Political Leaders: Syria

Leaders of Syria
(Syrian Arab Republic)

[To the list of countries]
[To the ZPC Homepage]

Parties: ALM: Arab Liberation Movement Baath: Socialist Arab Rebirth Party HI: Independence Party HJ: Republican Party HS: People's Party HSQ: Syrian National Party KD: Democratic Bloc KW: National Bloc

(Active names link to their correspondant biography at the CIDOB website)

Heads of the State

President of the Republic
Shukri al-Quwwatli              17 Aug 1943 - 30 Mar 1949 (+1968)  [picture] KW

Chairmen of the Supreme Military Council 
Husni al-Zaim                   30 Mar 1949 - 26 Jun 1949 (+)e     [picture] military
Muhammad Sami Hilmi al-Hinnawi  14 Aug 1949 - 15 Aug 1949 (+1950)a           military

President of the Republic (*)
Hashim Bay Khalid al-Atassi     15 Aug 1949 -  2 Dec 1951 (+1960)  [picture] KW

Chairman of the Supreme Military Council 
Adib ash-Shishakli               2 Dec 1951 -  3 Dec 1951 (+1964)  [picture] military

Presidents of the Republic
Fawzi as-Silu                    3 Dec 1951 - 11 Jul 1953                    military 
Adib ash-Shishakli              11 Jul 1953 - 25 Feb 1954 (+1964)  [picture] military/ALM	
Maamun Shafiq al-Kuzbari        26 Feb 1954 - 28 Feb 1954 (+1998)  [picture] n/p (acting)
Hashim Bay Khalid al-Atassi     28 Feb 1954 -  6 Sep 1955 (+1960)  [picture] KW
Shukri al-Quwwatli               6 Sep 1955 - 22 Feb 1958 (+1968)  [picture] HSQ

United Arab Republic (**)       22 Feb 1958 - 29 Sep 1961

Prime Ministers acting as heads of State
Maamun Shafiq al-Kuzbari        29 Sep 1961 - 20 Nov 1961 (+1998)  [picture] n/p (acting)
Izzat an-Nuss                   14 Dec 1961 - 14 Dec 1961                    military (acting)

President of the Republic
Nazim al-Qudsi                  14 Dec 1961 -  8 Mar 1963 (+1998)            HS

Chairmen of the National Revolutionary Command Council
Louai al-Atassi                  9 Mar 1963 - 27 Jul 1963 (+2003)            military/Baath
Muhammad Amin al-Hafiz          27 Jul 1963 - 13 May 1964          [picture] military/Baath 

Chairman of the Presidential Council
Muhammad Amin al-Hafiz          13 May 1964 - 25 Feb 1966          [picture] military/Baath

Heads of State
Nur ad-Din Mustafa al-Atassi    25 Feb 1966 - 18 Nov 1970 (+1992)  [picture] Baath
Ahmad al-Hasan al-Khatib        18 Nov 1970 - 22 Feb 1971                    Baath        
Abu Sulayman Hafiz al-Assad     22 Feb 1971 - 14 Mar 1971 (+2000)  [picture] military/Baath

Presidents of the Republic
Abu Sulayman Hafiz al-Assad     14 Mar 1971 - 10 Jun 2000 (+)      [picture] Baath
Abd al-Halim Khaddam            10 Jun 2000 - 17 Jul 2000          [picture] Baath (acting)
Bashar al-Assad                 17 Jul 2000 -                      [picture] Baath

(*) Prime minister to 19 Aug 1949 and president of the Republic since 5 Sep 1950.
(**) Syria was a founding component of the United Arab Republic (UAR) along with Egypt in this period.

Heads of Government

Prime Ministers
Faris al-Khouri                 14 Oct 1944 -  1 Oct 1945 (+1962)  [picture] KW
Saadallah al-Jabiri              1 Oct 1945 - 16 Dec 1946 (+1947)  [picture] HI
Khalid al-Azm                   16 Dec 1946 - 29 Dec 1946 (+1965)            KW
Jamil Mardam Bey                29 Dec 1946 - 17 Dec 1948 (+1960)            HJ
Khalid al-Azm                   17 Dec 1948 - 30 Mar 1949 (+1965)            KW
Husni al-Zaim                   17 Apr 1949 - 26 Jun 1949 (+1949)e [picture] military
Muhsin al-Berazi                26 Jun 1949 - 14 Aug 1949 (+)e               n/p
Hashim Bay Khalid al-Atassi     17 Aug 1949 - 24 Dec 1949 (+1960)  [picture] KW
Nazim al-Qudsi                  24 Dec 1949 - 27 Dec 1949 (+1998)            HS
Khalid al-Azm                   27 Dec 1949 -  4 Jun 1950 (+1965)            KW
Nazim al-Qudsi                   4 Jun 1950 - 27 Mar 1951 (+1998)            HS
Khalid al-Azm                   27 Mar 1951 -  9 Aug 1951 (+1965)            KD
Hassan al-Hakim                  9 Aug 1951 - 13 Nov 1951 (+1988)   
Zaki al-Khatib                  13 Nov 1951 - 28 Nov 1951                    (acting)
Maaruf ad-Dawalibi              28 Nov 1951 - 29 Nov 1951 (+2004)            HS      
Fawzi as-Silu                    3 Dec 1951 - 19 Jul 1953                    military  
Adib ash-Shishakli              19 Jul 1953 -  1 Mar 1954 (+1964)  [picture] military/ALM  
Sabri al-Assali                  1 Mar 1954 - 18 Jun 1954 (+1976)            HSQ  
Said al-Ghazzi                  18 Jun 1954 -  3 Nov 1954      
Faris al-Khouri                  3 Nov 1954 - 13 Feb 1955 (+1962)  [picture] HS
Sabri al-Assali                 13 Feb 1955 - 13 Sep 1955 (+1976)            HSQ  
Said al-Ghazzi                  13 Sep 1955 - 14 Jun 1956 
Sabri al-Assali                 14 Jun 1956 -  6 Mar 1958 (+1976)            HSQ  

Chairmen of the Executive Council of the Northern (Syrian) Region of the United Arab Republic
Nur ad-Din Kuhala                7 Oct 1958 - 20 Sep 1960                    Baath, n/p
Abd al-Hamid Sarraj             20 Sep 1960 - 16 Aug 1961                    n/p

Prime Ministers
Maamun Shafiq al-Kuzbari        28 Sep 1961 - 20 Nov 1961 (+1998)  [picture] n/p
Izzat an-Nuss                   20 Nov 1961 - 14 Dec 1961                    military  
Maaruf ad-Dawalibi              22 Dec 1961 - 28 Mar 1962 (+2004)            HS  
Ahmad Bashir al-Azmah           16 Apr 1962 - 14 Sep 1962 (+1992)         
Khalid al-Azm                   17 Sep 1962 -  9 Mar 1963 (+1965)
Salah ad-Din Bitar               9 Mar 1963 - 12 Nov 1963 (+1980)a [picture] Baath
Muhammad Amin al-Hafiz          12 Nov 1963 - 13 May 1964          [picture] military/Baath
Salah ad-Din Bitar              13 May 1964 -  3 Oct 1964 (+1980)a [picture] Baath
Muhammad Amin al-Hafiz           4 Oct 1964 - 23 Sep 1965          [picture] military/Baath
Yussuf Zuaiyin                  23 Sep 1965 - 21 Dec 1965                    Baath 
Salah ad-Din Bitar               1 Jan 1966 - 23 Feb 1966 (+1980)a [picture] Baath 
Yussuf Zuaiyin                  25 Feb 1966 - 29 Oct 1968                    Baath 
Nur ad-Din Mustafa al-Atassi    29 Oct 1968 - 21 Nov 1970 (+1992)  [picture] Baath 
Abu Sulayman Hafiz al-Assad     21 Nov 1970 -  3 Apr 1971 (+2000)  [picture] military/Baath
Abd ar-Rahman Khleifawi          3 Apr 1971 - 21 Dec 1972                    Baath 
Mahmoud al-Ayyubi               21 Dec 1972 -  7 Aug 1976                    Baath 
Abd ar-Rahman Khleifawi          7 Aug 1976 - 27 Mar 1978                    Baath
Muhammad Ali al-Halabi          27 Mar 1978 -  9 Jan 1980                    Baath
Abd ar-Rauf al-Kasm              9 Jan 1980 -  1 Nov 1987                    Baath
Mahmoud al-Zuabi                 1 Nov 1987 - 13 Mar 2000 (+2000)s [picture] Baath
Muhammad Mustafa Miro           13 Mar 2000 - 10 Sep 2003          [picture] Baath
Muhammad Naji al-Otari          10 Sep 2003 -                      [picture] Baath

[To the list of countries]