The 50-year-old urban planning minister and mayor of Marrakesh was tasked with forming a new government, according to a statement from the royal palace on Tuesday.
El Mansouri described her appointment as “truly historic” in a televised address.
“For the first time in our country’s history, a woman is taking on the responsibility of leading the government,” she said.
“This is a source of pride not only for me but for all Moroccan women.”
Her appointment came four days after the results of last week’s parliamentary election were announced.
Her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won 97 of the 395 seats in Morocco’s House of Representatives, the largest number secured by any party.
The party fell short of the 198 seats needed for an outright majority and will have to form a coalition with other parties to govern.
PAM, founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a friend of King Mohammed VI, has said it is willing to work with all parties.
The Justice and Development Party and the Federation of Democratic Left have said they will remain in opposition.
The new coalition will also oversee billions of dollars in investments as Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Portugal and Spain.
El Mansouri becomes the second woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world, after Tunisia’s Najla Bouden, who held the position from October 2021 to August 2023.
Born in Marrakesh in 1976, El Mansouri studied law and obtained a diploma in advanced studies from the University of Montpellier in France. She also earned a diploma in Anglo-Saxon business law from New York University.
She entered local politics in 2009 when she was elected mayor of Marrakesh, becoming the first woman to hold the position.
She later returned to lead the city’s municipal council after the 2021 elections and served several terms as a member of Morocco’s House of Representatives.
In October 2021, she joined the national government as Minister of National Spatial Planning, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Policy.
Her ministry oversaw issues including the direct housing support programme, urban planning reforms and the rehousing of people affected by the Al Haouz earthquake.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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