Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Marrakesh mayor Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first-ever woman prime minister.
The royal cabinet announced the appointment on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, after El Mansouri’s Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) emerged on top in the September 23 parliamentary election.
El Mansouri was received by the king at the royal palace and was “tasked with forming the new government,” according to the royal cabinet.
A former lawyer, El Mansouri has served as mayor of Marrakesh and previously held the position of Morocco’s minister of habitat.
Her appointment makes her the second woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world, following Tunisia’s Najla Bouden, who became Tunisia’s first female prime minister in 2021.
El Mansouri’s government is expected to oversee major investment projects linked to Morocco’s preparations to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The new administration will also face pressure to address economic concerns raised during the election campaign, including unemployment, inflation, wages and job creation.
The appointment marks a significant milestone for women’s political representation in Morocco and the wider Arab world.
