List of Famous people born in Damascus, Syria

Maher al-Assad is a Syrian general and commander of the Republican Guard and the army's elite Fourth Armoured Division, which together with Syria's secret police form the core of the country's security forces. He is also a member of the Central Committee of the Ba'ath Party's Syrian Regional Branch. He is thought by some to be the second most powerful man in Syria after his brother Bashar, the current President. Maher is described by analysts as preferring Iran to play the largest role as the Syrian Government's main ally during the Syrian Civil War and subsequent post-war reconstruction. This is in contrast to the position of Suheil al-Hassan, prominent warlord and head of the Division 25 Special Mission Forces who has gained much influence as a result of his activities during the Syrian civil war, who was reported as preferring Russia.

Dawoud Abdallah Rajiha, forename sometimes transliterated Dawood or Daoud, surname sometimes transliterated Rajha, was the Syrian minister of defense from 2011 to July 2012 when he was assassinated along with other senior military officers by armed opposition forces during the country's Civil War. From 2009 to 2011, Rajiha served as chief of staff of the Syrian Army.

Salah al-Din al-Bitar was a Syrian politician who co-founded the Arab Ba'ath Party with Michel Aflaq in the early 1940s. As students in Paris in the early 1930s, the two formulated a doctrine that combined aspects of nationalism and socialism. Bitar later served as prime minister in several early Ba'athist governments in Syria but became alienated from the party as it grew more radical. In 1966 he fled the country, lived mostly in Europe and remained politically active until he was assassinated in 1980.

Naser Khader is a Syrian-Danish politician who is member of the Parliament of Denmark for the Conservative People's Party. He was first elected to Parliament representing the Danish Social Liberal Party in 2001. In 2007 he left this party to found New Alliance, whom he represented from 2007 until 5 January 2009. A leading proponent of peaceful co-existence of democracy and Islam, he established a new movement, Moderate Muslims, when the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began.

Gregory III Laham, B.S., Emeritus Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem, is the former spiritual leader of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. He was elected on November 29, 2000, succeeding Patriarch Maximos V Hakim. He retired on May 6, 2017.

Mohammad Riad Hussain Ismat was a Syrian writer, critic and theatre director. He served as Minister of Culture of Syria from 3 October 2010 to 23 June 2012.

Riay Tatary Bakry (1948–2020) was a Syrian religious leader, chairman of the Union of Islamic Communities of Spain. He was imam of the Central Mosque in Madrid, Spain, as well as president of the Islamic Commission of Spain.

Rami Makhlouf is a Syrian businessman and the maternal cousin of president Bashar al-Assad. He is considered Syria's wealthiest man and one of the most powerful men in Syria; according to Syrian analysts he is part of al-Assad's inner circle and no foreign company can do business in Syria without his consent and partnership. Makhlouf owns Syriatel, the largest mobile phone network in Syria, along with other retail, banking and real estate companies.

Imad Mohammad Deeb Khamis is a Syrian politician who was Prime Minister of Syria from 2016 to 2020 under President Bashar al-Assad. Previously, he was Minister of Electricity from 2011 to 2016.

Khalil Mardam Bek (1895–1959) was a Syrian poet and critique who is most notable for composing the lyrics of the Syrian National Anthem.