Bashar al-Assad

His Excellency Bashar al-Assad
بَشَارُ الْأَسَّد
Bashar al-Assad in 2000
President of Syria
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 July 2000
Prime Minister	See list Muhammad Mustafa Mero (2000–2003) Muhammad Naji al-Otari (2003–2011) Adel Safar (2011–2012) Riyad Farid Hijab (Jun. – Aug. 2012) Omar Ibrahim Ghalawanji (acting) Wael Nader al-Halqi (2012 onwards)
Vice President	See list Abdul Halim Khaddam (1984–2005) Zuhair Masharqa (1984–2006) Farouk al-Sharaa (2006 onwards) Najah al-Attar (2006 onwards)
Preceded by	Abdul Halim Khaddam (Acting)
Regional Secretary of the Regional Command of the Syrian Regional Branch
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 June 2000
Deputy	See list Sulayman Qaddah (1985–2005) Mohammed Saeed Bekheitan (2005–2013) Hilal Hilal (2013 onwards)
Leader	Abdullah al-Ahmar
Preceded by	Hafez al-Assad
Member of the Regional Command of the Syrian Regional Branch
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 June 2000
Personal details
Born	Bashar Hafez al-Assad (1965-09-11) 11 September 1965 (age 59) Damascus, Syria
Political party	Ba'ath Party
Other political affiliations	National Progressive Front
Spouse(s)	Asma al-Akhras
Children	Hafez Zein Karim
Alma mater	Damascus University
Signature
Website	The President
Military service
Allegiance	Syria
Branch/service	Syrian Armed Forces
Years of service	1988–
Rank	Marshal
Unit	Republican Guard Presently serving as commander-in-chief
Battles/wars	Syrian civil war (2011–)

Bashar al-Assad (Arabic: بَشَارُ الْأَسَّد; born 11 September 1965) is the president of Syria and the head of the Ba'ath Party in Syria. Assad has held these positions since the death of his father Hafez al-Assad (1930-2000), who had ruled Syria since 1971.^[1]

Bashar al-Assad was elected in 2000, and re-elected in 2007 with 97% votes.^[2][3]

1. ↑ "Bashar al-Assad (president of Syria) --". Britannica Online Encyclopedia. 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
2. ↑ "Syrians Vote For Assad in Uncontested Referendum". The Washington Post. 28 May 2007.
3. ↑ "Syria's Assad wins another term". BBC News. 29 May 2007.