Zuhair Masharqa

Zuhair Masharqa زهير مشارقة
Vice President of Syria
In office 11 March 1984 – 21 February 2006 Serving with Rifaat al-Assad and Abdul Halim Khaddam
President	Hafez Assad (until 2000) Bashar Assad
Preceded by	Rifaat al-Assad
Succeeded by	Farouk Sharaa
Assistant Regional Secretary of the Syrian Regional Branch
In office 7 January 1980 – 20 January 1985
Regional Secretary	Hafez al-Assad
Preceded by	Mohamad Jaber Bajbouj
Succeeded by	Sulayman Qaddah
Member of the Regional Command of the Syrian Regional Branch
In office 15 April 1975 – 9 June 2005
Personal details
Born	1938 Aleppo, Syria
Died	23 April 2007(2007-04-23) (aged 68–69) Damascus, Syria
Resting place	Aleppo
Political party	Syria Regional Branch of the Ba'ath Party
Religion	Islam

Muhammad Zuhair Masharqa (1938 – 23 April 2007) (Arabic: زهير مشارقة‎‎) was a Syrian politician who served as Vice President of Syria from 1984 to 2006.

Masharqa came from a Sunni family. He received a bachelor's degree in education from Damascus University in 1961. He also obtained a degree in law from Aleppo University in 1968.

His first public post was governor of Hama to which he was appointed in 1973. Masharqa became a member of the Baath Party in 1975. Later he became deputy director of the party. Masharqa was appointed to the cabinet in 1978 as Minister of Education and became Vice President for Domestic Affairs on 11 March 1984. He was the country's longest serving vice president, in office from 1984 to 2006, and was particularly noted for his loyalty to President Hafez Assad. After the death of Assad in 2000, a 9-member committee was formed to oversee the transition period, and Masharqa was among its members.

President Bashar Assad chose to retain him as a vice president up to his retirement in 2006. He was replaced by Farouk Sharaa as vice president.

Masharqa was married and had five children.

Masharqa died due to a massive heart attack in Damascus on 23 April 2007. His body was buried in Aleppo.

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