President Bashar al-Assad issued on Tuesday Decree No. 208 for 2021 on forming the new Syrian government, chaired by Prime Minister Hussein Arnous.
The Cabinet members are:
Prime Minister: Eng. Hussein Arnous
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister: Ali Abdullah Ayoub
Minister of Awqaf (Endowments): Mohammad Abdul Sattar al-Sayed
Minister of Presidency Affairs: Mansour Azzam
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates: Faisal al-Mekdad
Minister of Information: Boutrus al-Hallaq
Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade: Mohammad Samer al-Khalil
Minister of Local Administration and Environment: Hussein Makhlouf
Minister of Administrative Development: Salam Saffaf
Interior Minister: Mohammad Khaled al-Rahmoun
Minister of Health: Hassan al-Ghabbash
Minister of Tourism: Mohammad Rami Martini
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research: Bassam Ibrahim
Minister of Housing and Public Works: Suheil Abdul Latif
Minister of Communications and Technology: Eyad al-Khatieb
Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection: Amro Salem
Minister of Industry: Ziad Sabbagh
Minister of Culture: Lubana Mshaweh
Minister of Education: Darem Tabbaa
Minister of Justice: Ahmad Al-Sayyed
Minister of Water Resources: Tammam Raad
Minister of Finance Kinan Yaghi
Minister of Transport: Zuheir Khzeim
Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources: Bassam Tou’meh
Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform: Mohammad Hassan Qatana
Minister of Electricity: Ghassan al-Zamel
Minister of State: Mohammad Fayez al-Barsha
Minister of State: Abdullah Abdullah
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs: Mohammad Seif El-Din
Minister of State: Diyala Barakat
Comment from The Observer:
- Assad also appointed Dr. Fadi Salti al-Khalil, professor at the Faculty of Economics at Damascus University, as Chairman of Planning and International Cooperation Commission.
- The majority of ministers retained their positions. Only five new ministers were added, including Boutros Hallaq, Minister of Information, replacing Imad Sarah (which came as a surprise to many observers); Muhammad Seif al-Din, for Social Affairs, replacing Salwa Abdullah; Amro Salem, Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection, replacing Talal Al-Barazi. Two other new members do not hold a portfolio, including Abdallah Abdallah, a candidate who challenged Assad in the presidential elections, and Diala Barakat.
- Amro Salem was minister of telecommunications in a previous cabinet.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
