Overview of New Appointments
In a significant move to enhance its diplomatic presence worldwide, Morocco's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad has recently announced the appointment of 21 new consuls general as part of the 2026 personnel mobility operation. This strategic decision marks a notable shift, with these new appointments constituting 35% of the total consular positions held by the kingdom. The new consuls general will be representing Morocco across 11 of the 16 countries serviced by its consular network, including prominent nations such as France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Libya, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Algeria, Canada, and the United States.
Key Appointments and Gender Representation
Among the noteworthy appointments is Adila El Ouerdi, who will serve as consul general in Rennes, France, while Nezha Riki will take on a similar role in Pontoise. Italy will welcome four new consuls general: Abdelilah Ennajari in Rome, Mohammed Alaoui in Milan, Halima Bnehni in Bologna, and Hasnaa Halim in Verona. Spain leads the list with four postings, where Sanae Merrouh is set to head to Tarragona, Fatima El Kadi to Almería, Ikram Chahine to Murcia, and Sidi Sidi Abah to Las Palmas. In the Netherlands, Abdelrahim Chkair has been appointed to Amsterdam and Sara Aït Mouden to Rotterdam. Furthermore, across North Africa, Mohammed El Amine Setti will serve in Benghazi, while Hassan Amloul will take his post in Tripoli, Libya. Hamou Hicham Oussi has been assigned to Tunis, and in Saudi Arabia, Ibrahim Ajouli will serve in Jeddah, with Aziz Achouri taking on his role in Istanbul.
Notably, the recent appointments reflect a commitment to gender parity within Morocco's diplomatic corps, with nearly 40% of the newly appointed consuls general being women. This initiative elevates the overall representation of female consuls general within the network to approximately 40%, showcasing Morocco's dedication to promoting gender equality in its diplomatic missions.
Moreover, institutional expertise played a significant role in these appointments, as 11 of the 21 appointees have prior experience either currently serving or having served as consuls general, indicating a promotion to roles with greater responsibilities. Approximately half of the new consuls general are stepping into this prestigious rank for the first time, which illustrates an ongoing effort to blend fresh perspectives with seasoned expertise. In total, about 70% of the newly appointed consuls general have previous consular experience, while 30% come from other branches of Moroccan diplomacy.
Of particular diplomatic significance is the appointment of Mohammed El Hassani Idrissi as the consul general in Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria. Despite the strained diplomatic relations following Algeria's unilateral severance of ties in August 2021, Morocco continues to maintain three consulates on Algerian soil located in Algiers, Sidi Bel Abbes, and Oran. Algeria, in turn, has its two consular missions in Morocco situated in Casablanca and Oujda. The ongoing operations of these consulates highlight a commitment to serving nationals irrespective of the broader geopolitical tensions.
In a recent development, Algeria appointed two new consuls to Morocco, with Hichem Ferhati taking the position in Oujda, and Belghith Joudi serving as the consul general in Casablanca. This reciprocal gesture was mirrored by Morocco, which designated Mustapha Rezouk as the new head of its consulate in Algiers, thereby reinforcing a pattern of consular continuity despite the simmering diplomatic freeze.
As reported by moroccoworldnews.com.
