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Asma Fawaz al-Assad (; Akhras; born 11 August 1975) is the former first lady of Syria, married to
Bashar al-Assad Bashar al-Assad (born 11September 1965) is a Syrian politician, military officer and former dictator Sources characterising Assad as a dictator: who served as the president of Syria from 2000 until fall of the Assad regime, his government ...
. Her husband was president from 2000 until he was overthrown on 8 December 2024. Born and raised in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, to Syrian parents, she holds dual British and Syrian citizenship. She became first lady when she married al-Assad, then president of Syria, on 13 December 2000. Asma Fawaz Akhras graduated from
King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...
in 1996 with a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
in
computer science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...
and
French literature French literature () generally speaking, is literature written in the French language, particularly by French people, French citizens; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of Franc ...
. She had a career in investment banking and was planning to begin an
MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular a ...
at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
when she married Bashar al-Assad in December 2000. She resigned from her job in investment banking following the wedding and remained in Syria, where their three children were born. As first lady, she played a major role in supporting government organisations involved with social and economic development as part of a reform initiative halted due to the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. Along with her husband, Assad was considered to be one of the "main economic players" in Syria, controlling large parts of Syrian
business sector In economics, the business sector or corporate sector - sometimes popularly called simply "business" - is "the part of the economy made up by companies". It is a subset of the domestic economy, excluding the economic activities of general gover ...
s, banking, telecommunications, real estate and maritime industries. As a result of the ongoing Syrian civil war, a conflict which began in March 2011, Assad was subject to economic sanctions relating to high-level Syrian government officials, making it illegal in the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
(EU) to provide her with material and financial assistance, for her to obtain certain products, and curtailing her ability to travel within the EU. In the UK, she was a part of a preliminary inquiry within the War Crimes unit of the Metropolitan Police with allegations involving the "systematic approach to the
torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...
and murder of civilians, including with the use of chemical weapons" and incitement of
terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
acts.


Early life and education

Assad was born Asma Fawaz Akhras on 11 August 1975 in London to Syrian parents Fawaz Akhras, a cardiologist at the
Cromwell Hospital The Cromwell Hospital is a private sector hospital located in the South Kensington area of London. It is operated by international healthcare company Bupa. History The hospital, which was designed by Holder Mathias, was established by Bank of ...
, and his wife Sahar Akhras (née Otri), a retired diplomat who served as First Secretary at the Syrian Embassy in London. Her parents are
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
Muslims from the city of
Homs Homs ( ; ), known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa ( ; ), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level, above sea level and is located north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is ...
. She grew up in
Acton, London Acton () is a town in West London, England, within the London Borough of Ealing. It is west of Charing Cross. At the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census, its four Wards of the United Kingdom, wards, East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton ...
, where she went to Twyford Church of England High School and later a private girls' school,
Queen's College, London Queen's College is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school for girls aged 11–18 with an adjoining prep school for girls aged 4–11 located in the City of Westminster, London. It was founded in 1848 by theologian and social ...
. She graduated from
King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...
in 1996 with a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
degree in
computer science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...
.


Finance career

After graduating from King's College London, she started work as an economics analyst at
Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank AG (, ) is a Germany, German multinational Investment banking, investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. ...
Group in the
hedge fund A hedge fund is a Pooling (resource management), pooled investment fund that holds Market liquidity, liquid assets and that makes use of complex trader (finance), trading and risk management techniques to aim to improve investment performance and ...
management division with clients in Europe and East Asia. In 1998, she joined the investment banking division of J.P. Morgan where she worked on a team that specialised in
biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...
and pharmaceutical companies. She credits her banking experience for her "analytical thinking" and ability to " nderstandthe business side of running a company." She was planning to pursue an
MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular a ...
at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
until, on holiday at her aunt's in
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
in 2000, she was reacquainted with
Bashar al-Assad Bashar al-Assad (born 11September 1965) is a Syrian politician, military officer and former dictator Sources characterising Assad as a dictator: who served as the president of Syria from 2000 until fall of the Assad regime, his government ...
, a family friend.


First Lady of Syria

After
Hafez al-Assad Hafez al-Assad (6 October 193010 June 2000) was a Syrian politician and military officer who was the president of Syria from 1971 until Death and state funeral of Hafez al-Assad, his death in 2000. He was previously the Prime Minister of Syria ...
's death in June 2000, his son Bashar took over the presidency. Asma moved to Syria in November 2000 and married Bashar in December of that year. The marriage surprised many since there had been no media reports of their dating and courtship prior to the wedding. Many interpreted the union as a reconciliation and sign of progression towards a reformative government as Asma grew up in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and represents the
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
majority, unlike the
Alawite Alawites () are an Arabs, Arab ethnoreligious group who live primarily in the Levant region in West Asia and follow Alawism, a sect of Islam that splintered from early Shia as a ''ghulat'' branch during the ninth century. Alawites venerate A ...
Bashar. After the wedding, Assad travelled throughout Syria to 100 villages in 13 of the 14 Syrian
governorate A governorate or governate is an administrative division headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either states or provinces, the term ''governorate'' is typically used to calque divisions ...
s to speak with Syrians and learn where she should direct her future policies. She went on to create a collection of organisations that functioned under the charity sector of the government, referred to as the Syria Trust for Development. Due to this work, she earned a spot as one of the ''Middle East 411 Magazine's'' "World's Most Influential Arabs." According to media analysts, Assad focused on women's rights and education but ultimately stood by her husband on political matters. The
United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...
spent to help organise a complex set of reform initiatives showing the Syrian government was working toward a more modern and progressive form of government, a key part of which was helping to create "a reformer's aura" for Assad, highlighting her participation in the Syria Trust for Development until the programme was suspended as the country descended into civil war. As a
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
Muslim by birth, Assad's leading role was also important for the view of the Syrian government and President among the Sunni majority of Syria.


"A Rose in the Desert" controversy and retraction

In February 2011, '' Vogue'' published "A Rose in the Desert", a flattering profile of Assad by veteran fashion writer Joan Juliet Buck that was described as Orientalist. For example, the article stated that Syria was "a place without bombings, unrest, or kidnappings" because of the Assad regime's intense surveillance of citizens and foreigners (
forced disappearances An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person with the support or acquiescence of a State (polity), state followed by a refusal to acknowledge the person's fate or whereabouts with the i ...
by the Syrian government were not discussed) and described the Assad family as "wildly democratic". Facing controversy since its publication, the article was removed from ''Vogue's'' website without editorial comment that spring. Responding to media inquiries about the disappearance of Assad's profile, ''Vogue's'' editor stated that "as the terrible events of the past year and a half unfolded in Syria, it became clear that priorities and values were completely at odds with those of ''Vogue.''" ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' reported that the Assad "family paid the Washington public relations firm Brown Lloyd James $5,000 a month to act as a liaison between ''Vogue'' and the first lady, according to the firm." In July 2012, Buck wrote another article for ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
'' giving an extremely critical account of Assad. In another article in ''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...
'' published in August 2012, Buck harshly criticised Asma al-Assad for being compliant in the regime's war-crimes and described her as the "First Lady of Hell". Stating that the title "A Rose in the Desert" was not her choice, Buck commented on her '' Vogue'' article:
I didn't want to write the piece. But I always finished what I started. I handed it in on 14 January, the day President Ben Ali fled
Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
. 'The
Arab Spring The Arab Spring () was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings, and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began Tunisian revolution, in Tunisia ...
is spreading,' I told American ''Vogue'' on 21 January. 'You might want to hold the piece.' They didn't think the Arab Spring was going anywhere, and the piece was needed for the March 'Power Issue'... On 25 February, as Libyan protesters demanded an end to
Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until his assassination by Libyan rebel forces in 2011. He came to power ...
, my piece on Asma al-Assad went online at vogue.com. They had excruciatingly titled it 'A Rose in the Desert'.


Syrian civil war

Assad was criticised for remaining silent at the beginning of the Syrian uprising. She issued her first official statement to the international media in February 2012, nearly a year after the first serious protests. That February, she sent an email to ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', writing: "The President is the President of Syria, not a faction of Syrians, and the First Lady supports him in that role." The email also described her continued support for charities and rural development activities and related that she comforts the "victims of the violence". On 23 March 2012, the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
froze her assets and placed a travel ban on her and President Bashar al-Assad's other close family members as part of escalating sanctions against the Syrian government. Assad remained able to travel to the UK because of her British citizenship. On 16 April 2012, Huberta von Voss Wittig and Sheila Lyall Grant, the wives of the German and British ambassadors to the United Nations, released a four-minute video asking Assad to stand up for peace and urge her husband to end the bloodshed in her country. Assad had not been seen in public since the July 2012 bombing of the Syrian Military Intelligence Directorate, leading to press speculation that she had fled
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
or the country. She made a public appearance at the Damascus Opera House for an event called "Mothers' Rally" on 18 March 2013, refuting the rumours. She made another public appearance in October 2013 and again refuted rumours of her departure, stating: "I was here yesterday, I'm here today and I will be here tomorrow." By 2020, observers noted that Assad had begun to extend her influence within the Syrian government. Her charity Syria Trust for Development had become active again, and she began to move members of that body into more influential positions, including the election of activists from the charity and development sector during the 2020 Syrian parliamentary election. Nine activists consequently won seats in the Syrian parliament, all of whom were connected to her "Syrian Trust and Development" charity. As a result, she gained a political foothold in the parliament, indicating at the time that she was “likely to continue to play a key role in the Syrian political arena." Tensions with
Rami Makhlouf Rami Makhlouf (; born 10 July 1969) is a Syrian businessman and a maternal cousin of former president Bashar al-Assad. At the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, he was considered one of Syria's richest and most powerful men. According t ...
led him to accuse Assad of stealing "Alawite money" and he later warned her husband, Bashar al-Assad, of potential discontent amongst the Alawite elites. In March 2021, the War Crimes unit of London's Metropolitan Police opened an investigation into allegations that Assad incited and encouraged terrorist acts during the war. It was reported that Assad pursued talks with powerful Alawite figures to portray herself as a more amenable alternative in case of Bashar al-Assad's resignation. Commenting on her future ambitions to expand her political clout, Ayman Abdelnour, a former regime insider and President of Syrian Christians for Peace organization, described her trajectory:
At first, she wasn't treated as part of the family... She is from
Homs Homs ( ; ), known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa ( ; ), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level, above sea level and is located north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is ...
, and a Sunni, and her Arabic wasn't good, so she wasn't allowed to speak to the media in case she makes mistakes. They didn't even let her have the title first lady. But after 2013 she backed her husband fully. Her position matched whatever he was doing militarily: bombings, killings and torturing.


Personal life

Assad first met her future husband during childhood holidays in Syria, but they became closer when he moved to London in 1992 to train as an ophthalmologist at the Western Eye Hospital. They married following his accession to power in 2000. Assad and her husband have three children. Their first child, a son named
Hafez (), known by his pen name Hafez ( or 'the keeper'; 1325–1390) or Hafiz, “Ḥāfeẓ” designates someoone who has learned the Qurʾān by heart" also known by his nickname Lisan al-Ghaib ('the tongue of the unseen'), was a Persian lyri ...
, named after
Hafez al-Assad Hafez al-Assad (6 October 193010 June 2000) was a Syrian politician and military officer who was the president of Syria from 1971 until Death and state funeral of Hafez al-Assad, his death in 2000. He was previously the Prime Minister of Syria ...
, was born in 2001, followed by a daughter in 2003, and their second son in 2005. In January 2013, Bashar stated in an interview that Asma was pregnant; however, there were no later reports of them having a fourth child. Assad enjoys
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...
,
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
and visiting the cinema. On 8 August 2018, it was announced that she had begun treatment for early stage
breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...
. On 4 August 2019, Assad publicly stated that she had fully recovered and was officially cancer-free. On 8 March 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Syria, Assad and her husband both tested positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
, according to the presidential office. They were reported to be in good health with "minor symptoms." On 30 March, it was announced that both had recovered and tested negative for the disease. On 21 May 2024, the Syrian presidency announced that Assad had been diagnosed with
acute myeloid leukemia Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells that build up in the bone marrow and blood and interfere with haematopoiesis, normal blood cell production. Sympt ...
, following the emergence of several symptoms and clinical signs, which would force her to refrain from direct work and participation in events as part of the treatment plan. In late November 2024, she fled Syria to Russia along with her three children, following the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives and preceding the ousting of her husband. Despite Assad retaining British citizenship, UK foreign secretary
David Lammy David Lindon Lammy FRSA (born 19 July 1972) is a British politician who has served as Foreign Secretary since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Tottenham since 2000. Lammy previously held vario ...
confirmed that she was no longer welcome in the United Kingdom, citing sanctions against her. On 23 December 2024, there were media outlets republishing a Turkish source reporting that Asma had filed for divorce from Bashar during their exile in
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
. The reports were later denied by the Russian government and Asma's father. A few days later, reports revealed Asma's
leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...
had returned after a brief remission, and she was in critical condition, isolated under close medical care.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Assad, Asma 1975 births Living people People from Acton, London First ladies of Syria Asma Deutsche Bank people JPMorgan Chase employees People of the Syrian civil war English people of Syrian descent English Sunni Muslims Syrian Sunni Muslims English expatriates in Russia Syrian expatriates in Russia Syrian individuals subject to the European Union sanctions Syrian individuals subject to U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List Syrian exiles Alumni of King's College London People educated at Queen's College, London 21st-century English people 21st-century English women 21st-century Syrian women 21st-century Syrian people Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region politicians