Catalytic hydrodealkylation of aromatics

A process for catalytic hydrodealkylation of a hydrocarbon feedstock containing alkylaromatic compounds to provide a hydrodealkylated product containing benzene, said process comprising contacting said feedstock under hydrodealkylation conditions with a catalyst composition comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of noble metal, nickel, and combinations thereof, and a synthetic zeolite characterized by an X-ray diffraction pattern including values substantially as set forth in Table A of the specification.