Welcome


Muhsen AlMustafa

Formerly a research assistant at the Carnegie Middle East Center

Formerly a non-resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute
for Middle East Policy

I holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Information Systems, and a Diploma in Political Science.


I joined the Omran Center for Strategic Studies in early 2018, as part of a joint program between the Omran Center and the Carnegie Middle East Center on civil-military relations in Arab countries in general, and Syria in particular. During my work until 2021, I contributed to the launch of the Tawazon website, which publishes an index of civil-military relations in Arab countries.


In May 2022, I was accepted for a one-year, non-resident fellowship at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, until May 2023, to focus on security, defense, and governance issues in Syria.


A number of studies and articles related to the military establishment in Syria have been published on a number of research websites.

Latest Publications

Why DDR programs are the missing link to Syrian stability

By Muhsen ALMustafa • June 10, 2025
The lifting of sanctions on Syria has created a rare opportunity for the transitional government to launch (DDR) programs as a vital step to restore security and prevent social fragmentation, especially in Alawite-majority areas affected by mass demobilization.
This paper examines the hidden economic structure established by several Assad regime officers throu

Assad’s Officers’ Companies… Disclosure, Accountability, and Reallocation

By Muhsen ALMustafa • June 3, 2025
This paper examines the hidden economic structure established by several Assad regime officers through seemingly legal commercial companies, which are in fact involved in money laundering, monopolizing state resources, and circumventing international sanctions. The paper reveals how the names of the officers' relatives were used to register these companies.

شركات ضباط الأسد ضرورة الكشف والمحاسبة وإعادة توجيه الموارد

By Muhsen ALMustafa • May 20, 2025
تتناول هذه الورقة البنية الاقتصادية الخفية التي أنشأها عدد من ضباط نظام الأسد من خلال شركات تجارية ظاهرها قانوني، لكن باطنها مرتبط بعمليات تبييض أموال، واحتكار موارد الدولة، والالتفاف على العقوبات الدولية. وتكشف الورقة كيف تم استخدام أسماء أقارب الضباط لتسجيل هذه الشركات.