Assad's mother 'has moved to Dubai'

DUBAI // The mother of the Syrian president, Bashar Al Assad, has moved to Dubai, according to unconfirmed reports on Sunday.

Anisa Makhluf has been living in the emirate for 10 days, reported  the Agence France-Presse news agency, which cites Syrians living in Dubai. She is believed to be living with her daughter, Bushra, the sister of Mr Al Assad.

Bushra's husband, Gen Assef Shawkat, was killed in a bombing in Damascus in July last year.

She is reported to have moved to Dubai in September and enrolled her five children in a private school.

Shadi Al Khesh, a UAE-based member of the opposition's National Coalition, said Ms Makhluf  could have been in Dubai longer than 10 days but could not confirm her presence. "All indications are that she has been in Dubai at least for a month now," he said, and that other members of the family had recently moved to the UAE.

Mr Al Assad's only surviving sibling in Syria is his brother, Maher, commander of the army's Fourth Brigade.

newsdesk@thenational.ae