·          President Assad was born in Damascus, Syria in 1965.

·        After graduating from high school in 1982, President Assad entered the Medical School of Damascus University from which he graduated with honors and became a Medical Doctor in 1988.

·        In 1992, he left to England to pursue further studies in the field of Ophthalmology.  President Assad cut his training and returned to Syria in 1994 upon the tragic death of his older brother, Bassel.

·        In 1995, President Assad chaired the Syrian Computer Society and undertook extensive projects to introduce, and spread, the use of computer technology and the Internet in Syria.

·        After a nationwide referendum held on July 10, 2000, Bashar Al-Assad was elected President of the Republic. According to Syria's constitution, the President's term of office is seven years.

·        President Assad gave his inaugural speech and was sworn in before the People's Assembly on July 17, 2000.  In May 2007, President Assad was re-elected for a second term.

·        In December 2000, President Assad married Ms. Asma Al-Akhras and are now proud parents of three children: Hafez, Zein, and Kareem.