17 Facts About Faisal Mekdad

Faisal Mekdad is a Syrian diplomat and politician who served as the vice president of Syria from September to December 2024.

Faisal Mekdad is the last person to serve in this position under president Bashar al-Assad and of the Ba'ath Party-led Syrian Arab Republic.

Faisal Mekdad served as Syria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2003 until 2006.

Faisal Mekdad was born in the village of Ghasm in Daraa Governorate in 1954.

Faisal Mekdad graduated in 1978 from Damascus University with a degree in English.

Faisal Mekdad was awarded a PhD in English Literature from Charles University in Prague in 1993.

Faisal Mekdad was a member of the executive office of Revolutionary Youth Union.

Faisal Mekdad was active in the Syrian student movement and student leadership at Damascus University, where he won first prize for his academic research on the history of the Asian student movement.

In 1994, Dr al-Faisal Mekdad moved to work in the diplomatic corps at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as First Secretary in the Department of International Organizations and Conferences.

In 2003, Faisal Mekdad became the Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations, a position he held until 2006, when he was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister.

On 22 November 2020, following the death of Walid Muallem, Faisal Mekdad became the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Faisal Mekdad was appointed as vice president for foreign and information policies on 23 September 2024.

On 10 October 2024, Dr Faisal Mekdad Al-Miqdad was sworn in before President Bashar Al-Assad as new Vice President of the Republic.

Faisal Mekdad denied accusations of an alleged crackdown on protesters after the start of the Syrian civil war.

Faisal Mekdad backed the government claim that his government was fighting armed terrorist insurgents.

Faisal Mekdad is married and has one son and two daughters.

Faisal Mekdad's father was kidnapped by gunmen on 18 May 2013 in his village of Ghasm.