Hafez Bashar al-Assad

Hafez Bashar al-Assad (حافظ بشار الأسد; born 4 December 2001) is the eldest son of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma al-Assad. He has been considered as a potential successor to his father.

Personal life
Assad was born in Damascus on 4 December 2001 and also, was raised there. He was named after his grandfather, former President of Syria Hafez al-Assad. In his youth, he attended a Montessori school alongside his sister, Zein, and brother, Karim. They also attended a language school in the Baramkeh district of Damascus.

Assad received media attention in 2013 when a Facebook account attributed to him posted a criticism of the U.S. military in the wake of the Ghouta chemical attack. However, both Syrian opposition figures and outside media sources questioned whether the since-deleted account was authentic.

In 2020, Assad was placed under sanction by the U.S. Department of State in connection with previous sanctions targeting his father's regime. As a result, he is not allowed to travel to or own assets in the United States.

Assad is fluent in English. He also speaks Russian.

Mathematics competitions
Assad has described mathematics to the media as his "childhood passion." He participated in the International Mathematical Olympiad, representing Syria, from 2016 to 2018.


 * 2016 International Mathematical Olympiad (Hong Kong) – He placed 355th out of 602 overall and 4th out of 6 on the Syrian team.
 * 2017 International Mathematical Olympiad (Rio de Janeiro) – He placed 528th out of 615 overall and 6th out of 6 on the Syrian team.
 * 2018 International Mathematical Olympiad (Cluj-Napoca) – He placed 486th out of 594 overall and 6th out of 6 on the Syrian team.

Assad's participation in the International Mathematical Olympiad has been criticized by some outside observers, viewing his inclusion on the Syrian team as the result of nepotism. However, this has been explicitly denied by a representative of the Syrian government, claiming that Assad qualified in fair competition for a space on the team.

Political views
During the 2017 IMO, Assad was interviewed by O Globo. When asked if his father is a dictator, he defended him saying:. He also took his father's side in conflict, saying:

Education
In 2015, Assad received his primary education certificate from Naeem Maasarani School in Damascus with a final grade of 2983 out of 3000.

In 2018, Assad received his secondary education certificate from Sawa and Montessori School in Damascus with a final grade of 2672 out of 2900.

In 2016, it was announced that Assad would complete his higher education in Russia. Before he matriculated to Moscow State University, he studied for a period of time at the Higher Institute for Applied Sciences and Technology in Damascus. In 2023, Assad graduated with a master's degree in mathematics from the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University with honors. He wrote his thesis on the topic of number theory.