List of prime ministers of Syria

This is a list of prime ministers of Syria since 1920.

List of officeholders

Syria (1920–1958)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party		Government	Notes	Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Government	Notes	Ref.
Arab Kingdom of Syria (1920)
1		Rida Pasha al-Rikabi رضا باشا الركابي (1864–1943)	9 March 1920	3 May 1920	55 days		Independent	al-Rikabi II [ar]	Previously Military Governor in the Occupied Enemy Territory Administration (1 October 1918 – 14 December 1919)
—		Hashim al-Atassi هاشم الأتاسي (1875–1960)	3 May 1920	26 July 1920	84 days		Independent	al-Atassi I [ar] al-Droubi [ar] (From 25 July 1920)
2		Aladdin Al-Droubi علاء الدين الدروبي (1870–1920)	26 July 1920	21 August 1920	26 days		Independent	al-Droubi [ar]
Vacant (21 August 1920 – 6 September 1920)
3		Jamil al-Ulshi جميل الألشي (1883–1951)	6 September 1920	30 November 1920	85 days		Independent	al-Ulshi I [ar]
French mandate (1920–1930)
State of Damascus (1920–1922), Syrian Federation (1922–1925) and State of Syria (1925–1930)
—		Haqqi al-Azm حقي العظم (1864–1955)	1 December 1920	28 June 1922	1 year, 209 days		Independent	Haqqi al-Azm I [ar]
4		Subhi Bey Barakat صبحي بك بركات الخالدي (1889–1939)	28 June 1922	21 December 1925	3 years, 176 days		Independent	Barakat I [ar]–II [ar]
Vacant (21 December 1925 – 29 December 1925)
—		Taj al-Din al-Hasani تاج الدين الحسني (1885–1943)	29 December 1925	6 January 1926	8 days		Independent	No cabinet
Vacant (6 January 1926 – 27 April 1926)
5		Ahmad Nami أحمد نامي (1873–1962)	27 April 1926	9 February 1928	1 year, 288 days		Independent	Nami I [ar]–II [ar]–III [ar]
Vacant (9 February 1928 – 15 April 1928)
6		Taj al-Din al-Hasani تاج الدين الحسني (1885–1943)	15 April 1928	14 May 1930	2 years, 29 days		Independent	al-Hasani I [ar]
First Syrian Republic (1930–1950)
Mandatory Syrian Republic (1930–1946)
(6)		Taj al-Din al-Hasani تاج الدين الحسني (1885–1943)	14 May 1930	19 November 1931	1 year, 189 days		Independent	al-Hasani I [ar]
—		Léon Solomiac (1873–1960)	19 November 1931	11 June 1932	205 days		Independent	Solomiac [ar]
7		Haqqi al-Azm حقي العظم (1864–1955)	7 June 1932	16 March 1934	1 year, 282 days		Independent	Haqqi al-Azm II [ar]
8		Taj al-Din al-Hasani تاج الدين الحسني (1885–1943)	16 March 1934	22 February 1936	1 year, 343 days		Independent	al-Hasani II [ar]
9		Ata Bey al-Ayyubi عطا الأيوبي (1877–1951)	22 February 1936	21 December 1936	303 days		Independent	al-Ayyubi I [ar]
10		Jamil Mardam Bey جميل مردم بك (1894–1960)	21 December 1936	18 February 1939	2 years, 59 days		National Bloc	Bey I [ar] (Cabinet existed until 23 February 1939)
Vacant (18 February 1939 – 23 February 1939)
11		Lutfi al-Haffar لطفي الحفار (1885–1968)	23 February 1939	5 April 1939	41 days		National Bloc	al-Haffar [ar]
12		Nasuhi al-Bukhari نصوحي البخاري (1881–1961)	5 April 1939	8 July 1939	94 days		Independent	al-Bukhari [ar] (No cabinet from 15 May 1939)
—		Bahij al-Khatib بهيج الخطيب (1895–1981)	8 July 1939	4 April 1941	1 year, 270 days		Independent	al-Khatib [ar]
13		Khalid al-Azm خالد العظم (1903–1965)	4 April 1941	21 September 1941	170 days		Independent	al-Azm I [ar]
14		Hassan al-Hakim حسن الحكيم (1886–1982)	21 September 1941	19 April 1942	210 days		Independent	al-Hakim I [ar]
15		Husni al-Barazi حسني البرازي (1895–1975)	19 April 1942	10 January 1943	266 days		Independent	al-Barazi [ar]
16		Jamil al-Ulshi جميل الألشي (1883–1951)	10 January 1943	25 March 1943	74 days		Independent	al-Ulshi II [ar]
17		Ata Bey al-Ayyubi عطا الأيوبي (1877–1951)	25 March 1943	17 August 1943	145 days		Independent	al-Ayyubi II [ar]
Vacant (17 August 1943 – 19 August 1943)
18		Saadallah al-Jabiri سعد الله الجابري (1891–1948)	19 August 1943	14 October 1944	56 days		National Bloc	al-Jabiri I [ar]
19		Fares al-Khoury فارس الخوري (1877–1962)	14 October 1944	1 October 1945	352 days		National Bloc	al-Khoury I [ar]–II [ar]–III [ar]
20		Saadallah al-Jabiri سعد الله الجابري (1891–1948)	1 October 1945	17 April 1946	198 days		National Bloc	al-Jabiri II [ar]
Independent First Syrian Republic (1946–1950)
(20)		Saadallah al-Jabiri سعد الله الجابري (1891–1948)	17 April 1946	16 December 1946	243 days		National Bloc	al-Jabiri III [ar]
—		Khalid al-Azm خالد العظم (1903–1965)	16 December 1946	29 December 1946	13 days		Independent	al-Jabiri III [ar]
21		Jamil Mardam Bey جميل مردم بك (1894–1960)	29 December 1946	17 December 1948	1 year, 354 days		National Bloc	Bey II [ar]–III [ar]–III [ar]–IV [ar]
22		Khalid al-Azm خالد العظم (1903–1965)	17 December 1948	30 March 1949	103 days		Independent	al-Azm II [ar]
Vacant (30 March 1949 – 17 April 1949)
23		Husni al-Za'im حسني الزعيم (1897–1949)	17 April 1949	26 June 1949	70 days		Independent (SSNP–affiliated)	al-Za'im [ar]
24		Muhsin al-Barazi محسن البرازي (1904–1949)	26 June 1949	14 August 1949	49 days		Independent	al-Barazi [ar]
25		Hashim al-Atassi هاشم الأتاسي (1875–1960)	15 August 1949	24 December 1949	131 days		People's Party	al-Atassi II [ar]
26		Nazim al-Qudsi ناظم القدسي (1906–1998)	24 December 1949	27 December 1949	3 days		People's Party	al-Qudsi I [ar]
27		Khalid al-Azm خالد العظم (1903–1965)	27 December 1949	4 June 1950	159 days		Independent	al-Azm III [ar]
28		Nazim al-Qudsi ناظم القدسي (1906–1998)	4 June 1950	5 September 1950	93 days		People's Party	al-Qudsi II [ar]
Second Syrian Republic (1950–1958)
(28)		Nazim al-Qudsi ناظم القدسي (1906–1998)	5 September 1950	27 March 1951	203 days		People's Party	al-Qudsi III [ar]
29		Khalid al-Azm خالد العظم (1903–1965)	27 March 1951	9 August 1951	135 days		Independent	al-Azm IV [ar]
30		Hassan al-Hakim حسن الحكيم (1886–1982)	9 August 1951	13 November 1951	96 days		Independent	al-Hakim II [ar]
—		Zaki al-Khatib زكي الخطيب (1887–1961)	13 November 1951	28 November 1951	15 days		People's Party	al-Hakim II [ar]
31		Maarouf al-Dawalibi معروف الدواليبي (1909–2004)	28 November 1951	29 November 1951	1 day		People's Party	al-Dawalibi I [ar] (Cabinet existed until 1 December 1951)
Vacant (29 November 1951 – 3 December 1951)
32		Fawzi Selu فوزي سلو (1905–1972)	3 December 1951	19 July 1953	1 year, 228 days		Military (ALM–affiliated)	(No cabinet until 1952) Selu [ar] (No cabinet from 11 July 1953)	Selu had no power, real power was with Adib Shishakli.	^[1]
33		Adib Shishakli أديب الشيشكلي (1909–1964)	19 July 1953	1 March 1954	225 days		Arab Liberation Movement	Shishakli [ar]	Shishakli resigned from office amidst the coup in 1954. He fled the country, claiming that he did not want the country to fall into a civil war. Even after he fled he still hold the office de jure until 1 March 1954.	^[2]^[2]
De facto vacant (25 February 1954 – 1 March 1954)
34		Sabri al-Asali صبري العسلي (1903–1976)	1 March 1954	19 June 1954	110 days		National Party	al-Asali I [ar]
35		Said al-Ghazzi سعيد الغزي (1893–1967)	19 June 1954	3 November 1954	137 days		Independent	al-Ghazzi I [ar]
36		Fares al-Khoury فارس الخوري (1877–1962)	3 November 1954	13 February 1955	102 days		People's Party	al-Khoury IV [ar]
37		Sabri al-Asali صبري العسلي (1903–1976)	13 February 1955	13 September 1955	212 days		National Party	al-Asali II [ar]
38		Said al-Ghazzi سعيد الغزي (1893–1967)	13 September 1955	14 June 1956	275 days		Independent	al-Ghazzi II [ar]
39		Sabri al-Asali صبري العسلي (1903–1976)	14 June 1956	1 February 1958	1 year, 232 days		National Party	al-Asali III [ar]–IV [ar] (No cabinet from 6 March 1958)
Vacant (1 February 1958 – 22 February 1958)

United Arab Republic (1958–1961)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party		Government	Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Government	Ref.
Office not established (22 February 1958 – 7 October 1958)
40		Nur al-Din Kahala نور الدين كحالة (1908–1965)	7 October 1958	20 September 1960	1 year, 349 days		National Union	Nasser IV [ar]–V [ar]
41		Abdel Hamid al-Sarraj عبد الحميد السراج (1925–2013)	20 September 1960	16 August 1961	330 days		National Union	Nasser V [ar]–VI [ar]
Vacant (16 August 1961 – 29 September 1961)

Syria (1961–present)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party		Government	Notes	Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Government	Notes	Ref.
Syrian Arab Republic (1961–present)
Second Syrian Republic (1961–1963)
42		Maamun al-Kuzbari مأمون الكزبري (1914–1998)	29 September 1961	20 November 1961	52 days		Independent	al-Kuzbari [ar]	Kuzbari took office following the 1961 coup d'état, which dissolved the United Arab Republic.
43		Izzat al-Nuss عزت النص (1912–1976)^[3]	20 November 1961	14 December 1961	24 days		Military	al-Nuss [ar]
Vacant (14 December 1961 – 22 December 1961)
44		Maarouf al-Dawalibi معروف الدواليبي (1909–2004)	22 December 1961	28 March 1962	96 days		People's Party	al-Dawalibi II [ar]
Vacant (28 March 1962 – 16 April 1962)
45		Bashir al-Azma بشير العظَمة (1910–1992)	16 April 1962	17 September 1962	154 days		Independent	al-Azma [ar]
46		Khalid al-Azm خالد العظم (1903–1965)	17 September 1962	8 March 1963	172 days		Independent	al-Azm V [ar]	The 1963 coup d'état, an event known as the March 8 Revolution, toppled President Nazim al-Qudsi and brought the National Council for the Revolutionary Command (NCRC) to government, although real power lay with the Ba'athist Military Committee, which organized the coup.	^[4]
Ba'athist Syria (1963–2024)
(46)		Khalid al-Azm خالد العظم (1903–1965)	8 March 1963	9 March 1963	1 day		Independent	al-Azm V [ar]	Azm was the first Prime Minister of the Ba'athist regime for some hours after the fall of the Second Syrian Republic in the March 8 Revolution.
47		Salah al-Din al-Bitar صلاح الدين البيطار (1912–1980)	9 March 1963	11 May 1963	63 days		Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	al-Bitar I
—		Sami al-Jundi سامي الجندي (1921–1996)	11 May 1963	13 May 1963	2 days		Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	al-Bitar I
(47)		Salah al-Din al-Bitar صلاح الدين البيطار (1912–1980)	13 May 1963	11 November 1963	182 days		Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	al-Bitar II–III
48		Amin al-Hafiz أمين الحافظ (1921–2009)	12 November 1963	13 May 1964	183 days		Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	al-Hafiz I
49		Salah al-Din al-Bitar صلاح الدين البيطار (1912–1980)	14 May 1964	3 October 1964	142 days		Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	al-Bitar IV
50		Amin al-Hafiz أمين الحافظ (1921–2009)	4 October 1964	22 September 1965	353 days		Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	al-Hafiz II
51		Yusuf Zuayyin يوسف زعيّـن (1931–2016)	22 September 1965	21 December 1965	90 days		Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Zuayyin I
Vacant (21 December 1965 – 1 January 1966)
52		Salah al-Din al-Bitar صلاح الدين البيطار (1912–1980)	1 January 1966	23 February 1966	53 days		Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	al-Bitar V	Bitar was overthrown by the Military Committee because of his support for Michel Aflaq and the National Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party.	^[5]
Vacant (23 February 1966 – 1 March 1966)
53		Yusuf Zuayyin يوسف زعيّـن (1931–2016)	1 March 1966	29 October 1968	2 years, 242 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Zuayyin II [ar]
54		Nureddin al-Atassi نور الدين الأتاسي (1929–1992)	29 October 1968	18 November 1970	2 years, 20 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	al-Atassi [ar]	Atassi was overthrown when a falling-out occurred between Salah Jadid, the real ruler of Syria from 1966 to 1970, and Hafez al-Assad, the Minister of Defense. Assad initiated the Corrective Movement in 1970.	^[6]^[7]
Vacant (18 November 1970 – 21 November 1970)
55		Hafez al-Assad حافظ الأسد (1930–2000)	21 November 1970	3 April 1971	133 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	al-Assad
56		Abdul Rahman Khleifawi عبد الرحمن خليفاوي (1930–2009)	3 April 1971	21 December 1972	1 year, 262 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Khleifawi I [ar]
57		Mahmoud al-Ayyubi محمود الأيوبي (1932–2013)	21 December 1972	7 August 1976	3 years, 230 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	al-Ayyubi [ar]
58		Abdul Rahman Khleifawi عبد الرحمن خليفاوي (1930–2009)	7 August 1976	27 March 1978	1 year, 232 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Khleifawi II [ar]
59		Muhammad Ali al-Halabi محمد علي الحلبي (1937–2016)	27 March 1978	9 January 1980	1 year, 288 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	al-Halabi [ar]
60		Abdul Rauf al-Kasm عبد الرؤوف الكسم (born 1932)	9 January 1980	1 November 1987	7 years, 296 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	al-Kasm I [ar]–II [ar]–III [ar]
61		Mahmoud Al-Zoubi محمود الزعبي (1935–2000)	1 November 1987	7 March 2000	12 years, 127 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Al-Zoubi I [ar]–II [ar]
62		Muhammad Mustafa Mero محمد مصطفى ميرو (1941–2020)	7 March 2000	10 September 2003	3 years, 187 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Mero I [ar]–II
63		Muhammad Naji al-Otari محمد ناجي عطري (born 1944)	10 September 2003	14 April 2011	7 years, 216 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Naji al-Otari
64		Adel Safar عادل سفر (born 1953)	14 April 2011	23 June 2012	1 year, 70 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Safar
65		Riyad Farid Hijab رياض فريد حجاب (born 1966)	23 June 2012	6 August 2012	44 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Hijab	Defected to the opposition during the civil war.	^[8]^[9]
—		Omar Ibrahim Ghalawanji عمر ابراهيم غلاونجي (born 1954)	6 August 2012	9 August 2012	3 days		Independent	Hijab		^[10]
66		Wael Nader al-Halqi وائل نادر الحلقي (born 1964)	9 August 2012	3 July 2016	3 years, 329 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	al-Halqi I–II
67		Imad Khamis عماد خميس (born 1961)	3 July 2016	11 June 2020	3 years, 344 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Khamis
68		Hussein Arnous حسين عرنوس (born 1953)	11 June 2020	14 September 2024	4 years, 95 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Arnous I–II
69		Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali محمد غازي الجلالي (born 1969)	14 September 2024	8 December 2024	85 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Arnous II al-Jalali
Transitional period (2024–present)
—		Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali محمد غازي الجلالي (born 1969)	8 December 2024	10 December 2024	2 days		Syrian Ba'ath Party (Syria Region)	Transitional	Served as caretaker until al-Bashir assumed power.
70		Mohammed al-Bashir محمد البشير (born 1983)	10 December 2024	Incumbent	51 days		Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham	Transitional	Previously Prime Minister of the Syrian Salvation Government.

Timeline

References

General

^ Moubayed 2006, p. 85.
^ ^a ^b Moubayed 2006, p. 339.
^ "Who's who in the Arab World". 1974.
^ Moubayed 2006, p. 133.
^ Seale 1990, pp. 99–101.
^ Seale 1990, pp. 142–144.
^ Seale 1990, pp. 162–163.
^ "Syrian prime minister joins opposition". Al Jazeera. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
^ "Syria PM Riad Hijab defects to Jordan". BBC News. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
^ "أول رئيس حكومة"غير بعثي"منذ 1963...مصدر رفيع لسيريانديز:غلاونجي باق في الفترة القادمة" [The first Prime Minister since 1963 not to belong to the Ba'ath Party... A senior source to SyrianDays: Ghalawanji will remain for the next period.] (in Arabic). syriandays.com. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2015.

Bibliography

Moubayed, Sami M. (2006). Steel & Silk: Men and Women who shaped Syria 1900–2000. Cune Press. ISBN 1-885942-40-0.
Seale, Patrick (1990). Asad of Syria: The Struggle for the Middle East. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520069763.

[FOOTNOTEMoubayed200685-1] Moubayed 2006, p. 85.

[FOOTNOTEMoubayed2006339-2] Moubayed 2006, p. 339.

[3] "Who's who in the Arab World". 1974.

[FOOTNOTEMoubayed2006133-4] Moubayed 2006, p. 133.

[FOOTNOTESeale199099–101-5] Seale 1990, pp. 99–101.

[FOOTNOTESeale1990142–144-6] Seale 1990, pp. 142–144.

[FOOTNOTESeale1990162–163-7] Seale 1990, pp. 162–163.

[AJ66-8] "Syrian prime minister joins opposition". Al Jazeera. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.

[bbc612-9] "Syria PM Riad Hijab defects to Jordan". BBC News. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.

[10] "أول رئيس حكومة"غير بعثي"منذ 1963...مصدر رفيع لسيريانديز:غلاونجي باق في الفترة القادمة" [The first Prime Minister since 1963 not to belong to the Ba'ath Party... A senior source to SyrianDays: Ghalawanji will remain for the next period.] (in Arabic). syriandays.com. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2015.

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v t e Prime ministers of Syria (list)
Arab Kingdom of Syria (1920)	Arab Kingdom of Syria al-Rikabi H. al-Atassi* Al-Droubi al-Ulshi
French mandate (1920–1930)	French mandate H. al-Azm* Barakat al-Hasani* Nami al-Hasani
First Syrian Republic (1930–1950)	First Syrian Republic al-Hasani Solomiac* H. al-Azm al-Hasani A. al-Ayyubi Mardam al-Haffar al-Bukhari B. al-Khatib* K. al-Azm al-Hakim H. al-Barazi al-Ulshi A. al-Ayyubi al-Jabiri al-Khoury al-Jabiri K. al-Azm* Mardam K. al-Azm al-Za'im M. al-Barazi H. al-Atassi al-Qudsi K. al-Azm al-Qudsi
Second Syrian Republic (1950–1958)	Second Syrian Republic al-Qudsi K. al-Azm al-Hakim Z. al-Khatib* al-Dawalibi Selu Shishakli al-Asali al-Ghazzi al-Khoury al-Asali al-Ghazzi al-Asali
United Arab Republic (1958–1961)	United Arab Republic Kahala Sarraj
Second Syrian Republic (1961–1963)	Second Syrian Republic al-Kuzbari al-Nuss al-Dawalibi al-Azma K. al-Azm
Ba'athist Syria (1963–2024)	Ba'athist Syria K. al-Azm al-Bitar al-Jundi* al-Bitar al-Hafiz al-Bitar al-Hafiz Zuayyin al-Bitar Zuayyin N. al-Atassi al-Assad Khleifawi M. al-Ayyubi Khleifawi al-Halabi al-Kasm Al-Zoubi Mero al-Otari Safar Hijab Ghalawanji* al-Halqi Khamis Arnous al-Jalali
Transitional period (2024–present)	Transitional period al-Jalali* al-Bashir
* acting

List of officeholders

Syria (1920–1958)

United Arab Republic (1958–1961)

Syria (1961–present)

Timeline

See also

References