President al-Assad issues Decree No. 203 on forming the new Syrian government

Damascus, SANA-President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday issued Decree No. 203 for 2016 on forming the new Syrian government, headed by Eng. Imad Mohammad Deeb Khamis.

The new government according to the decree is as follows:

• Eng. Imad Mohammad Deeb Khamis, Prime Minister.
• Gen. Fahd Jassem al-Freij Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense.
• Walid al-Moallem Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister.
• Dr. Mohammad Abdul-Sattar al-Sayyed, Minister of Religious Endowments.
• Mansour Fadlallah Azzam, Minister of Presidential Affairs.
• Lt. Gen. Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar, Interior Minister.
• Dr. Hazwan al-Waz, Education Minister.
• Najm Hamad al-Ahmad, Justice Minister.
• Hussein Arnous, Minister of Public Works.
• Ahmad al-Qadiri, Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform.
• Bishr Yazigi, Tourism Minister.
• Dr. Hassan al-Nouri, Administrative Development Minister.
• Dr. Nizar Wehbe al-Yazigi, Health Minister
• Rima al-Qadiri, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor.
• Dr. Adib Mayyaleh, Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade.
• Dr. Atef Naddaf, Higher Education Minister.
• Hussein Makhlouf, Minister of Local Administration.
• Eng. Ali Ghanem, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
• Mohamed Ramez Tourjuman, Information Minister.
• Mohammad Zuhair Kharboutli, Electricity Minister.
• Dr. Maamoun Hamdan, Finance Minister.
• Eng. Ahmad al-Hamo, Industry Minister.
• Dr. Ali al-Zafir, Minister of Communications and Technology.
• Eng. Nabil al-Hasan, Minister of Water Resources.
• Eng. Ali Hamoud, Transport Minister.
• Mohamed al-Ahmad, Minister of Culture.
• Abdullah al-Gharbi, Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection.
• Dr. Ali Haidar, Minister of State for National Reconciliation Affairs.
• Abdullah Abdullah, Minister of State.
• Wafiqa Hosni, Minister of State.
• Rafea Abu Saad, Minister of State.
• Salwa Abdullah, Minister of State.

Prime Minister Imad Mohammad Deeb Khamis was born in Damascus Countryside, 1/8/1961. He graduated from Damascus University, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, in 1984, and received Master’s Degree in energy from Damascus University.

Khamis was Director General of the General Company of Electricity, Damascus Countryside branch (2005-2008), Director General of the General Establishment for Electricity Transmission and Investment, (2008-2011), and Minister of Electricity (2011-2016). He is married with 3 children.

Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Armed Forces, Minister of Defense Gen. Fahed Jassem al-Freij was born in Hama, 1/1/1950. He joined the Military Academy in 1969 and graduated in 1971 with the rank of Second Lieutenant, specialized in armored vehicles.

Al-Freij ranked Major General in 2001 and General in 2009, and has been Chief of the General Staff of the Army and the Armed Forces since 2011. He was also Minister of Defense in the former government. He is married with three children.

Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem was born in Damascus, 1941. He graduated from Cairo University, Faculty of Economics, in 1963, and worked at the Foreign Ministry in 1964, serving in diplomatic missions to Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and England.

Al-Moallem was Syria’s Ambassador to Romania (1975-1980), Head of the Documentation and Translation Department at the Foreign Ministry, (1980-1984), -Head of Special Bureaus Department (1984-1990), and Syria’s Ambassador to the United States of America (1990-1999). He also participated in the Syrian-Israeli peace talks (1991-1999), was Assistant Foreign Minister (2000-2005) and Deputy Foreign Minister (2005-2006), and has been the Foreign and Expatriates Minister since 2006. He is married with three children.

Minister of Religious Endowments, Mohammad Abdelsattar al-Sayyed was born in Tartous, 1958. He graduated from Damascus University, Faculty of Economy and Trade, and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from Damascus University.

Al-Sayyed was Director of Religious Endowments Department in Tartous and Mufti of Tartous (1985-2002), Assistant Minister of Religious Endowments for Religious Affairs (2002-2011), and Minister of Religious Endowments since 2011. He participated in many Islamic conferences, and is married with three children.

Presidential Affairs Minister Mansour Fadlallah Azzam was born in Sweida, 1960. He graduated from Damascus University, Faculty of French Literature, 1983, and earned a diploma in International Relations from the Institute of Public Administration, Paris.

Azzam held a diplomatic position at the Foreign Ministry in 1994, and worked at the Syrian Embassy in Washington as US Congress affairs and Cultural Affairs officer (1995-2000), in addition to occupying the post of General Secretary of Presidency, 2008. He was Minister of Presidential Affairs in the three previous governments. He is married with three daughters.

Interior Minister Lt. Gen. Mohammad Ibrahim al-Sha’ar was born in Lattakia, 1950. He held a number of security positions, and was Interior Minister in the three previous governments. He is married with 5 children.

Education Minister Hazwan al-Waz was born in Damascus, 1962. He has a PhD in Philosophy of Technical Studies. He was Director of Vocational and Technical Education at the Education Ministry in 2000, Director of Damascus Education Department in 2004.

Al-Waz was also Chief of the Engineers Union, Damascus Branch, Member of the Advisory Committee of European Training Institution for Mediterranean countries, Member of the Arab Writers Union in Damascus, and Minister of Education in the previous two governments. He is married with 3 children.

Justice Minister Najm Hamad al-Ahmad was born in Aleppo, 1969. He earned a bachelor’s degree in law in 1991 and three diplomas in Public Law, Administrative law and Administrative Sciences from the University of Damascus and the University of Ain Shams in Egypt, in addition to a PhD in law from the University of Ain Shams.

Al-Ahmad chaired committees formed in 2011 for judicial reform and drafting a new general elections law, was Deputy Minister of Justice, and Minister of Justice since 2012.

Public Works and Housing Minister Hussein Arnous was born in Idleb, 1953. He graduated from the University of Aleppo, Faculty of Civil Engineering, 1978. He was head of Idleb branch of the Engineers Union (1989-1994), Director of the General Company for Roads (1992-2002), Assistant Minister of Transportation (2002-2004), and Director General of the Public Establishment for Road Transportation (2004-2009).

Arouns was also Governor of Deir Ezzor (2009-2011), Governor of Quneitra, 2011, and Minister of Public Works since 2013.

Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Ahmad al-Qadiri was born in Hasaka, 1956. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences in 1981, and a diploma in Crop Cultivation in 1992.

Al Qadiri was head of the Scientific Agricultural Research Center in Qamishli (1986-2000), Director of Hasaka Agriculture Directorate (2000-2007), Director of the Modern Irrigation Project (2007-2011), became Assistant Minister of Agriculture in 2011, and has been Minister of Agriculture since 2013.

Tourism Minister Bishr Riyad al-Yazigi was born in Aleppo, 1972. He graduated from Aleppo University, Faculty of Informatics Engineering, 1995.

Al-Yazigi was a member of the People’s Assembly, and has been Minister of Tourism since 2013. He is married with three children.

Administrative Development Minister Hassan al-Nouri was born in Damascus, 1960. He graduated from Damascus University, Faculty of Economy and Trade, 1982, and has a PhD in Public Administration-Human Resources Development- from John F. Kennedy University in the US, 1989.

Al Nouri was Secretary of Damascus Chamber of Commerce (1997-2000), Minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs (2000-2002), and Administrative Development Minister since 2014. He is married with five children

Health Minister Nizar Wehbe Yazigi was born in Damascus, 1961. He graduated from Damascus University, Faculty of Medicine.

He worked as Assistant Director of al-Zahrawi Hospital General Administration since 2004, and became Health Minister in the previous government. He is married with two children.

Social Affairs Minister Rima al-Qadiri was born in Damascus in 1963. She graduated from French Literature Department at Damascus University in 1986.

Al-Qadiri occupied a number of posts in private sector institutions in addition to the Syrian Commercial bank, Ministry of Economy, and Foreign Trade, and was Assistant head of the International Planning and Cooperation Commission in 2009 and a head of the commission in 2014, and has been Social Affairs Minister since 2015.

Economy and Foreign Trade Minister Adib Mayyaleh was born in 1955. He earned a PhD in economy from France, 1991, and was a faculty member at Economy Faculty in Damascus University, in addition to occupying the post of Central Bank of Syria Governor since 2005.

Higher Education Minister Atef Naddaf was born in Damascus Countryside, 1956. He earned a PhD in dentistry from Kiev Medical University in Ukraine. He was Under Secretary for Administrative Affairs at Dentistry Faculty, Damascus University, and head of the orthognathic surgery department at Dentistry Faculty, Damascus University.

Naddaf also was Idleb Governor (2005-2009), Tartous Governor (2005-2009), Sweida Governor (2009), and was elected as People’s Assembly member. He is married with three children.

Local Administration Minister Hussein Makhlouf was born in Lattakia, 1964. He earned a degree in civil engineering from Tishreen University in 1987.

Makhlouf occupied several posts at the Coast Company for Construction and Building and the General Establishment of Construction and Building, and chaired a project for expanding Lattakia port, then became Director of Water Resources Department (2006-2011), chairing joint committees with Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey on water affairs, and became Damascus Countryside Governor since 2011. He is married with four children.

Communications and Technology Minister Ali al-Zafir was born in Tartous, 1962. He earned a Master’s degree in communications engineering from Soviet Union in 1988, and a PhD in communications engineering from Odessa National Polytechnic University in 1993.

Al-Zafir was department head at Tartous Communications Department (1996-2000), technical director of the cellular project in Syria (2000-2004), technical director of the third provincial communications project in Syria (2004-2006), Director General of the General Establishment of Wireless Communications Services (2006-2014), head of the executive team of the e-government project since 2016, and assistant Communications and Technology Minister since 2013. He is married with four children.

Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Ghanem was born in Damascus, 1963. He has a degree in electrical power engineering from Damascus University.

Ghanem occupied several posts at the Syrian Company for Fuel Distribution, including Director General since 2014. He is married with two children.

Information Minister Mohammad Ramez Tourjman was born in Damascus, 1966. He earned a degree in electronic engineering from Damascus University in 1990.

Tourjman occupied several posts in public and private sectors in the fields of mass media and engineering, including the General Establishment for Radio and TV where he was head of the recording and editing department and later the news broadcast department, director of radio and TV centers, and director general since 2012. He also helped set up and operate several stations and studios including Space Toon in Bahrain and the MBC studios in Beirut.

Culture Minister Mohammad al-Ahmad was born in Lattakia, 1961. He earned a degree in English literature in 1983, and a diploma in teaching English from Britain in 1985.

Al-Ahmad was a professor of English at the Scientific Studies and Research Center (1986-1988), Director of Planning and Studies at the National Film Organization (1990-1991), Director of National Film Organization since 2000, and Chairman of Damascus International Cinema Festival. He produced and presented several TV programs on cinema and movies, and is married with a single child.

Transport Minister Ali Hamoud was born in Tartous, 1964. He has bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Damascus University, 1987.

Hamoud headed branches of the General Establishment for Roads in Homs and Idleb and General Establishment for Road Transportation in Homs and Tartous between 1995 and 2014, and was Director General of the General Establishment for Road Transportation since 2014. He is married with three children.

Electricity Minister Mohammad Zuhair Kharboutli was born in Damascus. He earned a degree in electrical engineering from Damascus University, 1990, and a degree in time management from Higher Institute for Business Administration (HIBA).

Kharboutli held several posts at electric power departments, and was Director General of Damascus Countryside Electricity General Company since 2008. He is married with four children.

Finance Minister Maamoun Hamdan was born in Damascus, 1958. He earned a bachelor’s degree and diploma in accounting in from Damascus University in 1977, and a Master’s degree and PhD from Germany in 1989.

Hamdan was a faculty Member at accounting department at Economy Faculty, Damascus University since 1989, Director of Technical Institute for Accounting and Finance (2005-2008), member of the board of commissioners of the Syrian Securities Agency (2009-2011), member of Accounting and Auditing Council, board member at the Taxes and Fees Administration Agency, and Executive Director of Damascus Securities Exchange since 2011. He is married with three children.

Water Resources Minister Nabil al-Hasan was born in Aleppo, 1963. He graduated from Civil Engineering Faculty at Aleppo University, 1986, and taught at Aleppo University between 1986 and 1994.

Al-Hasan was Director of Aleppo Metals Department (1994-2003), Director of Aleppo branch of General Establishment for Foreign Trade (2003-2008), Director of Aleppo Water Establishment (2008-2011), Advisor to the Housing and Construction Minister (2011-2013), and Advisor to the Housing and Urban Development Minister since 2014. He was also elected as member of the executive office of Aleppo city Council (2003-2005) and deputy chairman of Aleppo City Council (2003-2006). He is married with three children.

State Minister for National Reconciliation Affairs Ali Haidar was born in Hama, 1962. He is an ophthalmologist, specialized in eye surgery and diseases, graduated from Damascus University in 1994.

Haidar has occupied the post of Minister of State for National Reconciliation Affairs in the previous government. He is married with two children.

State Minister Salwa Abdullah was born in Quneitra, 1953. She graduated from the Faculty of Medicine in 1979, and specialized in obstetrics in 1984, PhD in gynecology.

State Minister Rafe’a Abu Sa’ad was born in Habran village in Sweida province, 1954. He graduated from Agricultural Engineering Faculty at Damascus University in 1978, and occupied several posts in trade unions. He is married with four children.

State Minister Wafiqa Hosni was born in Damascus, 1952. She has a university degree in agricultural engineering, 1976, and a diploma in foreign trade planning. She occupied several posts including director of census and planning office at Damascus Countryside Agriculture Department and assistant director of agricultural policies center at the Agriculture Ministry. She is married with two children.

Manar al-Frieh/Manal / Hazem Sabbagh

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