The appointment followed the September 23 parliamentary election, in which El Mansouri’s Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) emerged as the largest party in the 395-member House of Representatives.
The Royal Palace announced the appointment on Tuesday, saying King Mohammed VI received El Mansouri at the Royal Palace in Rabat before appointing her head of government in accordance with the country’s constitution.
PAM won 97 seats, ahead of the National Rally of Independents, which secured 66 seats, and the Istiqlal Party, which won 65 seats.
The election result means El Mansouri will need to form a coalition government to secure the necessary parliamentary support.
Morocco operates as a constitutional monarchy in which the King retains significant powers. Under the constitution, the monarch appoints the head of government from the party that wins the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives.
El Mansouri, 50, is a lawyer who previously served as mayor of Marrakech. She also served as minister responsible for national territory planning, urban planning, housing and city policy in the outgoing government.
Her appointment makes her the first woman to lead Morocco’s government and the second woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world, after Tunisia’s Najla Bouden.
As prime minister, El Mansouri will oversee preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Her government will also face economic and social challenges, including concerns over youth employment and the provision of public services.
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