King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as Prime Minister on September 29, 2026, following the National Rally of Independents (RNI) victory in the September 23 legislative elections. She becomes the first woman to hold the post in Morocco's history — and one of the few to lead a government in the Arab world.
A profile rooted in urban development
Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, 58, had served as mayor of Marrakech since 2021, positioning the city on the international stage. She oversaw the reconstruction effort following the devastating Al Haouz earthquake of September 2023, which killed more than 2,900 people in the region. Her track record marks her as a crisis manager and major infrastructure deliverer.
She succeeds Aziz Akhannouch, whose RNI had won the 2021 elections but whose economic record was challenged during the campaign.
Economic agenda: the World Cup in the crosshairs
Morocco is co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal. This colossal undertaking — valued at tens of billions of dollars — frames her government's agenda for the coming years: stadiums, high-speed rail, hotels, airports and digital infrastructure.
The country targets GDP growth of 3.8% in 2026, driven by tourism (a record 17.4 million visitors in 2025), foreign direct investment, and a rapidly growing renewable energy sector, where Morocco aims for 52% green electricity by 2030.
Why it matters
"The appointment of Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri sends a strong signal on Morocco's governance and openness, just months before intense international attention from the 2030 World Cup," noted a political analyst quoted by Bloomberg. Morocco is drawing increasing interest from African and European investors, and this historic nomination may reinforce its role as a bridge between Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
For the Indian Ocean region, Morocco's ambitions are worth tracking closely: Casablanca Finance City is Mauritius's main competitor in the race for Africa's financial hub status, and both centres are competing for the same regional investment flows.