Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, along with his family, left Damascus following the complex developments in Syria’s situation. After six years in office, they relocated to Moscow, Russia, where they were provided with a place of refuge by Russian President Vladimir Putin. But who is the woman by his side, his wife? The former First Lady of Syria had been with him through more than two decades of a highly eventful period. Here’s what we can tell about her.
Asma al-Assad was born in 1975 in London, England. Her parents were Sunni Muslims, with her mother working as a diplomat at the Syrian embassy and her father being a cardiologist. They raised their children as secular Muslims who were fluent in Arabic. She first studied at the renowned Queen’s College in the UK and then went on to pursue degrees in French literature and science. According to some accounts, she had a lively childhood, enjoying horseback riding and on occasion skipping classes to spend time with friends on Oxford Street. Those who were in school with her mentioned that she was sometimes known as Emma instead of Asma.
