For The First Time, A Woman Has Become Morocco's Prime Minister

• 29.09.2026, 20:40

The suspense surrounding the appointment of the country's new prime minister lasted until the very last moment.

Fatima Ez-Zahra el-Mansouri, national coordinator of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (Parti Authenticité et Modernité, PAM), has been appointed Morocco’s new prime minister. The announcement was published on the official website of King Mohammed VI. El Mansouri has become the first woman to head the country’s government and the second in the Arab world.

Speculation surrounding the appointment of the country’s new prime minister persisted until the very last moment. The PAM came in first in the country’s parliamentary elections held on September 23, and according to the constitution, the king was required to appoint a representative of the winning party as the country’s new prime minister. However, the constitution does not specify that the prime minister must be the party leader. Furthermore, PAM has a collective leadership structure. In addition to Ms. el-Mansouri, the leadership includes two other people.

In the country’s previous government, El-Mansouri served as Minister of Territorial Planning and Urban Policy, and prior to that, she was mayor of the country’s fourth-largest city, Marrakesh.

The first woman to serve as head of government in an Arab country was Najla Bouden, who was appointed Prime Minister of Tunisia in October 2021 and served in that position until 2023.