Rabat – Charafat Afailal, an engineer and senior member of the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS), has been appointed Morocco’s Minister of Energy, Mines, and Sustainable Development in the new government led by Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri.
King Mohammed VI appointed Afailal to the position on Friday, marking her return to government after previously overseeing the water sector between 2013 and 2018. She replaces Leila Benali, who led the energy transition and sustainable development portfolio in the outgoing government.
Born in Tetouan in 1972, Afailal graduated from the Mohammadia School of Engineers in Rabat in 1997. Before entering politics, she worked as an engineer at the National Center for Energy, Nuclear Science, and Technology (CNESTEN), where she was responsible for environmental monitoring, and later at the National Office for Potable Water (ONEP).
From engineering to government
Afailal became involved in the PPS at a young age, joining its socialist youth movement before rising through the party’s ranks. She became a member of its political bureau in 2000.
She was elected to the House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Progress group in 2011. She also served as the chamber’s eighth vice president before moving into government.
In October 2013, Afailal was appointed minister delegate in charge of water under the government of Abdelilah Benkirane. Following the formation of Saad Eddine El Othmani’s government in 2017, she became secretary of state in charge of water under the Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water.
She remained in the position until 2018, when the government abolished the water secretariat as part of an administrative restructuring. The decision sparked political tensions between the PPS and the Justice and Development Party, which led the government at the time.
During her time in office, Afailal also took part in international discussions on water management and climate change. She chaired the first International Conference on Water and Climate in Rabat in 2016, ahead of the COP22 climate summit held in Marrakech that year. Her later professional work has included water governance, resource planning, and climate adaptation.
A return to the spotlight
Afailal has also faced public criticism during her political career.
In December 2015, she sparked controversy over comments about pensions former members of parliament receive. During a televised interview, she described the pensions as “two francs,” a Moroccan expression used to refer to a small amount of money, and criticized debate over the issue as populist.
The remarks triggered criticism from people who argued that parliamentary pensions deserved serious public scrutiny.
Her new appointment puts her in charge of a sector central to Morocco’s economic and environmental plans. The ministry oversees energy policy, mining, and sustainable development, areas that include the country’s efforts to expand renewable energy and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Afailal’s previous government experience was primarily in water management rather than energy and mining. Her engineering background and experience with environmental issues, however, provide a professional link to the wider portfolio.
