Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch facts for kids

Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch (Arabic: سلوى إدريسي) is a very successful Moroccan businesswoman and entrepreneur. She is the person who started and now leads Aksal Holding. This is a big Moroccan company that sells many different things, like clothes, makeup, and fancy items. Aksal Holding also owns large malls. In 2017, a media company called OZY named her "Morocco's Leading Lady of Luxury Goods." Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch is married to Aziz Akhannouch, who became the Prime Minister of Morocco on October 7, 2021.

Her Business Journey

Starting Big Brands in Morocco

In 2001, Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch made an important agreement with a Spanish company group called Inditex. This deal allowed her to bring popular international brands to Morocco. In 2004, she opened the very first Zara store in Africa. Her company, Aksal Holding, has the special right to open and run stores for many well-known brands in Morocco. These brands include Zara, Banana Republic, Pull & Bear, and Gap.

Creating Morocco Mall and New Ideas

In 2011, Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch opened the Morocco Mall. This is the second largest shopping center in Africa. It covers a huge area of 10 hectares (about 25 acres) along the coast of Casablanca. Building this mall cost about 175 million euros (which was 250 million dollars at the time). Aksal Holding owns half of the Morocco Mall.

In the same year, she also started the AKSAL Academy. This academy helps train people for jobs in the retail industry, teaching them how to work in stores and manage businesses. In 2017, Akhannouch launched her own beauty brand called Yan&One. She opened a new, modern beauty and cosmetics store for this brand inside the Morocco Mall.

Her Family Life

Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch is the granddaughter of Haj Ahmed Benlafkih. He was a very rich Berber businessman who was well-known for his tea trade in the 1960s. Salwa Akhannouch is married to Aziz Akhannouch, who became the Prime Minister of Morocco on October 7, 2021. They have three children together.

Awards and Recognition

Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch has received many awards for her achievements in business:

• 2020: Forbes magazine named her among the Top 10 "Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands" for creating her Yan&One brand.
• 2018: She was listed among the "Fashion Industry's 500 Most Influential Women" by Business of Fashion Magazine.
• 2017: The Africa Report recognized her as one of the "Most Influential Women in Business in Africa."
• 2016: She received the Arab Woman of the Year Award for "Achievement in Business."
• 2015: She was ranked 8th among the 100 most powerful Arab businesswomen by Arabian Business magazine.