Morocco's King Names 32-Member Cabinet After Vote

King Mohammed VI appointed Morocco’s new 32-member government on Friday. At the Royal Palace in Rabat, its ministers took their oaths after parliamentary elections on September 23. Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri will lead the government, becoming the country’s first female head of government. The appointment puts party politicians, experienced ministers and technocrats under a leadership chosen by the king.

The cabinet says it aims to accelerate reforms and improve public services. Its formation has also renewed debate over women’s participation in political leadership and government decision-making. Seven women hold cabinet positions, including El Mansouri. The new lineup places authority over fiscal policy, public administration and social programs within one government structure.

The Cabinet and Its Retained Ministers

Nine ministers kept their positions, the Royal Cabinet announced. They include Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi and Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq. Nizar Baraka remains minister of equipment and water, with forests added to his portfolio. The Agriculture Ministry previously handled forests.

Fouzi Lekjaa moves from minister delegate in charge of the budget to minister of economy, finance and public sector performance. Political observers had widely anticipated his promotion. In his previous role, Lekjaa prepared annual budgets, monitored their implementation and managed fiscal reforms. His new duties include mobilizing resources, encouraging investment and financing social programs while maintaining macroeconomic stability. He’ll also shape fiscal policies and ensure development priorities remain compatible with sustainable public finances.

Budget decisions now sit at the heart of the new minister’s portfolio. So do investment and social-program financing. The government says it wants better public services, while the finance minister’s listed duties include deciding how to mobilize resources and manage public finances. The announcement describes his remit, not the results.

Seven Women, Across Government

Six other women join El Mansouri in ministerial or minister delegate positions. Charafat Afailal will serve as minister of energy, mines and sustainable development. Najwa Koukouss takes charge of family affairs, social development and equality. Kouloub Faitah will serve as minister delegate to the head of government in charge of relations with parliament and civil society.

Madiha Khayr becomes minister delegate for vocational training and qualification, working under the minister of national education, preschool education, vocational training and qualification. Fatima Saadi will serve as minister delegate for housing and urban policy under the minister responsible for national territorial planning, urban development, housing and urban policy. Aicha Kelaa takes charge of administrative reform as minister delegate under the minister of artificial intelligence, digital transformation and administrative reform.

Their appointments span energy, social policy, parliamentary affairs, vocational training, housing and public administration. The government’s announcement names the portfolios and the officials who’ll hold them. It doesn’t say what changes each minister will deliver or how the public will assess those results. El Mansouri’s appointment and women’s wider representation have renewed debate about women’s participation in leadership and decision-making. The cabinet has taken its oaths; the government’s stated goals are to accelerate reforms and improve public services.