Muhammad Ali al-Abid

Mohammad Ali Al-Abed محمد علي العابد
Head of State of Syria
In office 11 June 1932 – 21 December 1936
Preceded by	Taj al-Din al-Hasani
Succeeded by	Hashim Al-Atassi
Personal details
Born	1867 Damascus, Ottoman Empire
Died	1939 (aged 72) Paris, France
Political party	National Bloc
Spouse(s)	Zahra Al-Yusuf

Mohammad Ali al-Abed (Arabic: محمد علي العابد‎‎ / ALA-LC: Muḥammad ‘Alī Al-‘Ābed; 1867–1939) was appointed the first president of Syria (from 11 June 1932 until 21 December 1936) as a nominee of the nationalist Syrian parliament in Damascus after the country received partial recognition of sovereignty from France. France agreed to recognize Syria as a nation under intense nationalist pressure but did not withdraw its troops completely until 1946.

His father, Ahmad Izzat Pasha al-Abed, was born in Damascus to a rich family, where he was initially brought up, before pursuing his education in Beirut, Beirut Vilayet. He was fluent in Arabic, French, and Turkish. He traveled to Constantinople and served Sultan ‘Abdu’l-Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire, then became his adviser and served as the head of his intelligence services, and he also governed over the Iraqi city of Mosul. He left the Ottoman Empire in 1908 when the Young Turks revolted against Abdu'l-Hamid II and went to London, before traveling around England, Switzerland, and France. Eventually, he moved to Paris and then he moved to Egypt until his death in 1924.

Mohammad Ali al-Abed was born and grew up in Damascus, where he was educated in its primary schools, then continued his education in Beirut. When he graduated, he moved with his family to Constantinople where he was sent to Galatasaray High School, a prestigious Ottoman high school. He then studied law in Paris, France. After graduation, he studied Islamic jurisprudence.

...
Wikipedia