Syria’s president in the transitional phase, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has issued Decree No. 244 of 2025 establishing a public body called the “General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs,” which has legal personality and financial and administrative independence, reports directly to the Presidency of the Republic, and is headquartered in Damascus.

According to what the General Authority for Land and Sea Crossings published on its Facebook page, the decree issued on Sunday, 23 November, aims to:

• Unify the administrative and technical reference for land and sea crossings, free zones and customs in a single institutional body.
• Achieve integration between transit, customs clearance, transport, storage, ports and free-zone activities.
• Develop logistics and trade services in line with international standards.
• Strengthen discipline, transparency and independent internal oversight.
• Raise performance efficiency and public revenues without increasing fees.
• Support digital transformation and simplify procedures in the interest of the state and the national economy.

The decree stipulates that several entities will be affiliated to the General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs, while retaining their existing legal status and their own financial and administrative independence. They will be attached to the chair of the Authority, which will oversee their general policies, coordinate their work and ensure their integration within the national framework. These entities are:

• Border crossings
• General Customs Directorate
• General Directorate of Ports
• General Free Zones Establishment
• Latakia Port Company
• Tartus Port Company
• General Maritime Transport Establishment
• Maritime Training and Qualification Establishment
• Shipping Agencies Company
• Maritime secondary schools

Mandate and resources of the Authority

The decree defines the mandate and functions of the Authority as including:

• Managing and organizing work at all land and sea border crossings in the Syrian Arab Republic.
• Setting general policies that coordinate customs, port, free-zone and maritime transport activity.
• Overseeing the collection of fees and revenues in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Preparing draft laws, decrees and regulations related to crossings, ports, free zones and customs.
• Developing the human and administrative capacities of staff and providing them with technical and professional training.
• Adopting modern digital systems and developing unified electronic interconnection between crossings, ports and free zones.
• Coordinating with relevant ministries, bodies, institutions and security and technical agencies to ensure the security of crossings and ports and the integrity of procedures.
• Representing the Syrian Arab Republic in relevant regional and international organizations and bodies.

The decree states that the head of the Authority will manage it, act as spending and disbursement officer, represent the Authority before the courts and third parties, and exercise all the powers set out in the applicable regulations. The head of the Authority is to be appointed by decree with the rank of minister.

The head of the Authority will have one or more deputies, appointed by decree on the recommendation of the head, according to the decree.

The Authority’s resources, as set out in the presidential decree, consist of:

• Net profits generated by the Authority.
• Funds allocated by the state as cash contributions to support the Authority’s activities.
• Reserves withheld in accordance with the Authority’s specific regulations.
• Depreciation charges on the Authority’s assets.
• Loans and credit facilities.
• Grants, subsidies, donations, bequests and gifts accepted by the Authority in line with applicable laws and regulations.

The decree also provides for the creation within the Authority of an independent department called the “Inspection Department,” which will enjoy full independence in performing its functions and report directly to the head of the Authority. The tasks and powers of this department will be defined by decree.

The presidential decree includes transitional and final provisions that state:

• The staffing structure of the Authority, including its establishment chart, will be issued by decree.
• The internal regulations of the Authority will be issued by a decision of the head of the Authority.
• A “section and branch” called the “General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs” will be created in the state’s general budget.
• All administrative, organizational and financial acts and procedures that have been carried out at land and sea crossings, customs, ports and free zones from the date of liberation until the entry into force of this decree are deemed valid, in force and producing their legal effects, on the grounds that they were carried out in the framework of the supreme national interest during the transitional period.
• The implementing instructions necessary to apply the provisions of this decree will be issued by decision of the head of the Authority.
• The Authority is tasked with preparing the legislative instrument required to regulate its work.
• This decree will be published in the Official Gazette and shall enter into force as of the date of its issuance.

Head of the Authority and his deputies

Syria’s president in the transitional phase, Ahmed al-Sharaa, also issued Decree No. 264 of 2025 appointing Qutaiba Ahmed Badawi as head of the General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs with the rank of minister.

Decree No. 265 appoints Khaled Mohammad al-Barad as deputy head of the General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs for customs affairs.

Decree No. 266 appoints Ahmad Ali Mustafa as deputy head of the General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs for maritime affairs.

General Authority for Land and Sea Crossings

The Damascus Interim Government had previously announced the establishment of a General Authority for Land and Sea Crossings and the attachment of customs, border centers and the Free Zones Establishment to it.

On 31 December 2024, the Syrian Prime Ministry said it had created a General Authority for Land and Sea Crossings, linked to the Council of Ministers and enjoying administrative and financial independence.

According to the Prime Ministry’s statement, the newly established Authority was mandated to supervise and organize the movement of humanitarian and commercial entry and exit, oversee maritime navigation, maritime transport operations and the acquisition and chartering of commercial vessels and real estate needed for its work.

The ministry attached to the Authority the port administrations of Latakia and Tartus, the Directorate of Ports, the Maritime Transport Establishment, the Shipping Agencies Company, Customs and the Free Zones Establishment, in addition to border centers.

All staff in the institutions and directorates attached to the General Authority for Land and Sea Crossings were transferred to it, while retaining their salaries, positions and accrued seniority for future promotions.

On 18 December, the Damascus government issued a decision dissolving the customs police in all its forms and structures throughout Syria.

On 25 December, the General Customs Directorate issued several separate decisions dismissing a number of customs directors at land and sea border crossings and appointing replacements for them.