Ziad al-Ayesh

Ziad al-Ayesh
زياد فواز العياش
Presidential Envoy
Assumed office
21 February 2026
PresidentAhmed al-Sharaa
Deputy Minister of Interior for Civil Affair
Assumed office
24 May 2025
PresidentAhmed al-Sharaa
Personal details
BornZiad Fawaz Hamad al-Ayesh
1987 (age 39)
Arjah al-Jawalah, Al-Hasakah Governorate, Syria
EducationImam al-Ouzai University (Sharia)
Idlib University (MBA)
OccupationMilitary officer, politician
Military service
AllegianceSyria
Branch/service Syrian Armed Forces
RankBrigadier General
Battles/warsSyrian civil war

Ziad Fawaz al-Ayesh (Arabic: زياد فواز العياش; born 1987), also known as Abu Osama al-Izz, is a Syrian Brigadier General and politician. He serves as the Deputy Minister of Interior for Civil Affairs in the Syrian government and was appointed as a presidential envoy in February 2026 to oversee the implementation of the agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Al-Ayesh has been involved in negotiations and integration processes in northeastern Syria, drawing on his background in civil administration and security.

Early life and education

Ziad Fawaz Hamad al-Ayesh was born in 1987 in the village of Arjah al-Jawalah, located in the countryside of Qamishli in Al-Hasakah Governorate, northeastern Syria.[1] He obtained a certificate from the Petroleum Institute in Rmelan before the Syrian revolution. Al-Ayesh holds a degree in Sharia from Imam al-Ouzai University in Lebanon and a master's degree in business administration from Idlib University in northwestern Syria.[2] He previously pursued a master's degree in Sharia from Idlib University.

Career

Early career and Syrian revolution

Prior to the Syrian civil war, al-Ayesh served in roles related to his technical education. He participated in the Syrian revolution from its outset in 2011, engaging in military activities against the Ba'athist regime and the PYD militia in Hasakah and Idlib. In Idlib, he managed central camps for Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), served as a member of the general follow-up committee, and was the administrative head of the public security apparatus.[3] He also oversaw checkpoints in Idlib, establishing their structure, and led the civil affairs department in the Syrian Salvation Government, developing new programs for it.[4]

Syrian transitional government

Following the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024, al-Ayesh was appointed Deputy Minister of Interior for Civil Affairs in May 2025.[5][6] In this role, he oversees population registries, citizen service centers, statistics, service portals, and immigration and passports.[7] He is also a member of the central committee for negotiations with the SDF (referred to as "QSD" in Arabic sources), representing Hasakah, a member of the central committee for digital transformation in Syria, and responsible for the Hasakah file in the Syrian presidency.[8] In June 2025, al-Ayesh participated in meetings with SDF representatives to advance the March 10 agreement, focusing on education, IDP returns, and energy cooperation.[9][10][11] He led a delegation to Pakistan in August 2025 to enhance security alliances.[12] In October 2025, he headed the Syrian delegation at an Arab meeting on nationality and civil affairs in Baghdad, Iraq.[13]

Presidential envoy for SDF integration

On February 21, 2026, al-Ayesh was appointed as a presidential envoy to implement the January 29, 2026, agreement with the SDF.[14][15] This role involves overseeing the phased integration of military and administrative bodies, deploying security forces in Al-Hasakah and Qamishli, and ensuring state control over civil institutions and border crossings.[16] The appointment aims to strengthen state presence, remove obstacles, and activate government services in the region.[17][18] He met with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi in Hasakah Governorate on March 2, 2026, to discuss the integration of the SDF into the Syrian army.[19]

Personal life

Details about al-Ayesh's personal life, including family, are not widely publicized.

See also

References

  1. ^ "من هو زياد فواز العايش ويكيبيديا السيرة الذاتية" (in Arabic). Ma'al Hul. 2025-05-25.
  2. ^ "من هو زياد فواز العايش؟" (in Arabic). Manhom. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  3. ^ "تكليف العميد زياد العايش مبعوثاً رئاسياً لتنفيذ اتفاق 29 كانون الثاني مع "قسد".. من هو؟" (in Arabic). Syria TV. 2026-02-21.
  4. ^ "Damascus Meeting Marks Key Step Toward Integration of AANES into Syrian State". Levant24. 2025-06-02.
  5. ^ "In a Restructuring Move, Syria's Interior Ministry Appoints New Deputy Ministers". Welat TV. 2025-05-26.
  6. ^ "من هو العميد زياد العايش ويكيبيديا السيرة الذاتية" (in Arabic). Elmkal. 2026-02-21.
  7. ^ "بعد تعيينه نائباً لوزير الداخلية السوري..تعرف على زياد العايش ابن الحسكة" (in Arabic). Al-Khabour. 2025-05-18.
  8. ^ "Syria and SDF Hold Constructive Talks in Damascus to Advance March 10 Agreement". Kurdistan24. 2025-06-01.
  9. ^ "Government-AANES talks focus on education, IDPs return". North Press Agency. 2025-06-02.
  10. ^ "Ziyad al-Ayesh Reveals the Details of the Agreement with "SDF" in Damascus". Welat TV. 2025-06-02.
  11. ^ "The Autonomous Administration and Transitional Government Reach Energy Cooperation Agreement". 963+. 2025-06-20.
  12. ^ "Syria builds security alliances amid 'Western pressure'". Shafaq News. 2025-08-04.
  13. ^ "Syria joins Arab meeting on nationality and civil affairs in Baghdad". Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). 2025-10-01.
  14. ^ "Syria appoints presidential envoy to implement deal with SDF". Anadolu Agency. 2026-02-21.
  15. ^ "Syria appoints presidential envoy to oversee SDF integration deal". Rudaw. 2026-02-21.
  16. ^ "Iran Update, February 25, 2026". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  17. ^ "Syria appoints presidential envoy to implement agreement with SDF". Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). 2026-02-21.
  18. ^ "Ziyad al-Ayesh Reveals the Details of the Agreement with "SDF" in Damascus". Welat TV. 2025-06-02.
  19. ^ "SDF chief, Syrian presidential envoy discuss integration". Rûdaw. 2026-03-03.