Aziz Akhannouch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aziz Akhannouch
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عزيز أخنوش
ⵄⴰⵣⵉⵣ ⴰⵅⵏⵏⵓⵛ |
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Akhannouch in 2024
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| 17th Prime Minister of Morocco | |
| Assumed office 7 October 2021 |
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| Monarch | Mohammed VI |
| Preceded by | Saadeddine Othmani |
| Leader of the National Rally of Independents | |
| Assumed office 12 October 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Salaheddine Mezouar |
| Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests | |
| In office 6 April 2017 – 10 September 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Saadeddine Othmani |
| Preceded by | Himself (as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries) |
| Succeeded by | Mohamed Sadiki |
| Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries | |
| In office 15 October 2007 – 6 April 2017 |
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| Prime Minister | Abbas El Fassi Abdelilah Benkirane |
| Preceded by | Mohand Laenser |
| Succeeded by | Himself (as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 August 1961 Tafraout, Morocco |
| Political party | National Rally of Independents (2007–2012, 2016–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (2012–2016) |
| Spouse | Salwa Idrissi |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Université de Sherbrooke |
| Occupation | Businessman, Politician |
Aziz Akhannouch (Arabic: عزيز أخنوش, Berber: ⵄⴰⵣⵉⵣ ⴰⵅⵏⵏⵓⵛ; born 16 August 1961) is a Moroccan politician, businessman, and billionaire who is serving as the 17th Prime Minister of Morocco since his government took office on 7 October 2021. He is the CEO of Akwa Group and also served as Minister of Agriculture from 2007 to 2021.
Akhannouch's political career has been generally characterized by several controversies, including accusations of corruption and negative relations with the press. His government has been additionally marked by inflation, as well as continued suppression of dissenting opinions. It has been suggested that Akhannouch may have been elected by election fraud and vote buying, as the previous party, the PJD saw its support collapse from 125 to just 12 seats.
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Early life and education
Akhannouch was born in 1961 in Tafraout and raised in Casablanca. He comes from the Amazigh tribe of Souss of Aït Ammeln. His mother and sister were survivors of the 1960 Agadir earthquake that killed ten of his family members; they were reported to have been left buried beneath rubble for several hours before being rescued.
In 1986, Akhannouch graduated from the Université de Sherbrooke with a management diploma.
Business
He is the CEO of Akwa Group, a Moroccan conglomerate particularly active in the oil and gas sector. Forbes estimated his net worth as $1.4 billion in November 2013. Akhannouch inherited Akwa from his father. In 2020, he was ranked 12th on Forbes's annual list of Africa's wealthiest billionaires, with an estimated net worth of $2 billion.
Political career
From 2003 to 2007, Akhannouch was the president of the Souss-Massa-Drâa regional council. He was a member of the National Rally of Independents party, before leaving it on 2 January 2012.
He served as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries between 2007 and 2021, During this period, he successfully implemented the Green Morocco Plan, an ambitious agricultural development strategy that was introduced by King Mohammed VI in April 2008 and has received international recognition and admiration as a true model and example.
On 23 August 2013, he was appointed by King Mohammed VI as Minister of Finance on an interim basis after Istiqlal ministers resigned from Benkirane's cabinet, a position he kept until 9 October 2013.
On 27 July 2016, Akhannouch met with Jonathan Pershing, Special Envoy for Climate Change for the United States. They spoke about preparations for the 2016 United Nations Conference of the Parties.
On 29 October 2016, Akhannouch rejoined the RNI after being elected as president of the party. He took over Salaheddine Mezouar's position, who had resigned following the 2016 general election.
In March 2020, through his company Afriquia, a subsidiary of the Akwa group, Akhannouch donated roughly one billion dirhams ($103.5 million) to a COVID-19 pandemic management fund founded by King Mohammed VI.
Prime Minister of Morocco (2021—present)
In the 2021 general election, his party placed first, winning 102 seats of the 395 seats, while the governing Justice and Development Party lost 113 of its previous seats. On 10 September 2021, he was appointed as prime minister by King Mohammed VI, succeeding Saadeddine Othmani, and was tasked by the King to form a new government.
Akhannouch announced the formation of an official coalition government alongside the PAM and Istiqlal parties on 22 September 2021, thus officiating his status as prime minister-designate of Morocco. On 7 October 2021, he assumed office as the new prime minister. Since taking office, Akhannouch has represented King Mohammed VI at several foreign engagements and read speeches delivered by him during summits, including at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
In late October 2021, Akhannouch was criticized by Moroccan citizens for wearing a pin of the MENA region that excluded Western Sahara while attending a Green Initiative event in Saudi Arabia.
In September 2022, Akhannouch attended the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
On 11 October 2022, Akhannouch met with Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg along with his business partners in Rabat, in order to boost economic trade between Morocco and Luxembourg.
In December 2022, he attended the United States–Africa Leaders Summit 2022 and met with US president Joe Biden.
On 1 February 2023, Akhannouch participated with Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez in the 12th edition of the Morocco-Spain High Level Meeting in Rabat, in which both countries signed a total of 19 bilateral agreements concerning a plethora of sectors.
In July 2023, Akhannouch attended the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit in Saint Petersburg. In 2024, he attended the Italia-Africa summit in Rome.
Personal life
Akhannouch is married to Salwa Idrissi, a businesswoman who owns a company active in malls and holds the Moroccan franchises for brands such as Gap and Zara. They have three children.
As Minister of Agriculture, Akhannouch hosted King Mohammed VI and his immediate family for Ramadan iftar on two separate occasions in 2013 and 2016.
On 21 November 2022, government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas announced that Akhannouch had tested positive for COVID-19.
See also
In Spanish: Aziz Ajanuch para niños
