The Syrian president in the transitional phase, Ahmed al-Sharaa, relied on several men to stabilize his rule and manage the country, among the most prominent were Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and Intelligence Chief Anas Khattab.

Behind them were a group of leadership figures who moved with al-Sharaa from Idlib to Damascus, including Abdul Rahman Salama (Abu Ibrahim), who led al-Nusra Front in the Aleppo city sector in northern Syria and later became one of its most important economic arms.

Salama accompanied the new Syrian president, al-Sharaa, on his trips to Saudi Arabia and Turkey and appeared on several occasions in the presidential palace, indicating his significant role within the new administration.

His personality is shrouded in some mystery, as information about Salama is scarce on the internet due to his jihadist activities and the rarity of his media appearances, despite the leadership positions he has held.

Who is he?

Abdul Rahman Salama (Abu Ibrahim) hails from the city of Andan in northern Aleppo. Before the revolution, he worked in a stone quarry as a partner with a family from the same area, then turned to armed work at the end of 2011, according to information that Enab Baladi obtained from one of his relatives.

“Abu Ibrahim” belongs to a family known for opposing the Assad regime, with Abdul Aziz Salama, nicknamed “Haji Andan,” standing out from the family as the leader of Liwa al-Tawhid, one of the most prominent factions of the Free Syrian Army, before later leading the Shamiya Front until mid-2015.

Salama held the position of emir in al-Nusra Front, which evolved into Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the nucleus of the current political and military authority in Syria.

After leaving Aleppo, “Abu Ibrahim” led Liwa Omar bin al-Khattab within Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, serving as one of its security arms, as indicated by several reports.

Salama is known for his religious commitment and courtesy in dealing with his surroundings, leading an armed group that fights the regime in the countryside of Aleppo. He has survived multiple assassination attempts, according to journalist Wael Issam.

Furthermore, Salama is regarded as one of the significant economic arms of Tahrir al-Sham, according to a journalist who follows Tahrir al-Sham affairs (who preferred not to be named), managing numerous investment projects in northern Syria, the most notable being al-Raqi Construction Company.

Al-Raqi executes investment and residential projects and provides services such as road expansions, high-voltage electrical towers, schools, and hospitals. It has been a major contributor to the industrial and structural leap witnessed in Idlib in recent years.

The company has been accused of monopolizing the investment market in Idlib and excluding competitors who proposed similar projects to those undertaken by al-Raqi, as it secured contracts to pave roads and initiate reconstruction and residential projects with organizations like the Turkish AFAD.