaa. [3]
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. [4]
Between 2004 and 2013,al-Sharaa worked in several hospitals across Syria. He then returned to Voronezh,where he continued practicing in various women's health clinics. He had also worked at the Abha Maternity and Children's Hospital from 2014 to 2018. [4] [5]
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. [5]
Al-Sharaa was an advisor to the minister of health in the Syrian Salvation Government. [6]
On 16 December 2024,he was appointed minister of health in the Syrian caretaker government. According to Shaam News Network,the appointment was viewed as nepotistic,given that al-Sharaa is brother of Syrian de facto leader (and later president) Ahmed al-Sharaa. [6] On 5 April 2025,he was appointed Secretary-General to the Presidency, [7] succeeding Abdul Rahman Salama. [8]
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. [4] [5] 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. [9]