Aziz Akhannouch, a prominent Moroccan businessman and politician. He has played a pivotal role in shaping Morocco’s economic landscape and political framework.
From his humble beginnings in the rural region of Tafraout to becoming one of the wealthiest individuals in Morocco. Akhannouch’s journey is a remarkable story of perseverance, innovation, and leadership.
Aziz Akhannouch Biography
Aziz Akhannouch (born 16 August 1961) is a Moroccan politician, businessman, and billionaire. He’s currently the Prime Minister of Morocco since his government took office on 7 October 2021. He is the CEO of Akwa Group and also served as Minister of Agriculture from 2007 to 2021.
Akhannouch’s political career has been generally characterized by several controversies, including accusations of corruption and negative relations with the press.
Early life and education
Akhannouch was born in 1961 in Tafraout and raised in Casablanca. He comes from the Amazigh tribe of Souss of Aït Ammeln. His mother and sister were survivors of the 1960 Agadir earthquake that killed ten of his family members.
They were reported to have been left buried beneath rubble for several hours before being rescued. In 1986, Akhannouch graduated from the Université de Sherbrooke with a management diploma.
Personal life and legacy
Akhannouch is married to Salwa Idrissi. She’s a businesswoman who owns a company active in malls and holds the Moroccan franchises for brands such as Gap and Zara. They have three children.
Business Ventures of Aziz Akhannouch
After completing his education, Aziz Akhannouch returned to Morocco, where he joined the family business, Akwa Group. A company founded by his father, Ahmed Oulhaj Akhannouch. Akwa Group, a conglomerate with interests in various sectors including petroleum, gas, chemicals, and real estate.
Expansion of Akwa Group
Under Aziz Akhannouch’s leadership, Akwa Group underwent significant expansion and diversification. He played a critical role in modernizing the company’s operations and expanding its reach. The group’s flagship subsidiary, Afriquia, became one of the leading distributors of petroleum products in Morocco. Akhannouch’s strategic vision and innovative approach helped Afriquia secure a dominant position in the market.
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Diversification and innovation
Akhannouch’s business strategy was not limited to the petroleum sector. He spearheaded diversification efforts, leading Akwa Group into new areas such as telecommunications, media, and tourism. This diversification not only mitigated risks associated with dependency on a single sector but also positioned the company as a major player in Morocco’s economic landscape.
Corporate social responsibility
Akhannouch’s leadership at Akwa Group was marked by a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). He championed initiatives aimed at supporting education, healthcare, and community development. Through various philanthropic endeavors, Akwa Group contributed to improving the quality of life in the communities where it operated.
Aziz Akhannouch Net Worth
According to Forbes real time net worth, Aziz Akhannouch’s net worth is $1.7 billion. He’s the majority owner of Akwa Group, a multibillion-dollar conglomerate founded by his father and a partner, Ahmed Wakrim, in 1932. It has interests in petroleum, gas and chemicals through publicly-traded Afriquia Gaz and Maghreb Oxygene.
Political Career
From 2003 to 2007, Akhannouch was the president of the Souss-Massa-Drâa regional council. He was a member of the National Rally of Independents party, before leaving it on 2 January 2012.
He served as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries between 2007 and 2021, During this period, he successfully implemented the Green Morocco Plan, an ambitious agricultural development strategy that was introduced by King Mohammed VI in April 2008 and has received international recognition and admiration as a true model and example.
On 23 August 2013, he was appointed by King Mohammed VI as Minister of Finance on an interim basis after Istiqlal ministers resigned from Benkirane’s cabinet, a position he kept until 9 October 2013.
On 27 July 2016, Akhannouch met with Jonathan Pershing, Special Envoy for Climate Change for the United States. They spoke about preparations for the 2016 United Nations Conference of the Parties.
On 29 October 2016, Akhannouch rejoined the RNI after being elected as president of the party. He took over Salaheddine Mezouar’s position, who had resigned following the 2016 general election.
In March 2020, through his company Afriquia, a subsidiary of the Akwa group, Akhannouch donated roughly one billion dirhams ($103.5 million) to a COVID-19 pandemic management fund founded by King Mohammed VI.
Minister of agriculture and fisheries
In 2007, Akhannouch was appointed as the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in the government of Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi. His tenure as minister was characterized by significant reforms and initiatives aimed at modernizing Morocco’s agricultural sector.
Green Morocco plan
One of the most notable achievements during Akhannouch’s tenure was the launch of the Green Morocco Plan (Plan Maroc Vert) in 2008. This ambitious strategy aimed to boost agricultural productivity, improve rural livelihoods, and promote sustainable farming practices.
The plan focused on enhancing value chains, supporting small farmers, and promoting exports. Under Akhannouch’s leadership, the Green Morocco Plan became a cornerstone of Morocco’s agricultural policy and contributed to the sector’s growth and resilience.
Blue belt initiative
In addition to the Green Morocco Plan, Akhannouch also championed the Blue Belt Initiative, aimed at sustainable development of Morocco’s fisheries and marine resources. This initiative focused on promoting responsible fishing practices, protecting marine biodiversity, and enhancing the livelihoods of coastal communities. The Blue Belt Initiative reflected Akhannouch’s commitment to environmental sustainability and economic development.
Leadership of the RNI
Aziz Akhannouch’s influence within the RNI grew steadily, and in 2016, he was elected as the president of the party. His leadership marked a period of revitalization and strategic realignment for the RNI. Akhannouch focused on expanding the party’s grassroots presence, engaging with youth, and promoting economic and social reforms.
Prime Minister of Morocco (2021—present)
In the 2021 general election, his party placed first, winning 222 seats of the 435 seats, while the governing Justice and Development Party lost 113 of its previous seats.
On 10 September 2021, he was appointed as Prime Minister by King Mohammed VI, succeeding Saadeddine Othmani, and was tasked by the King to form a new government.
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Akhannouch announced the formation of an official coalition government alongside the PAM and Istiqlal parties on 22 September 2021, thus officiating his status as Prime Minister-designate of Morocco. On 7 October 2021, he assumed office as the new Prime Minister.
Since taking office, Akhannouch has represented King Mohammed VI at several foreign engagements and read speeches delivered by him during summits, including at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
In late October 2021, Akhannouch was criticized by Moroccan citizens for wearing a pin of the MENA region that excluded Western Sahara while attending a Green Initiative event in Saudi Arabia.
In September 2022, Akhannouch attended the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
On 11 October 2022, Akhannouch met with Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg along with his business partners in Rabat, in order to boost economic trade between Morocco and Luxembourg.
In December 2022, he attended the United States–Africa Leaders Summit 2022 and met with US President Joe Biden.
On 1 February 2023, Aziz Akhannouch participated with Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez in the 12th edition of the Morocco-Spain High Level Meeting in Rabat, in which both countries signed a total of 19 bilateral agreements concerning a plethora of sectors.
In July 2023, Akhannouch attended the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit in Saint Petersburg. In 2024, he attended the Italia-Africa summit in Rome.
Controversies Surrounding Aziz Akhannouch
Aziz Akhannouch was the target of several accusations of corruption during his time as Minister of Agriculture. In 2017, Hamid Chabat, then secretary general of the Istiqlal Party, accused him of stealing 13 billion Moroccan dirhams intended to go towards gas compensation during a party meeting.
At a previous gathering in Fez, he additionally accused Akhannouch of corruption, and implied that his $2 billion fortune was the equivalent of “all that 30 million Moroccans own”. An open letter to King Mohammed VI from blogger Maysa Salama al-Naji published online in June 2021 cited a 400-page report counting corruption charges against Akhannouch.
Akhannouch has been criticized over the suppression of dissenting opinions and imprisonment of opponents, alongside calls for an end to violations of freedom of speech and the right to peaceful demonstration.
17 billion case
In 2015 and 2016, after the Moroccan government of Abdelilah Benkirane decided to liberalize fuel prices, the fuel companies decided to collude with each other and not reduce prices. Among those companies was the Akwa company, owned by Akhannouch.
The profits of these companies amounted to about 17 billion dirhams (around US$1.75 billion), and several parties described them as immoral and illegal profits on the back of the Moroccan people. There were still several demands to restore them, whether in Parliament or in the media.
During the period following the case, the president of the Competition Council, Driss Guerraoui [fr], prepared a report on Akhannouch’s illegal profits, and submitted it to King Mohammed VI. In March 2021, Guerraoui was relieved of his position and replaced by Ahmed Rahhou.
Press relations
As of 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture spent several million dirhams annually in massive advertising in the country’s print press. If a newspaper criticized Akhannouch or his Green Morocco plan, it immediately saw the Ministry’s advertisements cut off, along with those of the Akwa group.
In 2017, Akhannouch sued three journalists from the Badil news site for having criticized him. He demanded that they pay him one million dirhams.
2018 boycott
In the spring of 2018, Morocco was shaken by a boycott movement launched against Centrale Danone, Sidi Ali (mineral water) and Akwa’s subsidiary Afriquia. The three brands, which are major distributors of three basic products – milk, water and fuel – were accused by the population of charging very high prices. The movement became extremely popular, leading to reactions from the government.
Akhannouch himself said he “ignored” the boycott campaign while speaking to Jeune Afrique, accusing opponents of “exploiting Moroccans’ hardship for political goals”.
On 17 November 2018, Driss Guerraoui was appointed by King Mohammed VI as president of the Competition Council. In 2020, the Council recognized that the three brands targeted by the 2018 boycott campaign had reached an agreement on prices.
Milan comments
In December 2019, during a meeting in Milan with Moroccans living in Italy, Akhannouch declared, “Whoever believes that they can come and insult the institutions of the country has no place in Morocco.
Whoever wants to live in Morocco must respect its motto and its democracy. Insults will not move us forward. And excuse me, but it is not justice that should do this job. We must re-educate Moroccans who lack education.”
The remarks triggered strong reactions from Moroccan politicians and citizens. As well as a call for the resuming of the 2018 boycott of his companies. TelQuel attributed his comments in relation to the arrest & prosecution of a Moroccan YouTuber after he published a video criticizing King Mohammed VI’s speeches. The Milan comments were alluded to in the popular music video “M3a L3echrane” by Dizzy DROS.
2021 election
In the runup to the 2021 general election, Abdellatif Ouahbi, Secretary General of the Authenticity and Modernity Party which later joined the government coalition, accused Akhannouch of “flooding the political scene with money”. While the Justice and Development Party heading the outgoing coalition condemned the “obscene use of funds to lure voters and some polling station supervisors”, without naming any parties.
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Additionally, the party also alleged “serious irregularities” in the voting process. Nabil Benabdallah, head of the Party of Progress and Socialism, criticized Akhannouch’s party, the RNI. During an interview for giving sums of money to lure candidates from other parties “in full view of everyone”. An RNI spokesperson contacted by Agence France-Presse said the accusations had been “rejected” by the party, and declined any further comments.
Rising prices and inflation
Less than 200 days into Akhannouch’s time in office. He became a target of Moroccans calling for his resignation, accusing him of corruption. The prices of fuel and several essential food products have skyrocketed in recent months. As the price of a 5-litre bottle of vegetable oil increased by 27 dirhams, while the price of 25 kg of semolina, widely used in Moroccan cuisine, increased by 50 dirhams. The inflation affected many vulnerable families, in which more than 430,000 Moroccans lost their jobs.
Degage_Akhannouch campaign
In 2022, as fuel prices continued to rise. An online campaign emerged with tens of thousands of users on Twitter and Facebook using the three French hashtags –
- #7dh_Gazoil
- #8dh_Essence
- #Degage_Akhannouch (“Get out Akhannouch”) to call for an immediate decrease in gas prices, accusing Akhannouch and his company Afriquia of benefiting from the crisis.
Abdelilah Benkirane, head of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) and former Prime Minister, said that he “didn’t support” the online campaign. He added that “only Sidna (our lord) [King Mohammed VI] has the competence to put an end to this cabinet and call for the organization of early legislative elections”. Nevertheless, several PJD members participated in the campaign.
2023 Marrakesh earthquake
On 8 September 2023, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 Mw hit Marrakesh-Safi region of Morocco. Akhannouch received criticism from Moroccans for his absence and lack of management towards those affected by the earthquake.
Two days after the earthquake occurred, he sent his condolences to families affected by the disaster. He pledged to rebuild all infrastructures destroyed in the earthquake.
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