Billionaire Aziz Akhannouch to leave office as Morocco names first woman prime minister

Moroccan billionaire Aziz Akhannouch will step aside as head of government after King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as prime minister on Tuesday, making her the first woman to hold the post in the kingdom's history.

The royal palace said the king had asked El Mansouri to form a new government following parliamentary elections on Sept. 23. Akhannouch, who has led the government since October 2021, is expected to stay on in a caretaker capacity until her cabinet is appointed.

El Mansouri's Authenticity and Modernity Party, known by its French initials PAM, won 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, according to provisional results announced by Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit. Akhannouch's National Rally of Independents, or RNI, finished second with 66 seats, down from the 102 it won in 2021. The Istiqlal Party took 65 seats. The Islamist Justice and Development Party, which had collapsed to 13 seats five years ago, came back with 54.

Turnout was 38%, down from about 50% in 2021.

Morocco's constitution requires the king to choose the head of government from the party that wins the most seats. With no party close to the 198 seats needed for a majority, El Mansouri must now assemble a coalition and submit a list of ministers for the king's approval. PAM, the RNI and Istiqlal have governed together since 2021, but relations between PAM and the RNI grew strained ahead of the vote.

El Mansouri, 50, is a lawyer from a prominent Marrakesh family. She became the first woman to serve as mayor of Marrakesh in 2009 and won the office again in 2021. She has served as housing and urban planning minister in Akhannouch's government since October 2021.

Akhannouch is one of the wealthiest people in Africa. He was running Akwa Group, the conglomerate his father built, when the king named him head of government five years ago. Akwa owns Afriquia, Morocco's largest fuel distribution network, and holds interests in gas, media and property.

His business ties drew scrutiny during his time in office. Fuel prices became a point of political attack after they surged in 2022, and critics repeatedly questioned the overlap between his government role and his family's position in the fuel market.

Before becoming head of government, Akhannouch served as agriculture minister from 2007 to 2021. He led the RNI from 2016 until February 2026, when Mohamed Chaouki was elected to replace him after Akhannouch said he would not seek a third term as party president. He did not stand to lead the government again.

El Mansouri's new cabinet will face pressure over youth unemployment, living costs and preparations for the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.