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However, her path took a dramatic turn when her mother arranged for her to meet Bashar al-Assad. At the time, he was merely an eye doctor and not the leader of Syria. After a series of personal tragedies in the Assad family, where Bashar suddenly assumed the role of heir apparent, Asma and Bashar's relationship blossomed. They were engaged shortly after a summer vacation together in 2000, and the couple wed later that same year in a low-key ceremony.