Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Zahra Mansouri as the country’s first female prime minister.
Mansouri, 50, was appointed on Tuesday and tasked with forming a new government following her Authenticity and Modernity Party’s victory in last week’s parliamentary election.
She previously served as Morocco’s urban planning minister and mayor of Marrakech, a position she held twice. She is also a senior member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party, known by its French acronym PAM.
PAM emerged as the largest party in the September 23 parliamentary election, winning 97 of the 395 seats in parliament.
Under Morocco’s Constitution, the king appoints the prime minister from the party that wins the most seats in parliamentary elections.
Mansouri must now negotiate with other parties to form a coalition government.
Her government is expected to focus on economic issues including inflation, wages and job creation, while overseeing major investments ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Mansouri becomes the second woman to serve as a prime minister in the Arab world, after Tunisia’s Najla Bouden.