hamidi was born in 1969 in idlib governorate. his father worked as a truck driver and died in a car accident when hamidi was three years old. during his childhood, hamidi's family only support cam through donations and charity from friends and neighbors. in 1986, hamidi was able to move to damascus to study journalism at damascus university through a government stipend. his english professor at the time, abdullah dardari, was also a correspondent for the london-based arab daily "al-hayat". dardari, who later became deputy prime minister of syria in 2005, helped hamidi find work as a secretary at his al-hayat bureau in damascus.