List of prime ministers of Syria facts for kids

Syria has had many leaders throughout its history, especially Prime Ministers. A Prime Minister is like the head of the government in many countries. They work with the President and other ministers to run the country, make decisions, and manage daily affairs. This list shows the people who have held this important role in Syria since 1920.

Early Leaders of Syria (1920–1958)

Syria's journey to becoming an independent nation was long. In the early 20th century, after the Ottoman Empire ended, Syria was under a French mandate. This meant France had control over the region. During this time, Syria had different forms of government, including the Arab Kingdom of Syria for a short period in 1920, and later the First Syrian Republic.

Here are some of the key Prime Ministers from this period:

No.	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Notes
Arab Kingdom of Syria (1920)
1	Rida Pasha al-Rikabi	Rida Pasha al-Rikabi (1864–1943)	9 March 1920	3 May 1920	55 days	Independent	He was also a military governor before becoming Prime Minister.
—	Hashim al-Atassi	Hashim al-Atassi (1875–1960)	3 May 1920	26 July 1920	84 days	Independent	He led the government during a time of change.
2		Aladdin al-Droubi (1870–1920)	26 July 1920	21 August 1920	26 days	Independent
3	Jamil al-Ulshi	Jamil al-Ulshi (1883–1951)	6 September 1920	30 November 1920	85 days	Independent
French mandate (1920–1930)
State of Damascus (1920–1922), Syrian Federation (1922–1925) and State of Syria (1925–1930)
—	Haqqi al-Azm	Haqqi al-Azm (1864–1955)	1 December 1920	28 June 1922	1 year, 209 days	Independent
4	Subhi Bey Barakat	Subhi Bey Barakat (1889–1939)	28 June 1922	21 December 1925	3 years, 176 days	Independent
—	Taj al-Din al-Hasani	Taj al-Din al-Hasani (1885–1943)	29 December 1925	6 January 1926	8 days	Independent
5	Ahmad Nami	Ahmad Nami (1873–1962)	27 April 1926	9 February 1928	1 year, 288 days	Independent
6	Taj al-Din al-Hasani	Taj al-Din al-Hasani (1885–1943)	15 April 1928	14 May 1930	2 years, 29 days	Independent
First Syrian Republic (1930–1950)
Mandatory Syrian Republic (1930–1946)
(6)	Taj al-Din al-Hasani	Taj al-Din al-Hasani (1885–1943)	14 May 1930	19 November 1931	1 year, 189 days	Independent
—		Léon Solomiac (1873–1960)	19 November 1931	11 June 1932	205 days	Independent
7	Haqqi al-Azm	Haqqi al-Azm (1864–1955)	7 June 1932	16 March 1934	1 year, 282 days	Independent
(6)	Taj al-Din al-Hasani	Taj al-Din al-Hasani (1885–1943)	16 March 1934	22 February 1936	1 year, 343 days	Independent
8	Ata Bey al-Ayyubi	Ata Bey al-Ayyubi (1877–1951)	22 February 1936	21 December 1936	303 days	Independent
9	Jamil Mardam Bey	Jamil Mardam Bey (1894–1960)	21 December 1936	23 February 1939	2 years, 64 days	National Bloc
10	Lutfi al-Haffar	Lutfi al-Haffar (1885–1968)	23 February 1939	5 April 1939	41 days	National Bloc
11	Nasuhi al-Bukhari	Nasuhi al-Bukhari (1881–1961)	5 April 1939	8 July 1939	94 days	Independent
—	Bahij al-Khatib	Bahij al-Khatib (1895–1981)	8 July 1939	4 April 1941	1 year, 270 days	Independent
12	Khalid al-Azm	Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965)	4 April 1941	21 September 1941	170 days	Independent
13		Hassan al-Hakim (1886–1982)	21 September 1941	19 April 1942	210 days	Independent
14		Husni al-Barazi (1895–1975)	19 April 1942	10 January 1943	266 days	Independent
(3)	Jamil al-Ulshi	Jamil al-Ulshi (1883–1951)	10 January 1943	25 March 1943	74 days	Independent
(8)	Ata Bey al-Ayyubi	Ata Bey al-Ayyubi (1877–1951)	25 March 1943	19 August 1943	147 days	Independent
15	Saadallah al-Jabiri	Saadallah al-Jabiri (1891–1948)	19 August 1943	14 October 1944	1 year, 56 days	National Bloc
16	Fares al-Khoury	Fares al-Khoury (1877–1962)	14 October 1944	1 October 1945	352 days	National Bloc
(15)	Saadallah al-Jabiri	Saadallah al-Jabiri (1891–1948)	1 October 1945	17 April 1946	198 days	National Bloc
Independent First Syrian Republic (1946–1950)
(15)	Saadallah al-Jabiri	Saadallah al-Jabiri (1891–1948)	17 April 1946	16 December 1946	243 days	National Bloc
—	Khalid al-Azm	Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965)	16 December 1946	29 December 1946	13 days	Independent
(9)	Jamil Mardam Bey	Jamil Mardam Bey (1894–1960)	29 December 1946	17 December 1948	1 year, 354 days	National Bloc
(12)	Khalid al-Azm	Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965)	17 December 1948	30 March 1949	103 days	Independent	His government was removed by a military takeover.
17	Husni al-Za'im	Husni al-Za'im (1897–1949)	30 March 1949	26 June 1949	88 days	Independent (SSNP-affiliated)
18	Muhsin al-Barazi	Muhsin al-Barazi (1904–1949)	26 June 1949	14 August 1949	49 days	Independent	He was executed after another military takeover.
19	Hashim al-Atassi	Hashim al-Atassi (1875–1960)	14 August 1949	24 December 1949	132 days	People's Party
20	Nazim al-Qudsi	Nazim al-Qudsi (1906–1998)	24 December 1949	27 December 1949	3 days	People's Party
(12)	Khalid al-Azm	Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965)	27 December 1949	4 June 1950	159 days	Independent
(20)	Nazim al-Qudsi	Nazim al-Qudsi (1906–1998)	4 June 1950	5 September 1950	93 days	People's Party
Second Syrian Republic (1950–1958)
(20)	Nazim al-Qudsi	Nazim al-Qudsi (1906–1998)	5 September 1950	27 March 1951	203 days	People's Party
(12)	Khalid al-Azm	Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965)	27 March 1951	9 August 1951	135 days	Independent
(13)		Hassan al-Hakim (1886–1982)	9 August 1951	13 November 1951	96 days	Independent
—	Zaki al-Khatib	Zaki al-Khatib (1887–1961)	13 November 1951	28 November 1951	15 days	People's Party
21	Maarouf al-Dawalibi	Maarouf al-Dawalibi (1909–2004)	28 November 1951	29 November 1951	1 day	People's Party	His government was removed by a military takeover.
22	Fawzi Selu	Fawzi Selu (1905–1972)	3 December 1951	19 July 1953	1 year, 228 days	Military	He was the Prime Minister, but the real power was held by Adib Shishakli.
23	Sabri al-Asali	Sabri al-Asali (1903–1976)	1 March 1954	19 June 1954	110 days	National Party
24	Said al-Ghazzi	Said al-Ghazzi (1893–1967)	19 June 1954	3 November 1954	137 days	Independent
(16)	Fares al-Khoury	Fares al-Khoury (1877–1962)	3 November 1954	13 February 1955	102 days	People's Party
(23)	Sabri al-Asali	Sabri al-Asali (1903–1976)	13 February 1955	13 September 1955	212 days	National Party
(24)	Said al-Ghazzi	Said al-Ghazzi (1893–1967)	13 September 1955	14 June 1956	275 days	Independent
(23)	Sabri al-Asali	Sabri al-Asali (1903–1976)	14 June 1956	1 February 1958	1 year, 232 days	National Party

Syria as Part of the United Arab Republic (1958–1961)

For a few years, Syria joined with Egypt to form a single country called the United Arab Republic. During this time, the role of Prime Minister in Syria was different, as the main government was in Egypt.

No.	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Notes
25	Nur al-Din Kahala	Nur al-Din Kahala (1908–1965)	7 October 1958	20 September 1960	1 year, 349 days	National Union
26	Abdel Hamid al-Sarraj	Abdel Hamid al-Sarraj (1925–2013)	20 September 1960	16 August 1961	330 days	National Union

Modern Syria's Prime Ministers (1961-Present)

After the United Arab Republic ended, Syria became independent again. Since then, it has gone through different political periods, including the Ba'athist era which began in 1963.

No.	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Notes
Second Syrian Republic (1961–1963)
27	Maamun al-Kuzbari	Maamun al-Kuzbari (1914–1998)	29 September 1961	20 November 1961	52 days	Independent	He became Prime Minister after Syria became independent from the United Arab Republic.
28	Izzat al-Nuss	Izzat al-Nuss (1912–1976)	20 November 1961	14 December 1961	24 days	Independent
(21)	Maarouf al-Dawalibi	Maarouf al-Dawalibi (1909–2004)	22 December 1961	28 March 1962	96 days	People's Party
29	Bashir al-Azma	Bashir al-Azma (1910–1992)	16 April 1962	17 September 1962	154 days	Independent
(12)	Khalid al-Azm	Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965)	17 September 1962	8 March 1963	172 days	Independent	His government was removed by a military takeover known as the March 8 Revolution.
Ba'athist Syria (1963–2024)
(12)	Khalid al-Azm	Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965)	8 March 1963	9 March 1963	1 day	Independent	He was Prime Minister for only a few hours after the March 8 Revolution.
30	Salah al-Din al-Bitar	Salah al-Din al-Bitar (1912–1980)	9 March 1963	11 May 1963	63 days	Ba'ath Party
—		Sami al-Jundi (1921–1996)	11 May 1963	13 May 1963	2 days	Ba'ath Party
(30)	Salah al-Din al-Bitar	Salah al-Din al-Bitar (1912–1980)	13 May 1963	11 November 1963	182 days	Ba'ath Party
31	Amin al-Hafiz	Amin al-Hafiz (1921–2009)	12 November 1963	13 May 1964	183 days	Ba'ath Party
(30)	Salah al-Din al-Bitar	Salah al-Din al-Bitar (1912–1980)	14 May 1964	3 October 1964	142 days	Ba'ath Party
(31)	Amin al-Hafiz	Amin al-Hafiz (1921–2009)	4 October 1964	22 September 1965	353 days	Ba'ath Party
32	Yusuf Zuayyin	Yusuf Zuayyin (1931–2016)	22 September 1965	21 December 1965	90 days	Ba'ath Party
(30)	Salah al-Din al-Bitar	Salah al-Din al-Bitar (1912–1980)	1 January 1966	23 February 1966	53 days	Ba'ath Party	His government was removed by a military takeover.
(32)	Yusuf Zuayyin	Yusuf Zuayyin (1931–2016)	1 March 1966	29 October 1968	2 years, 242 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
33	Nureddin al-Atassi	Nureddin al-Atassi (1929–1992)	29 October 1968	18 November 1970	2 years, 20 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party	His government was removed by the Corrective Movement led by Hafez al-Assad.
34	Hafez al-Assad	Hafez al-Assad (1930–2000)	21 November 1970	3 April 1971	133 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
35	Abdul Rahman Khleifawi	Abdul Rahman Khleifawi (1930–2009)	3 April 1971	21 December 1972	1 year, 262 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
36		Mahmoud al-Ayyubi (1932–2013)	21 December 1972	7 August 1976	3 years, 230 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
(35)	Abdul Rahman Khleifawi	Abdul Rahman Khleifawi (1930–2009)	7 August 1976	27 March 1978	1 year, 232 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
37	Muhammad Ali al-Halabi	Muhammad Ali al-Halabi (1937–2016)	27 March 1978	9 January 1980	1 year, 288 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
38	Abdul Rauf al-Kasm	Abdul Rauf al-Kasm (born 1932)	9 January 1980	1 November 1987	7 years, 296 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
39	Mahmoud Al-Zoubi	Mahmoud Al-Zoubi (1935–2000)	1 November 1987	7 March 2000	12 years, 127 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
40		Muhammad Mustafa Mero (1941–2020)	7 March 2000	10 September 2003	3 years, 187 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
41	Muhammad Naji al-Otari	Muhammad Naji al-Otari (born 1944)	10 September 2003	14 April 2011	7 years, 216 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
42		Adel Safar (born 1953)	14 April 2011	23 June 2012	1 year, 70 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
43	Riyad Farid Hijab	Riyad Farid Hijab (born 1966)	23 June 2012	6 August 2012	44 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party	He left his position and joined the opposition during the civil war.
—		Omar Ibrahim Ghalawanji (born 1954)	6 August 2012	9 August 2012	3 days	Independent
44	Wael Nader al-Halqi	Wael Nader al-Halqi (born 1964)	9 August 2012	3 July 2016	3 years, 329 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
45	Imad Khamis	Imad Khamis (born 1961)	3 July 2016	11 June 2020	3 years, 344 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
46	Hussein Arnous	Hussein Arnous (born 1953)	11 June 2020	14 September 2024	4 years, 95 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
47		Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali (born 1969)	14 September 2024	8 December 2024	85 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party
Transitional period (2024–2025)
—		Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali (born 1969)	8 December 2024	10 December 2024	2 days	Syrian Ba'ath Party	He served as a temporary leader until a new government took over.
48	Mohammed al-Bashir	Mohammed al-Bashir (born 1983)	10 December 2024	29 March 2025	109 days	Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham	He was previously the Prime Minister of the Syrian Salvation Government.
						Independent
Position abolished (since 29 March 2025)

Timeline of Prime Ministers

This timeline shows when each Prime Minister served and which political group they belonged to.

More About Syria's Government

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

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Primeros ministros de Siria para niños