Syrian President Assad Appoints Richmond Alumnus New Intelligence Chief, Deputy Premier

09/09/2006

Syrian President Bashar Assad named a new intelligence chief and deputy premier this summer, less than a week after the ruling Baath Party recommended economic and political reforms. Assad appointed Abdullah al-Dardari ‘85, head of Syria's state planning commission, as deputy premier for economic affairs, the official SANA news agency reported.
The post had been vacant since Prime Minister Mohammed Naji al-Otari formed his Cabinet in September 2003. SANA said al-Dardari, an economics expert who studied in Britain, later took the oath before Assad. Dardari has made a strong case for thorough-going reforms to the economy in his current position as head of the State Planning Council.

Abdullah al-Dardari, a non-Ba'athist and highly respected man in Syria, worked at the United Nations Development Program, where he served as Syrian Program Officer. In 2003 he was appointed Head of the State Planning Commission by Syrian President Bashar Al-Azzad before this recent appointment as Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs. Abdullah graduated from Richmond in December, 1985 with a BA degree in Economics. He went on to get his MA at the University of Southern California. Abdullah is married with three children.

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