Rabat – King Mohammed VI chaired a ceremony today at the Royal Palace in Rabat, appointing members of Morocco’s new government, where newly appointed ministers took the oath before the monarch.
Among the officials retaining their positions is Nizar Baraka, who was reappointed Minister of Equipment, Water and Forests, expanding the portfolio he has held since October 2021.
Baraka, a veteran politician and economist, represents the Istiqlal Party, one of Morocco’s oldest political parties, founded in 1944, and is a member of the new governing coalition led by Head of Government Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri.
Who is Nizar Baraka?
Born on February 6, 1964, in Rabat, Baraka, 62, studied econometrics at Mohammed V University, graduating in 1985 before pursuing higher education in France. He obtained a doctorate in economics from Aix-Marseille University in 1992.
After working in academia, he joined Morocco’s Ministry of Finance in 1996, holding several positions in economic policy, financial forecasting, and macroeconomic analysis.
His government career advanced in October 2007 when King Mohammed VI appointed him Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of Economic and General Affairs.
In January 2012, he became Minister of Economy and Finance under former Head of Government Abdelilah Benkirane.
He subsequently served as president of Morocco’s Economic, Social and Environmental Council from August 2013 until December 2018.
Alongside his government career, Baraka has maintained a long-standing involvement in the Istiqlal Party, which he joined in 1981.
He was elected secretary-general of the party in October 2017 and secured a second term in April 2024, consolidating his position within the political organization, whose roots date back to Morocco’s independence movement.
A ministry with expanded responsibilities
Baraka first took charge of the Ministry of Equipment and Water in October 2021, following a government restructuring that separated transport and logistics into a distinct ministerial department.
The ministry oversees key infrastructure and water-related policies, including roads, ports, dams and water resource management.
Under the previous government, forestry responsibilities were associated with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests.
The new government structure brings forests into Baraka’s portfolio, extending his responsibilities to a sector closely connected with environmental protection, biodiversity and the management of natural resources.
His reappointment comes as Morocco continues investing in infrastructure development and efforts to strengthen water security, including projects involving dams, desalination and water distribution networks.
