Mohammed VI (; born 21 August 1963) is

King of Morocco The king of Morocco (; ) is the monarch and head of state of Morocco. The kings of Morocco are members of the Alawi dynasty. It is one of the country's most powerful offices. Mohammed VI ( Sidi Mohammed bin Hassan al-Alawi) is the current kin ...

. A member of the

Alawi dynasty The Alawi dynasty () – also rendered in English as Alaouite, Alawid, or Alawite – is the current Moroccan royal family and reigning dynasty. They are an Arab Sharifian dynasty and claim descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his ...

, he acceded to the throne on 23 July 1999, upon the death of his father, King

Hassan II Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People *Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name *Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scotti ...

. Upon ascending to the throne, Mohammed initially introduced several reforms and changed the family code to grant more rights to women in Morocco. Leaked diplomatic cables from

WikiLeaks WikiLeaks () is a non-profit media organisation and publisher of leaked documents. It is funded by donations and media partnerships. It has published classified documents and other media provided by anonymous sources. It was founded in 2006 by ...

in 2010 led to allegations of

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

in the court of Mohammed, implicating him and his closest advisors. In 2011,

protests in Morocco A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...

that were considered part of the wider

Arab Spring The Arab Spring () was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings, and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began Tunisian revolution, in Tunisia ...

occurred against alleged government corruption. In response, Mohammed enacted several reforms and introduced a new constitution. These reforms were passed by public referendum on 1 July 2011. His other reforms have included modernising the

economy An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

and military force of Morocco, promoting non-sectarian Islam and

Berber culture Berbers, or the Berber peoples, also known as Amazigh or Imazighen, are a diverse grouping of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to North Africa who predate the arrival of Arabs in the Maghreb. Their main connections are identified by their u ...

, including designating

Standard Moroccan Amazigh Standard Moroccan Amazigh (; ), also known as Standard Moroccan Tamazight or Standard Moroccan Berber, is a Standard language, standardized language developed by the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) in Morocco by combining features of ...

as an official national language alongside

Standard Arabic Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) or Modern Written Arabic (MWA) is the variety of standardized, literary Arabic that developed in the Arab world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and in some usages also the variety of spoken Arabic that ...

, and curtailing the influence of religious extremism. In foreign policy, Mohammed continued in the moderate tradition established by his father, who was held to be a moderating influence among Arab nations and in relations between the Arab world and the West. He strengthened Morocco's ties with key global players, including the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

, and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, and prioritized relations with African countries and international recognition of Morocco's claim to the territory of

Western Sahara Western Sahara is a territorial dispute, disputed territory in Maghreb, North-western Africa. It has a surface area of . Approximately 30% of the territory () is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the remaining 70% is ...

. During his rule,

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

became the sixth

Arab League The Arab League (, ' ), officially the League of Arab States (, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world. The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945, initially with seven members: Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt, Kingdom of Iraq, ...

country to normalize ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords. Mohammed has vast business holdings across several economic sectors in Morocco. His net worth has been estimated at between and over . In 2015, ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'' named him the richest king in Africa and the fifth wealthiest monarch in the world. In 2019, he had a reported personal wealth of $8.2 billion.

Early life and education

Mohammed was born on 21 August 1963, as the second child and first son of King Hassan II and his wife, Lalla Latifa. As their eldest son, he was

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

from birth. Mohammed's father was keen on giving him a religious and political education from an early age; at the age of four, he started attending the

Quranic school Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary education or higher learning. ...

at the Royal Palace. His educational routine commenced at 6 am with an hour-long

recitation A recitation in a general sense is the act of reciting from memory, or a formal reading of verse or other writing before an audience. Public recitation is the act of reciting a work of writing before an audience. Academic recitation In a ...

of the

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

, followed by formal lessons. He completed his first primary and secondary studies at the Collège Royal, a specialized college constructed within the fortified walls of the palace. Hassan II, desiring his son to experience competitive pressure, selected 12 classmates recognized for their intellect to accompany Mohammed in his studies. As depicted in ''Le Roi prédateur'', a 2012 biography authored by two French journalists, there is an account of Hassan instructing his aides to administer twenty lashes to Mohammed when he appeared to lag in his studies. At the age of ten, Mohammed began representing his father at foreign engagements, the first being the funeral of French president

Georges Pompidou Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou ( ; ; 5 July 19112 April 1974) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1969 until his death in 1974. He previously served as Prime Minister of France under President Charles de Gaulle from 19 ...

in 1974. According to a childhood friend, Mohammed harboured fantasies about the world beyond the palace walls and seldom ventured outside. One of his favourite songs was "

Breakfast in America ''Breakfast in America'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Supertramp, released on 16 March 1979, by A&M Records. It was recorded from May to December 1978 at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles. It spawned three US ''Billbo ...

" by the English rock band

Supertramp Supertramp were a British rock band formed in London in 1970. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), the group were distinguished for blending p ...

, which celebrates the allure of travel by jumbo jet. Mohammed excelled in languages. Mohammed attained his Baccalaureate in 1981, before gaining a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in law at the Mohammed V University at Agdal in 1985. His research paper dealt with "the Arab-African Union and the Strategy of the Kingdom of Morocco in matters of International Relations". He was furthermore appointed president of the

Pan Arab Games The Arab Games (), also known as the Pan-Arab Games, are a regional multi-sport event held between nations from the Arab world. They are organized by the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees. The first Games took place in 1953 in Alexandr ...

, and was commissioned a Brigadier General of the

Royal Moroccan Army The Royal Moroccan Army ( ''Al-Quwwat al-Bariyah al-Malakiyah al-Maghribiyah'', ''tasrdast tagldant'') is the branch of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Royal Moroccan Army is about 215,000 t ...

on 26 November 1985. Mohammed served as the Coordinator of the Offices and Services of the Royal Armed Forces until 1994. In 1987, Mohammed obtained his first ''Certificat d'Études Supérieures'' (CES) in political sciences, and in July 1988 he obtained a ''Diplôme d'Études Approfondies'' ( DEA) in public law. In November 1988, he trained in

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

with

Jacques Delors Jacques Lucien Jean Delors (; 20 July 192527 December 2023) was a French politician who served as the eighth president of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995. Delors played a key role in the creation of the single market, the euro and th ...

, the President of the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

. According to a biography by Ferran Sales Aige, Mohammed's father received reports from his spies indicating that the young prince was visiting bars regularly. This led to a deepening dissatisfaction from the king towards his son. In a moment of despair, Hassan II was rumoured to have described his son's behaviour as a "chromosome error." Mohammed was sent to study law in

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million He obtained his

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

in law with distinction on 29 October 1993 from the French University of Nice Sophia Antipolis for his thesis on "

EEC The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ), also known as the Arab Maghreb () and Northwest Africa, is the western part of the Arab world. The region comprises western and central North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Maghreb al ...

Relations". On 12 July 1994, he was promoted to the military rank of Major General, and that same year he became president of the High Council of Culture and Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Moroccan Army. According to the ''New York Times'', before ascending to the throne, Mohammed "gained a reputation as a playboy during the years he spent waiting in the wings, showing a fondness for fast cars and nightclubs." Over time, a noticeable estrangement developed between him and his father. He actively avoided encounters with Hassan II, even during his visits to Morocco. Instead, he frequently frequented Amnesia, an illicit club located underground in the capital city. According to ''Le Roi prédateur'', Mohammed's close friend from school, Fouad Ali El Himma, facilitated his visits to Amnesia by installing a private lift from his apartment above that descended directly to the club's premises.

Accession and early reign

Mohammed ascended the throne on the

death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...

of his father on 23 July 1999. He was formally enthroned one week later and made a televised address, promising to take on poverty and

, while creating jobs and improving Morocco's human rights record. Islamist conservatives opposed his reformist rhetoric, and some of his reforms angered fundamentalists. His initial directives also included the dismissal of his father's hardline interior minister, Driss Basri, and the appointment of some of his former classmates to key positions in the state bureaucracy. Mohammed and his sister, Princess Lalla Meryem, made a state visit to the United States in June 2000, as guests of the president

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

. The Bush administration designated Morocco as a

major non-NATO ally A major non-NATO ally (MNNA) is a designation given by the Federal government of the United States, United States government to countries that have strategic working relationships with the United States Armed Forces while not being members of t ...

in 2004. The two countries later signed a free-trade agreement in 2006, the only one of its kind between the United States and an African country, which was met with some criticism within Morocco due to increasing

trade deficit Balance of trade is the difference between the monetary value of a nation's exports and imports of goods over a certain time period. Sometimes, trade in services is also included in the balance of trade but the official IMF definition only consi ...

. In February 2004, Mohammed enacted a new family code (

Mudawana The ''Mudawana'' (or ''Moudawana'', ), short for ''mudawwanat al-aḥwāl ash-shakhṣiyyah'' (, ), is the personal status code, also known as the family code, in Moroccan law. It concerns issues related to the family, including the regulation ...

), which granted women more power. In July, he announced that Morocco would lift visa restrictions for Algerians, with Algerian president

Abdelaziz Bouteflika Abdelaziz Bouteflika (; ; 2 March 1937 – 17 September 2021) was an Algerian politician and diplomat who served as the seventh president of Algeria from 1999 to his resignation in 2019. Before his stint as an Algerian politician, Bouteflika s ...

reciprocating the measure in 2005. Mohammed also created the

Equity and Reconciliation Commission The Equity and Reconciliation Commission (, , ; IER) was a Moroccan truth and reconciliation commission active under a two-year mandate from 2004 to 2005 focusing on human rights abuses committed during the Years of Lead mainly under King Hass ...

, which was tasked with researching

human rights violation Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

s under Hassan II. This move was welcomed by many as promoting

democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

but was also criticized because the commission's reports did not name the perpetrators. According to human rights organizations, human rights violations are still common in Morocco. In March 2006, the government created the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS), an advisory committee which defends Morocco's claim to Western Sahara, and whose members are appointed by the king. The CORCAS proposed a plan for Western Sahara's autonomy, provided it remains under Moroccan sovereignty. Mohammed went on to visit Western Sahara in 2006 and 2015.

2011 protests and constitutional reform

The 2011 Moroccan protests, led by the 20 February Movement, were primarily motivated by corruption and general political discontentment, as well as by the hardships of the global economic crisis. Then-recent revolutions influenced the demonstrations in

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

and

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

which overthrew their respective leaders, and demands by protesters included "urgent" political and social reforms, including the relinquishment of some of the King's powers. In a speech delivered on 9 March 2011, Mohammed said that parliament would receive "new powers that enable it to discharge its representative, legislative, and regulatory mission". In addition, the powers of the judiciary were granted greater independence from the king, who announced that he was empanelling a committee of legal scholars to produce a draft constitution by June 2011. On 1 July, voters approved a set of political reforms proposed by the king in a

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

. The reforms consisted of the following: *

is designated an official national language, along with standard

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

. * The state preserves and protects the

Hassaniya Arabic Hassaniya Arabic (; also known as , , , , and Maure) is a variety of Maghrebi Arabic spoken by Mauritanian Arabs, Malian Arabs and the Sahrawis. It was spoken by the Beni Ḥassān Bedouin tribes of Yemeni origin who extended their authority o ...

dialect and all the linguistic components of

Moroccan culture Moroccan may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to the country of Morocco ** Moroccans, or Moroccan people ** Moroccan Arabic, spoken in Morocco ** Moroccan Jews See also * Morocco leather Morocco leather (also known as Levant ...

as a heritage of the nation. * The

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

(officially titled "head of government") presides over the Council of Government, which prepares the general policy of the state; previously the king held this position. The prime minister also has the power to dissolve the parliament. * The king now must appoint the prime minister from the party that wins the most seats in the parliamentary elections, but it can be any member of the winning party and not necessarily the party's leader. Previously, the king could nominate anybody he wanted for this position regardless of the election results. That was usually the case when no party had a big advantage over the other parties, in terms of the number of seats in the

parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. * The king is no longer "sacred or holy" but the "integrity of his person" is "inviolable". * High administrative and diplomatic posts (including ambassadors, CEOs of state-owned companies, and provincial and regional governors) are now appointed by the prime minister and the ministerial council which is presided over by the king; previously the latter exclusively held this power. * The parliament has the power to grant amnesty. Previously this was also exclusively held by the king. * The king guarantees the independence of the judiciary system from the legislative and executive branches. * Women are guaranteed "civic and social" equality with men. Previously, only "political equality" was guaranteed, though the 1996 constitution granted all citizens equality in terms of rights before the law. * The king retains complete control over the armed forces and the judiciary as well as matters about religion and foreign policy, as well as the authority to appoint and dismiss prime ministers. * In theory, all citizens have freedom of thought, ideas, artistic expression and creation. Previously only free speech and the freedom of circulation and association were guaranteed. However, criticizing or directly opposing the king is still punishable with prison.

Later developments

Domestic and Western Sahara policy

In January 2017, Morocco banned the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of the

burqa A burqa or burka (; ) is an enveloping outer garment worn by some Muslim women which fully covers the body and the face. Also known as a chadaree (; ) or chaadar (Dari: چادر) in Afghanistan, or a ''paranja'' (; ; ) in Central Asia, the Ara ...

. Beginning in late 2019, several countries which supported Morocco in the

Western Sahara conflict The Western Sahara conflict is an ongoing conflict between the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic/Polisario Front and the Morocco, Kingdom of Morocco. The conflict originated from an insurgency by the Polisario Front against Spanish colonial ...

established consulates in the Western Saharan cities of

Laayoune Laayoune or El Aaiún (, Latn, ar, al-ʕuyūn , , ) is the largest city of the disputed territory of Western Sahara, with a population of 271,344 in 2023. The city is the ''de jure'' capital of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, though it ...

and Dakhla, with a total of 28 as of 2023. In November 2020, an escalation of the ongoing

began when Sahrawi protesters blocked a road connecting Guerguerat to

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

via Mauritania. Morocco responded by intervening militarily to resume the movement of people and goods through Guerguerat, which the Polisario Front said had violated the 1991 ceasefire agreement. On 20 December 2022, Mohammed invited the Moroccan national football team to a reception at the Royal Palace in Rabat, following their reaching fourth place at the

2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...

, and awarded the members of the team with the Order of the Throne. In March 2023, he was invited by president of the

Confederation of African Football The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is the administrative and controlling body for association football, beach soccer, and futsal in Africa. It was established on 8 February 1957 at the ''Grand Hotel'' in Khartoum, Sudan. At the FIFA Co ...

(CAF)

Patrice Motsepe Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe (born 28 January 1962) is a South African billionaire businessman and football administrator. Patrice Motsepe was born to Kgosi Augustine Motsepe, a chief of the Mmakau branch of the Tswana people. Since March 2021, ...

to receive the CAF's outstanding achievement award. During the awards ceremony in

Kigali Kigali () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali is a relativ ...

, Chakib Benmoussa, attending on behalf of the king, announced in a letter written by Mohammed that Morocco would join the Portugal–Spain 2030 FIFA World Cup bid as a co-host. The bid was unanimously approved by the FIFA Council in October. In May 2023, Mohammed authorized the creation of a national public holiday for

Yennayer Yennayer is the first month of the Berber (Amazigh) calendar. The first day of Yennayer corresponds to the first day of January in the Julian Calendar, which is shifted thirteen days compared to the Gregorian calendar, thus falling on 12 Janua ...

(Berber New Year). Following the September 2023 Al Haouz earthquake which killed nearly three thousand people, Mohammed visited hospitals to support victims and donated blood for the needy. Under his instructions, the royal holding Al Mada donated one billion dirhams for relief operations of quake-hit regions.

Foreign policy

In the latter part of his reign, Mohammed increasingly prioritized African relations in Morocco's foreign policy. In July 2016, Mohammed addressed a letter to the 27th

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...

(AU) summit in

, in which he requested Moroccan admission to the organization. Morocco had previously been a member of the AU's predecessor, the

Organisation of African Unity The Organisation of African Unity (OAU; , OUA) was an African intergovernmental organization established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 33 signatory governments. Some of the key aims of the OAU were to encourage political and ec ...

, until it withdrew in 1984 in protest at the admission of the

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), also known as the Sahrawi Republic and Western Sahara, is a partially recognized state in the western Maghreb, which claims the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara, but controls only ...

. Mohammed justified his country's withdrawal saying that "the admission of a non-sovereign entity, by means of transgression and collusion" had prompted Morocco to "seek to avoid the division of Africa". Morocco was admitted to the African Union in January 2017. Under his administration, Morocco developed partnerships with the

Gulf Cooperation Council The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ), is a Regional integration, regional, intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Ba ...

as well as other non-traditional

great power A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power ...

s, mainly China and Russia, intending to diversify trade links and foreign investments and limit Morocco's traditional reliance on the

and other Western countries. The country offered to act as a mediator in the Libyan crisis and remained neutral in the

Qatar diplomatic crisis The Qatar diplomatic crisis was a high-profile deterioration of relations between Qatar and the Arab League between 2017 and 2021. It began when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt simultaneously severed their bilateral relat ...

. Morocco and Israel restored

diplomatic relations Diplomacy is the communication by representatives of state, intergovernmental, or non-governmental institutions intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern Diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. ...

on 10 December 2020, as part of the Israel–Morocco normalization agreement involving the United States, which at the same time recognized Morocco's sovereignty over

. In June 2021, Mohammed congratulated

Naftali Bennett Naftali Bennett (, ; born 25 March 1972) is an Israeli politician and businessman who served as the prime minister of Israel from 13 June 2021 to 30 June 2022, and as the alternate prime minister from 1 July to 8 November 2022. Bennett was t ...

on his election as Israeli prime minister. On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in November 2021, the king announced that Morocco would continue to push for a restart of Israeli–Palestinian peace negotiations. He called on both sides "to refrain from actions that obstruct the peace process". In August 2022, Mohammed confirmed in a speech that the Western Sahara issue would form the basis for Morocco's foreign policy, through which it "measures the sincerity of friendships and the efficiency of partnerships". He called on other countries "to clarify their positions" on the conflict "and reconsider them in a manner that leaves no room for doubt". In 2023, Israel under the third Netanyahu government became the second country to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the territory, followed by

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

the following year. Relations with neighbouring Algeria remained strained, despite calls from Mohammed for a reconciliation. Tensions intensified in the 2020s, primarily as a result of the Israel–Morocco normalization agreement and Western Saharan border clashes. In August 2021, Algeria accused Morocco of supporting the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie, which it blamed for

wildfires A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

in northern Algeria, and later severed diplomatic relations with Morocco. In February 2023, Mohammed and his foreign minister Nasser Bourita visited

Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...

, meeting with its president Ali Bongo and conducting a donation of 2,000 tonnes of fertilizer to the country. On 4 December 2023, Mohammed and his entourage made an official visit to

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

, at the invitation of UAE President Sheikh

Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 11 March 1961), also known as MbZ, is an Emirati royal and politician who is serving as the third and current president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi since 2022. Mohamed completed his e ...

, in which the two leaders signed a declaration committing to the development of "deep-rooted" bilateral relations.

Business and wealth

Mohammed is Morocco's leading businessman and banker. In 2015, he was estimated by ''

'' magazine to be worth US$5.7bn although in 2019 ''Business Insider'' quoted a figure of just US$2.1 billion. The Moroccan Royal Family, meanwhile, has one of the largest fortunes in the world. Together, they hold the majority stakes in the Al Mada holding, formerly named the ''Société Nationale d'Investissement'' (SNI), which was originally state-owned but was merged in 2013 with Omnium Nord Africain (

ONA Group The ONA Group (Omnium Nord-Africain, Arabic: مجموعة أونا) is a defunct Moroccan holding company established in 1934 and dissolved in 2010 and succeeded by Societe Nationale d'Investissement. ONA was an industrial, financial and servi ...

), to form a single holding company that was taken off the Casablanca Stock Exchange—resulting in the scrapping of an equivalent of 50 billion dirhams Market capitalization, marketcap (~US$6 billion). Al Mada has a diverse portfolio consisting of many important businesses in Morocco, operating in various sectors including: Attijariwafa Bank (banking), Managem (mining), Onapar, SOMED (tourism/real-estate and exclusive distributor of Maserati), Wafa Assurance (insurance), Marjane (business), Marjane (hypermarket chain), Inwi, Wana-Inwi (telecommunications), SONASID (siderurgy), Lafarge (company), Lafarge Maroc, Sopriam (exclusive distributor of Peugeot-Citroën in Morocco), Renault, Renault Maroc (exclusive distributor of Renault in Morocco) and Nareva (energy). It also owns many food-processing companies and is currently in the process of disengaging from this sector. Between mid-2012 and 2013, the holding sold ''Lessieur'', ''Centrale Laitière'', ''Bimo'' and ''Cosumar'' to foreign groups for a total amount of ~$1.37 billion (11.4 billion Dirhams including 9.7 billion in 2013 and 1.7 in 2012). SNI and ONA both owned stakes in Brasseries du Maroc, the largest alcoholic beverage manufacturer and distributor of brands such as Heineken in the country. In March 2018, the SNI adopted its current name, Al Mada. Mohammed is also a leading agricultural producer and land owner in Morocco, where agriculture is exempted from taxes. His personal holding company SIGER has shares in the large agricultural group ''Les domaines agricoles'' (originally called ''Les domaines royaux'', now commonly known as ''Les domaines''), which was founded by Hassan II. In 2008, Telquel estimated that ''Les domaines'' had a revenue of $157 million (1.5 billion dirhams), with 170,000 tons of citrus exported in that year. According to the same magazine, the company officially owns 12,000 hectares of agricultural lands. ''Chergui'', a manufacturer of dairy products, is the most recognizable brand of the group. Between 1994 and 2004, the group has been managed by Mohammed VI's brother-in-law Khalid Benharbit, the husband of Princess Lalla Hasna. ''Les domaines'' also owns the Royal Golf de Marrakech, which originally belonged to Thami El Glaoui. His palace's daily operating budget is reported by

to be $960,000, which is paid by the Moroccan state as part of a 2.576 billion dirhams/year budget as of 2014, with much of it accounted for by the expense of personnel, clothes, and car repairs.

Controversies

Royal pardon scandal

Protests broke out in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, on 2 August 2013, after Mohammed pardoned 48 jailed Spaniards, including Daniel Galván, a pedophile who had been serving a 30-year sentence for raping 11 children aged between 4 and 15. Upon the protests, the King revoked Galván's pardon and Morocco issued an international arrest warrant; Galván was arrested in Spain, where he continued his sentence. Those pardoned included a drug trafficking suspect, who was released before standing trial. The detainee, Antonio Garcia, a recidivist drug trafficker, had been arrested in possession of 9 tons of hashish in Tangier and was sentenced to 10 years. He had resisted arrest using a firearm. Some media claimed that his release embarrassed Spain.

Allegations of corruption

Royal involvement in business is a major topic in Morocco, but public discussion of it is sensitive. The US embassy in Rabat reported to Washington in a leaked cable that "corruption is prevalent at all levels of Moroccan society". Corruption allegedly reaches the highest levels in Morocco, where the business interests of Mohammed VI and some of his advisors influence "every large housing project," according to

documents published in December 2010 and quoted in ''The Guardian'' newspaper. The documents released by the whistleblower website also quote the case of a businessman working for a US consortium, whose plans in Morocco were paralysed for months after he refused to join forces with a company linked with the royal palace. The documents quoted a company executive linked to the royal family as saying at a meeting that decisions on big investments in the kingdom were taken by only three people: the king, his secretary Mounir Majidi, and the monarch's close friend, adviser and former classmate Fouad Ali El Himma. This corruption especially affects the housing sector, the WikiLeaks documents show. In April 2016, Mohammed's personal secretary, Mounir Majidi, was named in the Panama Papers.

Family and personal life

Mohammed has three sisters: Princess Lalla Meryem, Princess Lalla Asma, and Princess Lalla Hasna and one brother, Prince Moulay Rachid. The ''New York Times'' noted "conflicting reports about whether the new monarch had been married on Friday night, within hours of his father's death [in 1999]... to heed a Moroccan tradition that a King be married before he ascends the throne." A palace official subsequently denied that a marriage had taken place. His engagement to Salma Bennani was announced on 12 October 2001. They married in private in Rabat on 21 March 2002, and their wedding was celebrated at the Dar al-Makhzen (Rabat), Dar al-Makhzen in Rabat on 12 and 13 July 2002. Bennani became princess consort with the style of Her Royal Highness on her marriage. They had two children: Crown Prince ''Moulay'' Moulay Hassan, Crown Prince of Morocco, Hassan (born 8 May 2003) and Princess Lalla Khadija of Morocco, Princess Lalla Khadija (born 28 February 2007). The couple's divorce was announced on 21 March 2018. Mohammed's birthday on 21 August is a public holidays in Morocco, public holiday, although festivities were cancelled upon the death of his aunt in 2014. In 2020, Mohammed purchased an €80 million mansion in Paris from the Saudi royal family.

Health

Mohammed's health has been a recurring topic both within and outside Morocco. In 2017, he underwent a successful surgery at the Quinze-Vingts National Ophthalmology Hospital in Paris to remove a Pterygium (eye), pterygium in his left eye. In February 2018, he underwent a radiofrequency ablation to normalize an irregular heart rate, and was visited by members of the royal family. In September 2019, the King was advised to rest for several days to recover from acute viral pneumonia, while his son Crown Prince Moulay Hassan represented him at former French President Jacques Chirac's funeral. In June 2020, he underwent a procedure in Rabat to treat a recurrence of atrial flutter. In June 2022, Mohammed tested positive for COVID-19. His personal doctor said he did not exhibit symptoms and recommended "a period of rest for a few days". ''Jeune Afrique'' reported that he contracted the disease while on a private visit to France. On 10 July 2022, he made his first public appearance since recovering from COVID-19 when he performed Eid al-Adha rituals and prayers. In December 2024 he underwent surgery after fracturing his left shoulder in a fall.

Honours

National orders

As monarch, Mohammed assumed the custodianship of several national orders upon his accession to the throne. * Ribbon Wissam al Mohamadi Morocco

Grand Master of the Order of Muhammad (23 July 1999) * MAR Order of the Throne - Special Class BAR

Grand Master of the Order of the Throne (23 July 1999) * Grand Master of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite (23 July 1999) * Grand Master of the Order of the Independence Combat (23 July 1999) * Grand Master of the Order of Fidelity (23 July 1999) * MAR Order of the Military - Special Class BAR

MAR Order of the Military - Special Class BAR

Grand Master of the Order of Military Merit (Morocco), Order of Military Merit (23 July 1999)

Foreign orders

Mohammed has received numerous honours and decorations from various countries, some of which are listed below. * GAB Order of the Equatorial Star - Grand Officer BAR

GAB Order of the Equatorial Star - Grand Officer BAR

Grand Officer of the Order of the Equatorial Star of

(7 July 1977) * ESP Order of Civil Merit - Collar

Knight of the Collar of the Order of Civil Merit of Spain (2 June 1979) * UK Royal Victorian Order honorary member ribbon

Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (27 October 1980) * ESP Charles III Order GC

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III of Spain (23 June 1986) * Grand Cordon of the Order of the Republic (Tunisia), Order of the Republic of Tunisia (August 1987)HM King Mohammed VI
map.ma * Order of the Dannebrog S

Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (6 February 1988) * Cordone di gran Croce OMRI BAR

Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic of Italy (18 March 1997) * PRT Military Order of Aviz - Grand Cross BAR

Grand Cross of the Order of Aviz of Portugal (13 August 1998) * Legion Honneur GC ribbon

Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour of France (19 March 2000) * JOR Al-Hussein ibn Ali Order BAR

Collar (Order of Knighthood), Collar of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali of Jordan (1 March 2000) * Cordone di gran Croce di Gran Cordone OMRI BAR

Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic of Italy (11 April 2000) * MRT Grand Cross Order of National Merit

Grand Cordon of the National Order of Merit (Mauritania), National Order of Merit of Mauritania (26 April 2000) * Order of 7th November 1987

Grand Cross of the Order of the Seventh of November of Tunisia (24 May 2000) * Mali Ordre national du Mali GC ribbon

Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali (14 June 2000) * ESP Isabella Catholic Order GC

Knight of the Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic of Spain (16 September 2000) * Wissam of the Order of the Umayyads of Syria (9 April 2001) * Lebanese Order of Merit Extraordinary Grade

Lebanese Order of Merit Extraordinary Grade

Extraordinary Grade of the Order of Merit (Lebanon), Order of Merit of Lebanon (13 June 2001) * Decoration without ribbon - en

First Class Medal of the Order of Abu Bakar Siddiq of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (29 June 2001) * Wisam al-Khalifa 1st class

Grand Collar of the Order of al-Khalifa of Bahrain (28 July 2001) * Collar of the Order of Mubarak the Great of Kuwait (22 October 2002) * Cordon of the Order of the Independence of Qatar (25 October 2002) * EGY Order of the Nile - Grand Cordon BAR

EGY Order of the Nile - Grand Cordon BAR

Collar of the Order of the Nile of Egypt (28 October 2002) * Ord

Grand Cross of the Order of Pakistan First Class (Nishan-e-Pakistan) of Pakistan (19 July 2003) * Grand Cross of the Order of Valour of Cameroon (17 June 2004) * GAB Order of the Equatorial Star - Grand Cross BAR

GAB Order of the Equatorial Star - Grand Cross BAR

Grand Cross of the Order of the Equatorial Star of Gabon (21 June 2004) * Grand Cross of the National Order of Niger (24 June 2004) * BEL - Order of Leopold - Grand Cordon bar

BEL - Order of Leopold - Grand Cordon bar

Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (Belgium), Order of Leopold of Belgium (5 October 2004) * BRA - Order of the Southern Cross - Grand Cross BAR

Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross of Brazil (26 November 2004) * Medal of Honour of the Congress of Peru (1 December 2004) * Collar of the Order of Bernardo O'Higgins of Chile (3 December 2004) * ARG Order of the Liberator San Martin - Grand Cross BAR

ARG Order of the Liberator San Martin - Grand Cross BAR

Grand Collar of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin of Argentina (7 December 2004) * Order of Charles III - Sash of Collar

Knight of Collar of the Order of Charles III of Spain (14 January 2005) * MEX Order of the Aztec Eagle 1Class BAR

Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle of Mexico (11 February 2005) * Burkina Faso Ordre du merite burkinabe GC ribbon

Grand Cross of the Order of Burkinabé of Burkina Faso (1 March 2005) * Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum, Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum of Japan (28 November 2005) * GAM Order of the Republic of the Gambia ribbon

GAM Order of the Republic of the Gambia ribbon

Grand Commander of the Order of the Republic (Gambia), Order of the Republic of the Gambia (20 February 2006) * Ord

Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Congo of the Republic of Congo (22 February 2006) * Grand Cross of the Order of the National Hero of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of Congo-Kinshasa (28 February 2006) * Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars of Latvia (14 May 2007) * Collar of the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia (18 May 2007) * National Order of Equatorial Guinea - ribbon bar

National Order of Equatorial Guinea - ribbon bar

Grand Collar of the Order of Independence (Equatorial Guinea), Order of Independence of Equatorial Guinea (17 April 2009) * SEN Order of the Lion - Grand Cross BAR

Grand Cross of the National Order of the Lion (2013) * Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (Guinea), National Order of Merit of Guinea (4 March 2014) * Collar of the Order of the Republic (Tunisia), Order of the Republic of Tunisia (31 May 2014) * Grand Cross of the National Order of the Ivory Coast (1 June 2015) * Ribbon bar of the Order of Zayed

Collar of the Order of Zayed (4 May 2015) * Orden Republike Srbije 2

Grand Cordon of the Order of the Republic of Serbia (2016) * MDG National Order - Grand Cordon BAR

Grand Cross of the National Order of Madagascar (21 November 2016) * PRT Order of Saint James of the Sword - Grand Collar BAR

Grand Collar of the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword of Portugal (28 June 2016) * Ribbon bar of the Order of the Star of Ghana

Companion of the Order of the Star of Ghana (17 February 2017) * Grand Cross of the Order of La Pléiade (24 May 2017) * USA Philadelphia Liberty Medal ribbon

Ellis Island Medal of Honor of the United States (14 May 2019) * US Legion of Merit Chief Commander ribbon

Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit of the United States (16 January 2021) Honorary prizes: * On 22 June 2000, Mohammed received an honorary doctorate from George Washington University. * On 19 May 2022, Mohammed was awarded the Esquipulas Peace Prize by the Forum of Legislative Presidents of Central America and the Caribbean Basin (FOPREL). * On 14 March 2023, Mohammed was awarded the President's Outstanding Achievement Award by Confederation of African Football, CAF.

Ancestry

References

External links

Morocco Alaoui dynasty

* Laurenson, John
The most powerful man in Morocco
BBC News. 11 March 2006.
Constitutional Reform in Morocco: I Am the Reform!
— Qantara.de {{DEFAULTSORT:Mohammed 06 Of Morocco Mohammed VI of Morocco, 1963 births Living people Moroccan Muslims Muslim monarchs 20th-century monarchs in Africa 21st-century monarchs in Africa Alawi dynasty Mohammed V University alumni Alumni of the Royal College (Rabat) Kings of Morocco 20th-century Arab people 21st-century Moroccan people Moroccan Berbers Moroccan politicians Moroccan businesspeople Moroccan bankers Moroccan Army officers Moroccan billionaires People from Rabat Collars of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Collars of the Order of Civil Merit Extraordinary Grades of the Order of Merit (Lebanon) Grand Cordons of the Order of Valour Grand Crosses of the Order of Aviz Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Order of Al-Hussein bin Ali Grand Crosses of the National Order of Mali Grand Crosses of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin Grand Collars of the Order of Saint James of the Sword Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Knights Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Sons of kings