Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first female prime minister, making her the second woman in the Arab world to hold the position.
The royal palace announced the appointment on Tuesday, saying El Mansouri, 50, who serves as Minister of National Spatial Planning, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Policy and mayor of Marrakesh, has been tasked with forming a new government, reports Al Jazeera.
In a televised address, El Mansouri called her appointment “truly historic”.
“For the first time in our country’s history, a woman is taking on the responsibility of leading the government. This is a source of pride not only for me but for all Moroccan women,” she said.
Her appointment came four days after the results of last week’s elections were announced. El Mansouri’s monarchy-aligned Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) secured the largest number of votes, winning 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, Morocco’s lower house of parliament.
However, PAM fell well short of the 198 seats required for an outright majority, meaning the party must form a governing coalition — El Mansouri’s first task as prime minister.
Founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a friend of the king, PAM has said it is willing to work with all political parties. However, some groups, including the Justice and Development Party (PJD) and the Federation of Democratic Left, have said they will remain in opposition.
The new governing coalition will oversee the allocation of billions of dollars in investments ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which is scheduled to be primarily hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
El Mansouri becomes the second woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world, following Najla Bouden, who was Tunisia’s prime minister 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. She also earned a diploma in Anglo-Saxon business law from New York University in the United States.
She entered local government in 2009 after being elected mayor of Marrakesh, becoming the first woman to hold the post. Following the 2021 elections, she returned to lead the Marrakesh municipal council.
El Mansouri also gained parliamentary experience after being elected as a member of the House of Representatives for successive terms.
In October 2021, she entered the national government as Minister of National Spatial Planning, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Policy.
During her tenure, her ministry handled several key areas, including the direct housing support programme, reforms related to urban planning and spatial development, and the rehousing of people affected by the Al Haouz earthquake.
