Raed Al-Saleh: Vom Leiter der "Weißen Helme" zum Minister für Notfälle und Katastrophen in der Übergangsregierung Syriens.

In a groundbreaking step, Raed Al-Saleh was appointed as the Minister of Emergencies, Disasters, and Environment in the Transitional Syrian Government for the year 2025.

Al-Saleh, born on March 1, 1984, in Jisr al-Shughur city in Idlib province, is considered one of the prominent humanitarian figures globally, having led the "Syrian Civil Defense" organization (White Helmets) in one of the most challenging and difficult environments in the history of humanitarian work.

Before becoming a shining name in the rescue field, Raed Al-Saleh was engaged in trade in the clothing and electrical appliances sector, but with the escalation of the Syrian crisis, he shifted towards humanitarian work on the Syrian-Turkish border.

In June 2013, Al-Saleh founded the Syrian Civil Defense organization, known as the "White Helmets," which has been providing and continues to provide rescue and resuscitation services to conflict-affected areas.

Under his leadership, the "White Helmets" established specialized search and rescue teams, becoming the sole hope for many Syrians enduring the horrors of war.

Starting from training personnel in Istanbul in 2013, to launching the organization's founding conference in October 2014, the "White Helmets" proved their worth in every international forum, earning their first award in 2017 when Raed Al-Saleh was selected among Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Raed Al-Saleh was not only a military and humanitarian leader but also received numerous global awards praising his courage, including the "Interaction Award" for leadership and courage from the International Coalition of Humanitarian Organizations. The "White Helmets" organization has won over 30 international awards.

Under his leadership, the organization was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for three consecutive years (2016, 2017, 2018), enhancing his position as one of the prominent leaders in the world of humanitarian work.

In March 2025, Raed Al-Saleh was appointed as the Minister of Emergencies, Disasters, and Environment in the Syrian government, continuing his journey in serving his country and enhancing response capabilities to emergencies and disasters.

In this position, he will work on developing new policies to address future challenges in facing natural and humanitarian disasters, benefiting from his extensive experience in crisis management.

With his deep background in dealing with disasters and emergencies, Raed Al-Saleh is expected to contribute to enhancing the capabilities of the new ministry by developing effective strategies to deal with environmental disasters and emergencies.

One of his main goals is to ensure the improvement of the Syrian government's response to future crises, contributing to strengthening the Syrian society's resilience against ongoing challenges.

Raed Al-Saleh is more than just a prominent name in the field of humanitarian work; he is a symbol of leadership, courage, and the ability to turn tragedy into hope.

Through his rich experience and remarkable achievements, he will undoubtedly contribute to rebuilding Syria and developing its capabilities in the field of emergencies and disasters.