Rabat – King Mohammed VI chaired the ceremony appointing members of Morocco’s new government on Friday, at the Royal Palace in Rabat, where newly appointed ministers took the oath before the monarch.
Among the new appointments is Jalal Charaf, who has been named Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and Solidarity Economy, replacing Fatim-Zahra Ammor, who had held the position since October 2021.
Charaf joins the government headed by Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, backed by a four-party coalition comprising the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), the Istiqlal Party, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), and the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS).
Who is Jalal Charaf?
Born in 1975 in Kenitra, Charaf is a Moroccan engineer and business executive whose career spans the private sector, international financial institutions, agriculture, and higher education.
He graduated in civil engineering from École Centrale Paris in 1999 and also holds a master’s degree in engineering from Cornell University in the United States.
His academic background includes further executive training at Harvard Business School and an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology.
Charaf began his professional career in 1999, working in his family’s concrete manufacturing business while also teaching mathematics and physics at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane.
In 2002, he became responsible for developing the university’s Executive Education Center.
He subsequently joined the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, in 2003, before taking on senior responsibilities at Morocco’s Office of Vocational Training and Employment Promotion (OFPPT) in 2005.
In 2009, Charaf joined Les Domaines Agricoles, the largest agribusiness firm in Morocco, where he managed activities related to aromatic products and agricultural development until 2017.
His career advanced in August 2019 when he was appointed Deputy Director General of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), a position he held until 2021.
He later joined Morocco’s OCP Group in October 2021, taking responsibility for farmer solutions and subsequently working in talent development and organizational management.
In March 2023, Charaf became a senior adviser for North Africa at the IFC.
His academic career also includes responsibilities at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and his appointment as Director General of École Centrale Casablanca in 2024.
Taking charge of Morocco’s tourism sector
Charaf’s appointment brings a new leadership profile to the ministry previously headed by Fatim-Zahra Ammor.
Under the former government, the department was officially known as the Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Social and Solidarity Economy.
The new government has adopted the title Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts and Solidarity Economy, with Abdeljabbar Errachidi appointed Minister Delegate responsible for Handicrafts and Solidarity Economy.
Charaf takes office as Morocco continues implementing its 2023-2026 tourism roadmap, launched in March 2023 with a budget of MAD 6.1 billion.
The strategy initially aimed to attract 17.5 million tourists by 2026, generate MAD 120 billion in foreign currency earnings and create 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Morocco surpassed the roadmap’s visitor target in 2025, welcoming a record 19.8 million tourists, according to official figures.
The new minister will oversee tourism policies as Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, with investment in accommodation, connectivity and tourism services remaining central to the country’s long-term development plans.
