Abdel Hamid Sarraj was a Syrian Army officer and politician. When the union between Egypt and Syria was declared, Sarraj, a staunch Arab nationalist and supporter of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, played a key role in the leadership of the Syrian region of the UAR. Due to the repression of the UAR towards the Syrian communists he was nicknamed Sultan Abdel Hamid referring to the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II.

Maamun al-Kuzbari was a Syrian literary personality, politician and acting head of state from a prominent Damascus family.