Morocco has made history. On 29 September 2026, Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri stepped into office to lead Morocco as Prime Minister, becoming the first woman to lead Morocco’s government.

However, for El Mansouri breaking political barriers is nothing new. More than a decade before reaching national office, she became the first woman to serve as Mayor of Marrakech, her home city. She was just 33 at the time.

Born in Marrakech in 1976, El Mansouri trained as a lawyer and specialised in land and property law. In 2005, she joined the Marrakech Bar. Her move into politics came a few years later, when she became involved in the newly established Authenticity and Modernity Party.

Education:

  • Secondary School: Earned her baccalaureate at Lycée Victor Hugo in Marrakesh in 1994, studying within the French educational system.
  • Undergraduate Degree: Obtained a bachelor’s degree (licence) in private law from Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco.
  • Postgraduate Studies: Completed a postgraduate diploma (DEA) in business contract law from the University of Montpellier in France.
  • International Certification: Received a certificate or studies in Anglo-Saxon/common-law business law from Pace University in New York, United States. 

Her political career grew quickly. She served as Mayor of Marrakech from 2009 to 2015, became a member of parliament in 2011, and returned as mayor in 2021. That same year, she was appointed Minister of National Territory Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy, a position she held until 2026.

Her work in government placed her at the centre of some of Morocco’s major housing and urban development programmes, including reconstruction following the devastating Al Haouz earthquake.

Now, at 50, El Mansouri has reached a position no Moroccan woman has held before. Her appointment adds another chapter to a career that takes her into rooms where women were once largely absent.

From the mayor’s office in Marrakech to the leadership of Morocco’s government, Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri has spent her career steadily moving through the ranks. Her appointment marks a historic moment for Moroccan women and a new chapter in her own remarkable political journey.

Congratulations Prime Minister El Mansouri!

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