Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first female prime minister, making her only the second woman in the Arab world to hold the position.
The Royal Palace announced the appointment on Tuesday, four days after the results of the country’s latest parliamentary elections were declared.
El Mansouri, 50, who previously served as Minister of National Spatial Planning, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Policy and mayor of Marrakesh, has been tasked with forming a new government.
Describing her appointment as “truly historic,” El Mansouri said it marked a significant moment for Moroccan women.
“For the first time in our country’s history, a woman is taking on the responsibility of leading the government,” she said in a televised address.
Her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which is aligned with the monarchy, emerged as the largest party in the election, winning 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives.
However, the party fell short of the 198 seats required for an outright majority and will have to form a coalition with other parties to establish a government.
PAM, founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a close associate of the king, has indicated its readiness to work with other political parties. The Justice and Development Party and the Federation of Democratic Left, however, have said they will remain in opposition.
The new coalition will face major policy and investment decisions, including the allocation of billions of dollars for projects ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco is scheduled to co-host with Portugal and Spain.
El Mansouri becomes the second woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world, following Tunisia’s Najla Bouden, who held the position from October 2021 to August 2023.
Born in Marrakesh in 1976, El Mansouri studied law and obtained a diploma in advanced studies from the University of Montpellier in France, as well as a diploma in Anglo-Saxon business law from New York University in the United States.
She began her political career in local government and was elected mayor of Marrakesh in 2009, becoming the first woman to lead the city.
Following her first term, she returned as head of the Marrakesh municipal council after the 2021 elections. She also served several terms as a member of the House of Representatives.
In October 2021, she joined the national government as Minister of National Spatial Planning, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Policy.
Her ministerial portfolio included the implementation of a direct housing support programme, reforms in urban planning and spatial development, and the resettlement of people affected by the Al Haouz earthquake.
