Asma al-Assad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Asma al-Assad
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أسماء الأسد
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Assad in 2008
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| First Lady of Syria | |
| In role 13 December 2000 – 8 December 2024 |
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| President | Bashar al-Assad |
| Preceded by | Anisa Makhlouf |
| Succeeded by | Latifa al-Droubi |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Asma Fawaz Akhras
11 August 1975 London, England |
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| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, including Hafez |
| Parents |
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| Education | King's College London (BSc) |
Asma Fawaz al-Assad (born 11 August 1975) was the First Lady of Syria. She was married to Bashar al-Assad, who was the President of Syria from 2000 until 2024. She was born and grew up in London, England. Her parents were from Syria. She became First Lady when she married Bashar al-Assad on 13 December 2000.
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Early Life and School
Asma Fawaz Akhras was born on 11 August 1975 in London. Her father, Fawaz Akhras, was a heart doctor. Her mother, Sahar Akhras, used to be a diplomat at the Syrian Embassy in London. Her parents were Sunni Muslims from the city of Homs in Syria.
She grew up in Acton, London. She went to Twyford Church of England High School and then to a private school for girls called Queen's College, London. In 1996, she finished her studies at King's College London. She earned a degree in computer science with high honors.
Her Career in Banking
After college, Asma al-Assad started working as an economics analyst. She worked at Deutsche Bank Group, helping to manage large investments. Her clients were in Europe and East Asia.
In 1998, she joined J.P. Morgan, another big bank. There, she worked with companies that focused on biotechnology and medicines. She said her banking experience taught her how to think carefully and understand how businesses work.
She was planning to study for a master's degree at Harvard University. But in 2000, while on holiday in Damascus, Syria, she met Bashar al-Assad again. They had known each other since childhood.
Becoming First Lady
After Bashar al-Assad's father passed away in June 2000, Bashar became president. Asma moved to Syria in November 2000. She married Bashar in December of that year. Many people were surprised because the media had not reported on their relationship before.
After her wedding, Asma traveled to many villages across Syria. She visited 100 villages in 13 different areas. She wanted to talk to people and learn how she could help. She then created several groups that worked as charities. These groups were part of the Syria Trust for Development. Because of her work, she was named one of the "World's Most Influential Arabs" by a magazine.
Public Life and Activities
As First Lady, Asma al-Assad focused on helping women and improving education. She supported her husband on political issues. The United Nations Development Programme spent money to help Syria make changes. This program aimed to make the government more modern. A big part of this was helping Asma al-Assad seem like a reformer. Her work with the Syria Trust for Development was highlighted. This program stopped when the country entered a civil war. Asma al-Assad was born a Sunni Muslim. Her public role was important for how the Syrian government was seen by the Sunni majority in Syria.
Syrian Civil War Period
When the Syrian uprising began, some people criticized Asma for not speaking out. She made her first public statement in February 2012. This was almost a year after the first big protests.
On 23 March 2012, the European Union took action against her. They froze her money and stopped her and other close family members from traveling to their countries. This was part of increasing rules against the Syrian government. Asma al-Assad could still travel to the UK because she is also a British citizen.
In April 2012, the wives of the German and British ambassadors to the United Nations made a video. They asked Asma al-Assad to speak up for peace. They urged her to ask her husband to stop the violence in Syria.
After a bombing in July 2012, she was not seen in public very often. This led to rumors that she had left the capital city of Damascus or even the country. But she appeared at an event in Damascus in March 2013. She showed up again in October 2013. She said, "I was here yesterday, I'm here today and I will be here tomorrow," to stop the rumors.
In late November 2024, reports said she left Syria for Russia with her three children. This happened after the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives and before her husband's government was overthrown.
Personal Life
Asma first met her future husband during childhood holidays in Syria. They became closer when he moved to London in 1992. He trained to be an eye doctor there. They married after he became president in 2000.
Asma and her husband have three children. Their first child, a son named Hafez, was born in 2001. They had a daughter in 2003 and another son in 2004. In January 2013, Bashar said Asma was expecting another child. However, there were no later reports of a fourth child.
Asma al-Assad enjoys going to the theatre, opera, and cinema.
On 8 August 2018, it was announced that she was getting treatment for breast cancer. On 4 August 2019, she publicly shared that she had fully recovered from cancer.
On 21 May 2024, the Syrian presidency announced that Asma al-Assad had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. This is a type of blood cancer. She would need to take a break from her public duties for treatment.
In December 2024, reports said her leukemia had returned. She was in a very serious condition and receiving special medical care.
See also
In Spanish: Asma al-Ásad para niños
