Bashar al-Assad | |
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بشار الأسد | |
Assad in Moscow in 2015
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19th President of Syria | |
Assumed office 17 July 2000 |
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Prime Minister |
Muhammad Mustafa Mero Muhammad Naji al-Otari Adel Safar Riyad Farid Hijab Omar Ibrahim Ghalawanji Wael Nader al-Halqi Imad Khamis |
Vice President |
Abdul Halim Khaddam Zuhair Masharqa Farouk al-Sharaa Najah al-Attar |
Preceded by | Abdul Halim Khaddam (Acting) |
Regional Secretary of the Regional Command of the Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party | |
Assumed office 24 June 2000 |
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Deputy | Sulayman Qaddah Mohammed Saeed Bekheitan Hilal Hilal |
Leader | Abdullah al-Ahmar |
Preceded by | Hafez al-Assad |
Personal details | |
Born |
Bashar Hafez al-Assad 11 September 1965 Damascus, Syria |
Political party | Syrian Ba'ath Party |
Other political affiliations |
National Progressive Front |
Spouse(s) | Asma al-Assad (m. 2000) |
Children | 3 |
Alma mater | Damascus University |
Religion | Islam (Alawite) |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Syria |
Service/branch | Syrian Armed Forces |
Years of service | 1988–present |
Rank | Marshal |
Unit | Republican Guard (Before 2000) |
Commands | Syrian Armed Forces |
Battles/wars | Syrian Civil War |
Bashar Hafez al-Assad (Arabic: بشار حافظ الأسد Baššār Ḥāfiẓ al-ʾAsad, Levantine pronunciation: [baʃˈʃaːr ˈħaːfezˤ elˈʔasad]; English pronunciation ; born 11 September 1965) is the 19th and current President of Syria, holding the office since 17 July 2000. He is also commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces, General Secretary of the ruling Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party and Regional Secretary of the party's branch in Syria. He is a son of Hafez al-Assad, who was President of Syria from 1971 to 2000.
Born and raised in Damascus, Assad graduated from the medical school of Damascus University in 1988, and started to work as a doctor in the Syrian Army. Four years later, he attended postgraduate studies at the Western Eye Hospital in London, specialising in ophthalmology. In 1994, after his elder brother Bassel died in a car crash, Bashar was recalled to Syria to take over Bassel's role as heir apparent. He entered the military academy, taking charge of the Syrian occupation of Lebanon in 1998. On 10 July 2000, Assad was elected as President, succeeding his father, who died in office a month prior. In the 2000 and subsequent 2007 election, he received 99.7% and 97.6% support, respectively, in referendums on his leadership.