Fares Khoury was born in Kfeir in the Hasbaya District in modern-day Lebanon to a Greek Orthodox Christian[2] family that, according to Faris' own memoirs, had originally came from the village of Ayn Halya in Kaza Al-Zabadani.

On September 18, 1918, Khoury created a preliminary government with a group of notables in Damascus, spearheaded by Prince Sa’id al-Jaza’iri.

Khoury laid the groundwork for the Syrian Ministry of Finance, created its infrastructure, distributed its administrative duties, formulated its laws, and handpicked its staff.

In 1923, he helped found Damascus University and along with a group of veteran educators, translated its entire curriculum from Ottoman Turkish into Arabic.

As the head of Syria's delegation in San Francisco, Faris al-Khoury's superb oratory and astuteness made a strong impression in front of world leaders.

He continued to travel to attend annual law conventions in Switzerland, until he fractured his leg and was forced to stay at home for the final two years of his life.

On January 2, 1962, the former Syrian prime minister died in Damascus, at the age of 84, ending a career that spanned over 50 years in Syria’s political sphere.

[11] Faris al-Khoury's death came three months after the dissolution of the United Arab Republic between Egypt and Syria (1958–1961) during which he was an active political opponent.

As a typical Syrian nationalist, he considered the territorial transfer of Hatay Province to Turkey by the French government as illegal under international law.