Ahmed al-Sharaa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ahmed al-Sharaa
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أحمد الشرع
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Al-Sharaa in 2025
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| President of Syria | |
| Assumed office 29 January 2025 |
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| Prime Minister | Mohammed al-Bashir |
| Preceded by | Bashar al-Assad |
| Emir of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham | |
| In office 1 October 2017 – 29 January 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Abu Jaber Shaykh |
| Emir of the al-Nusra Front | |
| In office 23 January 2012 – 28 January 2017 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa
29 October 1982 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (2016–2025) |
| Spouse | Latifa al-Sharaa |
| Parent | Hussein al-Sharaa (father) |
| Relatives | Maher al-Sharaa (brother) |
| Signature | |
| Nickname | Abu Mohammad al-Julani |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
Formerly
 Al-Qaeda (2003–2016)
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| Years of service | 2003–present |
| Rank | Commander-in-chief (HTS) |
| Battles/wars |
See list
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Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa (born 29 October 1982), also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, is a Syrian revolutionary, military commander and politician who is currently serving as the president of Syria since 29 January 2025.
As the leader of HTS, he played a key role in the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives, which led to the downfall of the Assad regime and establishment of the Syrian transitional government. Since then, al-Sharaa has been widely regarded as Syria's de facto leader.
Contents
Early life
Al-Sharaa was born Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa in 1982 in Riyadh to a middle-class family. His father worked there as an oil engineer, and his mother was a geography teacher. The family returned to Syria in 1989, settling in the affluent Mezzeh neighborhood of Damascus. According to Hussam Jazmati, who produced his most definitive biography, classmates remember al-Sharaa as a studious but unremarkable boy who wore thick glasses and avoided attention. During his youth, he was described as "quiet" and "shy", "manipulatively intelligent" but "socially introverted," and was noted for his "good looks" and a romance with an Alawite girl which both families opposed. He remained in Damascus, studying media studies and starting a degree in medicine until moving to Iraq in 2003.
Iraq war
Shortly before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, he joined al-Qaeda in Iraq and fought for three years in the Iraqi insurgency. American forces captured and imprisoned him from 2006 to 2011. His release coincided with the Syrian revolution, and he created the al-Nusra Front in 2012 with the support of al-Qaeda to take part in the Syrian civil war against the Ba'athist government of Bashar al-Assad.
Syrian civil war
As emir of the al-Nusra Front, al-Sharaa built a stronghold in the northwestern Idlib Governorate and opposed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's attempts to integrate al-Nusra into the Islamic State. This dispute led to open conflict between al-Nusra and the Islamic State.
The U.S. State Department listed al-Sharaa as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" in May 2013, and four years later announced a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture. The reward offer was rescinded in December 2024 after al-Sharaa met with an American delegation led by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara A. Leaf.
In 2016, al-Sharaa cut al-Nusra's ties with al-Qaeda, merging it with other organizations to form Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham the following year. Since breaking with al-Qaeda, he has sought international legitimacy by focusing on governance in Syria rather than global jihadist goals. HTS established an administration in the territory it controls, collecting taxes, providing public services, and issuing identity cards to residents, though it has faced criticism for authoritarian tactics and suppressing dissent. In recent years, he has presented a more moderate view of himself, suggesting he has no urge to wage war against Western nations, and has vowed to protect Syria's minorities.
Governance following fall of Assad government
On 8 December, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali announced that the Syrian government would hand over power to a new elected government following the departure of al-Assad from Damascus, and al-Sharaa announced further that al-Jalali will "supervise state institutions until they are handed over". On 9 December, HTS released a video of al-Sharaa, al-Jalali and Mohammed al-Bashir, the head of the de facto government in Idlib. On 12 December, al-Sharaa met with Turkish officials, which marked the first diplomatic delegation since Assad's overthrow.
On 24 December, al-Sharaa announced the dissolution and merger of multiple rebel factions, including the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, into the interim government's Ministry of Defense. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces were excluded from this consolidation due to ongoing conflicts with Turkish-backed rebels in northeastern Syria. The reorganization coincided with al-Sharaa's efforts to establish new state institutions, including law enforcement and security forces. The administration established processing centers for former regime soldiers and initiated police force recruitment.
In an interview with al-Arabiya on 29 December, al-Sharaa said that he expected the process of writing a new constitution of Syria to take two or three years, with election expected after four years.
Presidency (2025–present)
On 29 January, al-Sharaa was formally named interim president by the transitional government. Al-Sharaa stated that, as president, he would establish an interim legislative council to govern until a new constitution was adopted. He promised to hold a "national dialogue conference" and ensure the preservation of "civil peace" and Syria's territorial integrity.
Documentary
On 1 June 2021 PBS Frontline released a documentary, The Jihadist, investigating al-Sharaa's past in the context of the ongoing Syrian civil war.
Writings
On Jihadist online forums, there are essays and articles attributed to al-Sharaa under the name "Abdullah Bin Muhammad", including The Strategy of the Regional War.
See also
In Spanish: Ahmed al-Charaa para niños
- Abu Jaber Shaykh
- Ali Keda
- Riad al-Asaad
- Saif al-Adel
- Abd al-Rahman al-Maghribi
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