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City Name

Rabat

Morocco

October 16, 2026

Rabat 3:59 am

15°C

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, Morocco's newly appointed head of government

Culture

Who is Fatima El Mansouri, Morocco’s first woman prime minister?

Her appointment marks the first time a woman has served as Morocco’s head of government and the second time a woman has held the position in the Arab world.

Royal Air Maroc Boeing 787-9 'Dreamliner' aircraft

Israel, Morocco agree to exchange ambassadors, open embassies

The move will mark the first time Morocco and Israel have exchanged ambassadors.

UDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

Fueled by regional rivalries, Algeria severs diplomatic ties with UAE

Algiers accused Abu Dhabi of increasingly “provocative and hostile actions” after years of friction over Morocco, Western Sahara and competing regional interests.

Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, speaks to the media during a FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Press Conference at Mexico City Stadium on June 10, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico.

Analysis

FIFA in turmoil: Middle East takes center stage as Infantino fights to stay in power

Amid the backlash to FIFA President Gianni Infantino's controversial investment plan, upcoming World Cup hosts Morocco and Saudi Arabia have starring roles in the drama.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Latest News

Explainer

Estimated 60,000 migrants cross from Morocco into Spanish territory: What we know

Ceuta

Explainer

France-Morocco ties get an energy jolt as historic heatwaves pressure Europe

Director of European Affairs and Customs at La Poste Groupe Christelle Defaye-Geneste (L) and Morocco's Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour (R) sign agreements between La Poste Groupe and Barid Al-Maghrib, alongside France's Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu (C-L) and his Moroccan counterpart, Aziz Akhannouch, during a meeting in Rabat on July 16, 2026.

Naima Morelli

In Rome, reporting on Middle East culture

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita meets Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Morocco's capital Rabat, January 25, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer - RC121B4F3DC0

Russia keeps plugging away at cooperation with North Africa

During his tour around the Maghreb, Foreign Minister Lavrov showed Russia has a genuine interest in developing stronger ties with regional states, but the number of roadblocks in the way raise questions about Moscow's ability to go past "strategic declarations" anytime soon.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robert Catalanotti (R), director, Exercises and Training Directorate J-7, U.S. Central Command arrives to take part in the "Eager Lion" military exercises at the Jordan-Saudi Arabia border, 260 km (162 miles) south of Amman June 5, 2014. Around 12,500 participants from 20 countries will take part in Eager Lion. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN - Tags: MILITARY POLITICS) - GM1EA651SJJ01

Congress cuts deal on Middle East aid package

The latest spending bill contains big wins for Egypt and Turkey while shunning Saudi Arabia.

Hamuya Khalil, 49, a Polisario fighter, stands in an armored vehicle at a forward base on the outskirts of Tifariti, Western Sahara, September 9, 2016. REUTERS/ Zohra Bensemra SEARCH ìPOLISARIOî FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. - S1BEUKRIGMAA

House spending bill repudiates Morocco on Western Sahara

The political wrangling over President Donald Trump’s border wall has dealt Morocco an unwelcome setback.

An UN vehicle arrives to the headquarters of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) on May 13, 2013 in Laayoune, the main city in the disputed territory. Six Sahrawi activists arrested this month after pro-independence protests in Western Sahara said they were tortured by Moroccan police and made to sign confessions, Amnesty International charged on May 16. The Western Sahara is a highly sensitive subject in Morocco, which annexed the former Spanish colony in 1975 in a mov

Intel: Why Bolton’s Africa comments must be freaking out Morocco

Moroccan women walk along a narrow street in Mohamadia, Morocco, April 28, 2018. Picture taken April 28, 2018. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal - RC136B5110C0

Equal inheritance still struggle in Morocco

While Tunisia gears up to become the first country in North Africa to achieve inheritance equality between men and women, the issue still stirs a nationwide controversy in Morocco.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman looks out as leaders arrive for a family photo at the G20 in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 30, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RC1CF27DCB60

Saudi Arabia's estrangement

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman got into the G-20 group photo, but his brand remains very toxic.

Morocco eyes privatization to fill its budget deficit

The 2019 finance bill shows a return of the privatization process in Morocco as a step in the direction of opening up the economy, but economists believe this is the ultimate proof of a failing fiscal policy.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) speaks at the Capitol Hill National Security Forum at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., June 21, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein - RC14236FD8D0

Congress seeks more control over North Africa counterterror program

Lawmakers want a coherent strategy for the desert region from the Donald Trump administration.

Middle East upheaval casts shadow over 'Arab NATO'

A regional military exercise hosted by Egypt excludes Qatar in a blow to anti-Iran unity.

Gazans flee to Europe, illegally

Palestinians are increasingly seeking to leave the Gaza Strip given the deteriorating living conditions, seeking refuge in Europe.

The Polisario Front soldiers drive a pick-up truck mounted with an anti-aircraft weapon during sunset in Bir Lahlou, Western Sahara, September 9, 2016. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra SEARCH “POLISARIO” FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. - S1BEUKRIISAA

Intel: How Morocco used anti-Iran rhetoric to score its first bill in Congress

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (L) walks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the US State Department in Washington, DC, on September 17, 2018. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Morocco plays Iran card to get US support on Western Sahara

Morocco is alleging ties between Hezbollah and the Polisario Front to secure the Donald Trump administration’s support for its territorial claims on the disputed region.