France

Naima Moutchou: A political novice just seven years ago, Naïma Moutchou has become the vice president of the National Assembly in France. This French-Moroccan, close to former French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, has long advocated for reconciliation between France and Morocco within the Palais Bourbon. She was also part of the French delegation accompanying Emmanuel Macron on his first state visit to the Kingdom on October 28th.

Karim Bouamrane: At 51 years old, Karim Bouamrane, mayor of Saint-Ouen in Seine-Saint-Denis, seems destined to play a key role in France’s political future. Coming from a modest Moroccan family, this entrepreneur and executive of the Socialist Party, with an eclectic background, was even considered for the position of Prime Minister. The New York Times even dedicated a long portrait to him this summer.

Tahar Benjelloun: The first Moroccan to win the Goncourt Prize, the novelist, a member of the French delegation during Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Morocco, has for many years remained a key link between Morocco and France. This friend of Brigitte Macron claims to have « modestly » contributed to the reconciliation between the two countries.

Rachida Dati: The former Minister of Justice under Nicolas Sarkozy and mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris, Rachida Dati,  a French-Moroccan and prominent figure of the Les Républicains party, has been the French Minister of Culture since January 2024. She is one of the key political figures who has campaigned for France’s recognition of the Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara, a stance announced by the French president last July.

Najat Vallaud-Belkacem: The political leader and elected official, born in the Rif before joining her father, an immigrant worker in France, is the head of ONE France, an NGO that works on issues of extreme poverty and preventable diseases worldwide, as well as France Terre d’Asile, an organization that supports asylum seekers in France. In Morocco, this political figure has intervened several times in academic settings, such as at the Euromed University of Fès and during the MEDays in Tangier. She served as France’s Minister of National Education from 2014 to 2017.

The Netherlands

Nora Achahbar: A former prosecutor, 42 years old, originally from Sidi Slimane, Nora Achahbar is part of the New Social Contract (NSC), a center-right political group in the Netherlands. She has been the Secretary of State for Allocations and Customs since July 2024 and recently made headlines for her firm stances following the political and media fallout after the events in Amsterdam, even going so far as to offer her resignation.

Ahmed Aboutaleb: Born in Morocco and arriving in the Netherlands at the age of 15, Ahmed Aboutaleb, a member of the Labour Party, became mayor of Rotterdam in 2009 and led this city, one of the largest in Europe, for 15 years and eight months. With his position and background, he is expected to help lay the groundwork for strengthening ties with Morocco, particularly in energy exchanges between the Kingdom and the Netherlands.

Spain

Othman Ktiri: Originally from Casablanca, he is the founder and executive president of the OK Group holding company and CEO of its subsidiary, Ok Mobility, which specializes in car rental and sales. Based in Mallorca, the company is now present in 11 countries: Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Greece, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, the United States, and Morocco. Recognized by Forbes and El Confidencial, the entrepreneur became well-known in 2021 when he gave a Christmas bonus of one million euros to be shared among his 450 employees, following a record turnover of 294 million euros in 2020.

Mohammed Dahiri: He is the first Moroccan and Arab to join the prestigious Royal Academy of Cordoba as a member. This appointment, made official in early 2024, is a recognition of his professional career in Spain and beyond. Holding a PhD in Arabic and Islamic studies from the University of Seville, he has worked as a translator and interpreter at the Spanish Ministry of Justice and has taught at the University of Cordoba, the University of Cadiz, and the Complutense University of Madrid, among others. He is also vice president of the Andalusia-Morocco Friendship Association and a counselor at the Inalco Doctoral School at the Sorbonne Paris Cité University.

Belgium

Zakia Khattabi: Born in 1980 in Brussels to Moroccan parents, Zakia Khattabi is a Belgian politician and a member of Écolo. After studying political science, she became involved in defending human rights and the environment. Elected to the Parliament of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in 2014, she became Minister of Climate in 2020. An advocate for ecological transition, she also champions gender equality. Her dual Belgian-Moroccan identity influences her social commitments and openness to international issues.

Nadia Sminate: A Belgian politician and member of the MR, she has been committed from the start to the integration of minorities and the fight against discrimination. Elected as a federal deputy in 2019, she focuses on social issues, equal opportunities, and women’s rights. Proud of her Moroccan heritage, she advocates for an inclusive society that balances cultural diversity with adaptation to Belgian society, and supports progressive liberalism.

Fouad Ahidar: A Belgian politician of Moroccan origin, Fouad Ahidar is a member of the PS. He has served as a regional deputy in Brussels and as an alderman, focusing on the integration of youth from immigrant backgrounds and the fight against discrimination. A defender of minority rights, he advocates for an inclusive society where diversity is valued. Proud of his Moroccan roots, he works for equal opportunities and the representation of Muslim communities in Belgium.

Canada

Monsef Derraji: A member of the National Assembly of Quebec, representing the Quebec Liberal Party, he is also the parliamentary leader of the official opposition and its spokesperson on ethics, democratic institutions, transportation, and sustainable mobility. A native of Marrakesh he studied at Cadi Ayyad University, Laval University in Quebec, and the University of Montreal, where he earned a PhD in public health in 2022. He is also well-known in the business sphere and at the CGEM, with which he has successfully carried out several economic missions.

Marwah Rizqy: Unlike Moncef Derraji, Marwah Rizqy was born and raised in Montreal. She holds a PhD in tax law from the University of Florida and a Master’s degree in international taxation from the same faculty. On her social media, she describes herself as « tax lawyer, professor, basketball player, and proud member of the National Assembly for Saint-Laurent. » At 39 years old, a member of the Quebec Liberal Party, she is also the president of the Public Administration Committee in the National Assembly and a recipient of several awards for her dedication.

Aziza Chaouni: Originally from Fès, Aziza Chaouni studied at Columbia University and then at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she became the first Moroccan architect to graduate. Last September, the Arab World Institute (IMA) awarded her the 2024 Design Prize For a prototype of a ‘sustainable earthquake-resistant house,’ designed in the context of the Al Haouz earthquake. Aziza Chaouni, currently an associate professor of architecture at the University of Toronto, founded her multidisciplinary consultancy in 2011, specializing in sustainable architecture and historic rehabilitation.

États-Unis

Asmaa Boujibar: A native of Casablanca, this geophysicist is recognized for her research on planetary differentiation. The first Moroccan woman to join NASA in 2014, she has been a faculty member and researcher at Western Washington University since 2021. Last April, she and her team received a $300,000 grant from NASA to research the building blocks of the planet Mercury, particularly using artificial intelligence.

Kamal Oudrhiri: Passionate about history and science from a young age, Kamal Oudrhiri arrived in the United States in the late 1980s for his higher education. In 1993, this native of Fès became the first Moroccan to join NASA. He currently leads the Cold Atom Lab, a quantum physics facility aboard the International Space Station (ISS), which has been in orbit since May 2018 and creates the coldest matter in the universe. He has worked on several space missions, including Mars Exploration Rovers (MER), Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL), and Juno.

United Arab Emirates

Sofia Lasky: The online journal Intelligence Online, dedicated to state intelligence services, cited her in 2022 as “the financial advisor who whispers in the ear” of Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the half-brother of the President of the United Arab Emirates and the country’s National Security Advisor. According to Bloomberg, anyone who wants to meet him must go through her. A graduate of South Bank University in London with a degree in information technology, the « discreet » Sofia Lasky oversees the daily operations of the Royal Group, valued at over $300 billion. She also sits on the boards of around thirty companies, mainly in Abu Dhabi.

Written in French by Leila Chik and Ghita Ismaili, edited in English by Eric Nielson