Fatima Zahra El Mansouri has been named Morocco's first female prime minister. Her appointment by King Mohammed VI follows her centrist Authenticity and Modernity Party (Pam) winning the most seats in last week's parliamentary elections.
This appointment makes El Mansouri, 50, only the second woman to lead a government in the Arab world, after Tunisia's Najla Bouden. El Mansouri has previously served as the mayor of Marrakesh and as a minister in the former coalition government.
Pam secured 97 seats in the 395-member parliament, meaning it will need to form a coalition to reach the 198 seats required for an absolute majority. The Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), which gained 54 seats, has stated it will remain in opposition and not partner with Pam.