Mohammad Yasser Ghazal
Mohammad Yasser Ghazal is a Syrian civil engineer and public official, who currently serves as the incumbent president of the Damascus City Council and deputy minister of Local Administration. He previously served from 10-to-15 December 2024 as acting governor of Damascus, before being succeeded by Maher Marwan. He is known for his role in the transitional administration of Damascus, following its capture by opposition forces and fall of the Assad regime during the Syrian civil war. Ghazal has been tasked with restructuring governance in the capital as part of efforts by the Syrian transitional government to unify what was opposition-held territories with Damascus.
Early life and career
Ghazal grew up in the United Arab Emirates. He had pursued a career in civil engineering. He worked in Saudi Arabia until 2014, when he relocated to Idlib amidst the escalation of the Syrian civil war. In 2018, he played a role in founding the Syrian Salvation Government, a governing body which operated in the HTS-controlled part of the ares held by opposition forces in Syria.Role in Damascus governance
In 2024, following the fall of the Ba'athist regime in Damascus, Ghazal was appointed head of the city council, effectively becoming the capital's chief administrator. He has focused on dismantling the centralized and corrupt structures of the former regime while modernizing the city’s governance systems.Administrative reforms
Ghazal's initial efforts included a comprehensive review of Damascus's bureaucratic institutions. He convened department heads to clarify their roles and mandates, revealing severe inefficiencies and outdated practices. For example, the "Public Relations Department" described its duties as managing flags for official ceremonies, prompting Ghazal to question the utility of such roles.He described the Assad regime's administration as characterized by systemic corruption, with "ghost jobs" and widespread bribery. Ghazal attributed these issues to decades of authoritarian governance and economic mismanagement, noting that government employees were earning as little as $25 per month.