A photographing optical lens assembly includes eight lens elements, which are, in order from an object side to an image side along an optical path, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, a sixth lens element, a seventh lens element and an eighth lens element. Each of the eight lens elements has an object-side surface towards the object side and an image-side surface towards the image side. The first lens element has positive refractive power. The object-side surface of the fifth lens element is concave in a paraxial region thereof. The image-side surface of the sixth lens element is concave in a paraxial region thereof. The object-side surface of the seventh lens element is convex in a paraxial region thereof. The image-side surface of the eighth lens element is concave in a paraxial region thereof.