8/7/2025–|Last update: 10:57 (Mecca time)
Syrian relief contributed to the establishment of a “organization”White Helmets((The Syrian Civil Defense) has been led from its foundation in 2013 until his appointment as Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management in Syrian government Late March 2025.
Al -Saleh received advanced training in searching, rescuing and managing disaster, and began his career in humanitarian work on the Syrian -Turkish border, as he contributed to the camp management and the introduction of the wounded for treatment.
Generator
Raed Al -Saleh was born in Jisr Al -Shughour In Idlib Governorate 1984.
Study and scientific training
He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Mardin Artkoklu University in Türkiye In 2023, a previous certificate in the same specialization from the Arab Academy in Denmark in 2017.
Voluntary experience
Saleh worked the beginning of his career in the trade of electrical tools, before moving to organizing peaceful protests and demonstrations in his hometown Jisr Al -Shughour With the outbreak Syrian revolution In 2011. With the forces of the ousted regime entered Bashar al -Assad The region in June of that year, Al -Saleh was forced to migrate to Türkiye.
As the Syrian opposition was able to control areas in Idlib The end of 2012, Al -Saleh was involved in humanitarian work on the border with Türkiye, and he took over the camp affairs in Türkiye in cooperation with the Turkish Red Crescent, especially with regard to the distribution of food and tents to refugees and displaced persons.
He also participated in coordinating the evacuation of the wounded from the border areas inside Syria, and transporting them through ambulances to Turkish hospitals for treatment.
With the expansion of the control of the Syrian opposition in early 2013, and the withdrawal of the ousted regime from large areas in the north, the frequency of air strikes and the targeting of civilians escalated, prompting a number of volunteers to launch individual initiatives to relief the victims and the afflicted and the formation of search and rescue teams using primitive tools.
At that stage, the volunteer teams began to receive specialized exercises, among which was a training in which Al -Saleh participated between June 23 and the first of July 2013, describing it as a “articulated experience in his life” as it changed his entire course, after which he would officially start working in the field of search and rescue.
He participated in the founding of the “White Helmets” in June 2013, and led the first teams in IstanbulAnd then published it in the north of Syria, and the volunteer teams began to expand in full Syria Al -Saleh participated in her training and rehabilitation of relief work under difficult security and humanitarian conditions, including the bombing period With explosive barrels In Aleppo.
Al -Saleh supervised the launch of the founding conference of the organization in late October 2014, with the participation of the leaders of the rescue teams from various Syrian regions.
At the conference, elections were held to form a civil defense administration to supervise the organization’s work throughout Syria, and the results resulted in the election of Al -Saleh as director of the institution.
During that period, he led about 3,000 volunteers who worked to save civilians from the rubble of Russian and Syrian air strikes, and during the 10 years they were able to save about 128,000 people, while about 300 of them were killed.
Al -Saleh said that the ousted Syrian regime and Russian forces were targeting them “to silence the voice of the truth” and also rejected the accusations that affected its employment.IsraelAnd he stressed that its financing sources are known to all, and he explained that it has two funding: the first is international through intermediate institutions such as the American Development Agency, and the second is funding from countries such as Britain, Germany, France and Qatar.
Al -Saleh represented the Syrian Civil Defense in international forums, including meetings UN Security Council (2015 and 2024) andUnited Nations General Assembly (2016 and 2017).
He also participated in the international meetings and conferences of Syria London AndBrusselsAnd “Civil Defense Conference in Doha“Besides attending the” Civil Society Chamber “meetings.
Al -Saleh gave a speech in front of “Security Council The international “in one of his sessions devoted to discussing the situation in Syria, and contributed to the delivery of the Syrians in relief and emergency files.
Political experience
On March 29, 2025, the Syrian President appointed him Ahmed Al -Shara Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management in the new government, which was formed after the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024. The ministerial bag that Al -Saleh took new is new to the structure of the transitional government.
On the first of June, the minister revealed to Al -Jazeera Net the features of a comprehensive national plan aimed at stopping the continuous death in the country as a result of mines and war remnants, by establishing a national center specialized in removing it, in addition to the inauguration of a national system for emergency response and expanding the capacity of access to Affected areas.
He added that the ministry has activated a central operations room in coordination with the foreign ministries, defense, interior, agriculture and civil defense to confront forest fires That broke out in Syrian coastAnd I was able to contain it after a continuous work of 7 days.
The “White Helmets” organization – in the same month – announced its full integration into the Syrian government, the transfer of emergency response programs to the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management, and the transfer of other files affiliated with the organization – including justice, accounting and advocacy files – to ministries and competent bodies, according to the nature of each file.
In early July 2025, wide fires erupted in Latakia It came about 10,000 hectares of forests and agricultural lands, and resulted in the injury of 8 civil defense elements during firefighting efforts. The Syrians shared pictures that documented the participation of the good in the field in the fire and rescue operations.
Prizes and medals
- The White Helmets Organization responded effectively to the February 2023 earthquake under its leadership.
- His organization won more than 40 international awards, including the “Wright Leviloud” award.
- His organization nominated forNobel Peace Prize 3 times in a row.
- The French Civil Defense granted him a medal in appreciation of his efforts, while participating in the “Future Men” program in the French capital.
- The President of the German Firefighting Association in 2015 gave him a medal in appreciation of his organization’s cooperation with the German fire departments and its societies.
- Al -Saleh won the “Entertainment” prize for leadership and courage from the International Alliance of Humanitarian Organizations in Washington, but the United States prevented him from entering its territory to receive the award despite his valid visa.
- He was awarded the “Anima” International Peace Award on behalf of the “White Helmets” in Barcelona.
- In 2016 he received the Nobel Peace Award (Wright Liflelehud “) for human rights on behalf of his organization in Stockholm.
- The short documentary “White Helmets” – which dealt with the work of the organization – won B.Academy Award 2017.
- Al -Saleh was chosen on the list of “100 most influential personalities in the world” from American Time Magazine In the same year.
- He won the 2018 “Gim Chenger -Word” award for “its championship that changed the rules of the game and saved the lives of many in the most cruel and desperate places in the world.”