Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri appointed as Morocco's first female prime minister

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri has been appointed as Morocco's first female prime minister and the second woman to hold such a position in the Arab world. King Mohammed VI announced her appointment in a statement from the royal palace on Tuesday. El Mansouri, who is 50 years old, previously served as the urban planning minister and the mayor of Marrakesh. In her televised address, she described her appointment as 'truly historic' and a source of pride for Moroccan women. This announcement followed the results of the recent elections, in which El Mansouri's party, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), secured 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, falling short of the 198 seats needed for a majority. El Mansouri's first task will be to form a coalition government, as PAM has expressed willingness to collaborate with all parties, although some parties, including the Justice and Development Party (PJD) and the Federation of Democratic Left, have stated they will remain in opposition. The new government will play a crucial role in deciding allocations for significant investments ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Portugal and Spain. El Mansouri, born in Marrakesh in 1976, has a background in law and has held various political roles, including mayor of Marrakesh and minister of national spatial planning, urban development, housing, and urban policy. Her tenure has included initiatives related to housing support and urban planning reforms.