Casablanca – King Mohammed VI appointed Salah-Eddine Abkari minister delegate in charge of youth today, as part of the new government led by Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri. He will serve under Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, who retained the Youth, Culture and Sports portfolio in the new cabinet.
The appointment places Abkari in charge of a sector he has worked in for several years, both as a senior civil servant and a political figure within the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM).
A career shaped by public service
Abkari built much of his professional career within public administration. Before his appointment, he served as director of administrative and financial affairs at the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, a position he obtained in September 2023 following approval by the Government Council.
The role put him in charge of administrative and financial matters, including budgets, human resources and public procurement. These responsibilities covered a department involved in funding cultural events, providing grants and supporting cultural facilities.
He later took on the role of secretary-general of the ministry on an interim basis, coordinating its different departments. His move into government therefore follows several years of working within the administration responsible for youth and cultural policy.
Abkari also has experience in other parts of the public sector. His professional background includes work at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, where he was responsible for local finance, and at the Ministry of the Interior, where he worked on project monitoring and evaluation.
Alongside his administrative career, he has held positions within the PAM, one of Morocco’s main political parties. In September 2025, he was elected president of the party’s youth organization at its second national congress in Bouznika. The vote placed him at the head of a structure seeking to increase young people’s participation in political life.
Responsibilities across youth services
As minister delegate in charge of youth, Abkari will oversee a sector responsible for developing programs and services for young people, children, and women’s affairs.
According to the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, its responsibilities include supporting youth associations, developing educational and recreational activities, and creating programs to help young people participate in social and economic development.
The department also supervises youth centers and other facilities, supports youth organizations, and coordinates activities aimed at promoting citizenship and social inclusion.
Its responsibilities extend to children’s clubs and summer camps, where programs combine educational activities, sports and recreation. The ministry’s annual “Vacances pour Tous” summer program, for example, offers activities for participants aged 8 to 25, including journalism workshops, theater, music and sports.
Abkari will also be working within a department tasked with developing partnerships with public institutions and civil society organizations to expand youth services. Its responsibilities include preparing government policy in the youth sector and developing the legal framework governing its activities.
Read also: Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid Remains Morocco’s Youth, Culture and Sports Minister
