Morocco's King Mohammed VI appoints Fatima Mansouri as the country's first female prime minister

Mansouri is only the second woman in the Arab world to hold the office of prime minister. Her established political career has seen her serve as mayor of Marrakesh and member of parliament previously.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI named Urban Planning Minister Fatima Zahra Mansouri as the country's prime minister on Tuesday, making the 50-year-old attorney the first woman to hold the office in the Muslim kingdom.

Mansouri, who until her nomination also was the mayor of Marrakech, was tasked with forming a new government, the Royal Palace said in a statement. The announcement came four days after results of parliamentary elections were announced, with Mansouri’s centrist Authenticity and Modernity Party, or PAM, scoring the highest votes.

Mansouri, the second woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world after Najla Bouden in Tunisia, is expected to build a coalition in the coming days to form a government. Morocco’s electoral system makes it difficult for a single party to win an absolute majority.

Fatima el-Mansouri takes part in an electoral rally for Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) in Tangier ahead of September parliamentary elections, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026

Her government is expected to make billions of dollars in investments linked to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, while seeking to deliver on promises to fight inflation, raise wages and create jobs.

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