President Bashar al-Assad issued Saturday decree no. 228 naming Dr. Najah al-Attar vice president.

Based on the decree, al-Attar will be charged with following up on the implementation of the cultural policy in the framework of the President’s directives.

Al-Attar was born on 10 January, 1933 and raised in Damascus. She studied at the University of Damascus, graduating in 1954. She continued higher studies in the United Kingdom, obtaining Diploma in Islamic Studies in 1956 and PhD in Arabic literature from the University of Edinburgh in in 1958. She also received a number of certificates then in international relations and in literary and art criticism.

In 1976, she was appointed as Minister of Culture and served in the post until 2000. In March 2006, she was appointed Vice President.

She has been awarded a number of orders and medals from governments, presidents and leading figures in the former Soviet Union, Poland, France, Italy, Japan and Chile.