Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch facts for kids

Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch is a very successful businesswoman and entrepreneur from Morocco. She is the founder and current president of Aksal Holding. This is a big Moroccan company that works with shops, beauty products, fancy items, and shopping malls. In 2017, she was called "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.

Building a Business Empire

Bringing Big Brands to Morocco

In 2001, Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch made a deal with a Spanish company called Inditex. This led to a big step for her business. In 2004, she opened the very first Zara store in Africa.

Her company, Aksal Holding, has the special right to open stores for many famous brands in Morocco. These brands include Zara, Banana Republic, Pull & Bear, and Gap.

Creating Morocco Mall

In 2011, Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch opened the Morocco Mall. This is one of the biggest shopping centers in Africa. It covers a huge area of 10 hectares in Casablanca. Building this mall cost about 175 million euros.

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.

Launching a Beauty Brand

In 2017, Salwa Idrissi 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 comes from a well-known family. Her grandfather, Haj Ahmed Benlafkih, was a rich businessman. He was famous for trading tea in the 1960s. Salwa Akhannouch is married to Aziz Akhannouch, who became the Prime Minister of Morocco in 2021. They have three children together.

Awards and Recognition

Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch has received many awards for her work:

• 2020: Forbes magazine named her among the Top 10 "Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands" for creating Yan&One.
• 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: Arabian Business ranked her 8th among the 100 most powerful Arab businesswomen.