title: First Hussein Arnous government
text: # First Hussein Arnous government
  
  The first government of Hussein Arnous was formed on 30 August 2020 and took the oath of office on 2 September 2020. A new Council of Ministers was formed by Hussein Arnous at the appointment of President Bashar al-Assad. This government was the 94th since Syria gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and was the seventh during the presidency of President Bashar al-Assad.
  
  ## Ministers
  
  * Hussein Arnous, Prime Minister of Syria
  * Ali Abdullah Ayyoub, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense
  * Faisal Mekdad, Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister
  * Mohammad Khaled al-Rahmoun, Interior Minister
  * Ahmad al-Sayyed, Justice Minister
  * Kenan Yaghi, Finance Minister
  * Mohammad Samer al-Khalil, Economy and Foreign Trade Minister
  * Talal Al-Barazi, Internal Trade and Consumer Protection Minister
  * Ziyad Sabbagh, Industry Minister
  * Zouhair Khazim, Transport Minister
  * Tammam Raad, Water Resources Minister
  * Bassam Tohme, Minister of Oil and Mineral Reserves
  * Ghassan al-Zamel, Electricity Minister
  * Iyad Mohammad al-Khatib, Communications and Technology Minister
  * Salwa Abdullah, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor
  * Suhail Mohammad Abdullatif, Public Works and Housing Minister
  * Mohammed Hassan Qatana, Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Minister
  * Hussein Makhlouf, Local Administration Minister
  * Imad Abullah Sarah, Information Minister
  * Mohammad Abdul-Sattar al-Sayyed, Awqaf (Religious Endowments) Minister
  * Hassan al-Ghabbash, Health Minister
  * Darem Tabbaa, Education Minister
  * Bassam Bashir Ibrahim, Higher Education Minister
  * Lubanah Mshaweh, Minister of Culture
  * Mohammad Rami Radwan Martini, Tourism Minister
  * Salam Mohammad al-Saffaf, Administrative Development Minister
  * Mansour Fadlallah Azzam, Presidential Affairs Minister
  * Mohammad Fayez al-Barasha, State Minister
  * Maloul al-Hussein, State Minister
  * Mohammad Samir Haddad, State Minister
  
  The government came after the Syrian parliamentary elections in 2020, and the cabinet included twenty-nine ministers, including fifteen former ministers, and fourteen new ministers.
  
  One minister with another portfolio in previous government, Dr. Salwa Abdullah, was appointed Minister of Social Affairs and Labor. The government has also witnessed the reappointment of Dr. Lubana Mushawah as Minister of Culture, who was Minister of Culture in the First Wael al-Halqi government.
  
  ## Ministerial changes
  
  Following the death of Walid Muallem on November 16, Presidential Decree No. 322 of November 22, 2020 was issued, which was Dr. Faisal Mekdad appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.
  
  