Syrian ex-vice president Khaddam, foe of Assad, dies in France at 88
March 31, 2020, 3:24 pm

Syrian ex-vice president Khaddam, foe of Assad, dies in France at 88

Former Syrian Vice-President Abdul-Halim Khaddam. (File photo AFP)

Abdul-Halim Khaddam, a former Syrian vice president who became a prominent opponent of President Bashar al-Assad after fleeing to Paris in 2005, died on Tuesday at the age of 88 in France. Syrian ex-vice president

Khaddam succumbed at 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) to a heart attack, Salah Ayach, a Syrian exile who was close to him, told Reuters.

Khaddam had served for 30 years in the upper echelons of the state under the late President Hafez al-Assad and his son, Bashar, who became president in 2000.

From Paris, Khaddam tried to carve out a role in the opposition to Assad but struggled to win the trust of others due to his decades of work in the ruling Baath Party.

After an uprising against Bashar al-Assad began in 2011, Khaddam said Syrians would have to take up arms in self-defense unless the world intervened to protect them.

He accused Assad, a member of the minority Alawite sect, a branch of Shia Islam, and his family of instigating sectarian strife.

Khaddam, a Sunni Muslim from a middle-class family in the Mediterranean resort town of Baniyas, was once seen as a possible successor to Hafez al-Assad. But instead, he helped Bashar firm his grip on power after he took office in June 2000.

In the days following the elder Assad’s death, Khaddam pushed through decrees elevating Bashar’s military rank to general and making him commander of the armed forces - key moves in the uncertain process of succession.

A lawyer by training, Khaddam was foreign minister for 14 years before becoming vice-president in 1984. He also took part in shaping Syrian policy in Lebanon, where Damascus was the main power until being forced to withdraw its forces in 2005 after the assassination of Lebanese ex-prime minister Rafik al-Hariri.

After leaving Syria for France in 2005, Khaddam hit out at the Damascus government’s corruption and failure to reform. He also said Hariri was threatened by Assad months before his death - an assassination for which an UN-backed tribunal would later indict four members of the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

The Shia group, a close ally of Assad, denies any role. Syrian ex-vice president

Short, sharp, and outspoken, Khaddam started his political career as governor in turn of Quneitra, Hama, and Damascus, after the Arab Baath Socialist Party came to power in 1963.

This was a rapid rise for a man who joined the party at the age of 17 and in a matter of years was elected secretary of the Damascus branch and then a member of the ruling Regional Command. levant

source: Reuters levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.