In a historic moment that has reverberated across Africa and the Arab world, King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as Morocco’s first female Prime Minister.
The Royal Palace in Rabat announced the landmark decision on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, after receiving El Mansouri in a formal audience. The 50-year-old lawyer and former Mayor of Marrakesh will now lead the North African kingdom’s government.
Her appointment follows the fiercely contested parliamentary elections of September 23, 2026, where her party, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), clinched a plurality with 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, toppling outgoing Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.
From Courtroom To Marrakesh To Prime Ministry
Born January 3, 1976, El Mansouri is no stranger to power corridors. A brilliant lawyer by training, she served as Housing Minister in the outgoing cabinet and as the charismatic Mayor of Marrakesh, one of Morocco’s most influential cities.
As national coordinator of PAM’s collective leadership, she now carries the heaviest burden — directing executive governance, steering national economic strategy, and shaping social policy at a critical transitional moment for Morocco.
Her first task: negotiate a tough coalition government and submit a list of cabinet members for the King’s approval.
More Than Tokenism — A Royal Legacy
Her nomination is not an accident. The Palace insists it is the culmination of a long-standing royal policy to place competent women at the helm.
Moroccan women have shattered ceilings before — Zoubida Naciri as first female royal advisor, Zineb El Adaoui heading the powerful Court of Auditors, and Amina Benkhadra leading the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM).
“The criteria are competence, merit, and ability to deliver results — not gender,” the palace statement stressed.
For millions of Moroccan girls watching tonight in Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakesh, the message is clear: the highest office is now within reach.
