There’s widespread jubilation among the supporters of Morocco’s liberal party National Rally of Independents (RNI) that the future is with them as long-ruling Islamists have suffered a crushing defeat in the parliamentary elections on Wednesday, according to provisional results.
After 10 years of successive governments dominated by the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), the RNI's popularity was already riding high in the months leading up to the vote, analysts told The National, offering the best insight into the race because election polls are banned in the kingdom.
RNI's head Aziz Akhannouch led the party to take 97 seats out of 395, after 96 per cent of the votes were counted. As for the PJD, which has headed governments for a decade since 2011, it suffered a complete rout as its share nosedived from 125 seats in the outgoing parliament to just 12.
The RNI leaders said during campaigning that it is high time they led the next government to make much-needed changes and improve education, health care, employment and welfare in the country.
The PJD doesn't have a big economic or social achievement it can count on as a rallying point in this election
Mohamed Bouden
The PJD has been singled out for sharp criticism by economists and political scientists for failing to galvanise the economy, which shrank by 6 per cent last year, as well as for being unable to tackle corruption and improve living conditions for the majority of the country’s 37 million people.
“The general mood, especially among the swing and angry voters, was 'let’s end the reign of the PJD and try our economic chances with other well-established and pro-king parties like the RNI,' which is led by business tycoon Aziz Akhannouch,” said Mohamed Bouden, head of the Rabat-based Atlas Centre for the Analysis of Political and Institutional Indicators.
“The PJD didn't have a big economic or social achievement it can count on as a rallying point in this election,” he told The National.
Morocco is a constitutional monarchy. The king picks the prime minister from the party that wins most seats in parliament.
King Mohammed VI has unveiled a 15-year development plan to help bridge economic inequality and boost job creation.
“That also endeared voters to the leaders of the pro-palace parties,” Mr Bouden said.
'You deserve better'
The RNI has used the slogan “you deserve better” during its campaigns.
Founded in 1978 by Ahmed Osman – prime minister at the time and the son-in-law of King Hassan II who ruled the country between 1961 and 1999 – the party has participated in several Moroccan governments since the 1970s.
After unrest broke out across the Arab world in 2011 the RNI re-emerged as a political force in Morocco, with Mr Akhannouch becoming its president in 2016.
Mr Akhannouch, who has been the Minister of Agriculture since 2007, believes that his party has developed a clear and feasible programme based on travelling widely in the country to speak to voters from different walks of life.
Earlier this year the tycoon launched the 100 Days 100 Cities programme, which he considered to be the best-funded and most ambitious public consultation in Morocco's history.
Mr Akhannouch has promised to increase the monthly salary of teachers, create one million jobs and allocate a monthly salary for those of 65 years and above without an income.
“The citizens' demands revolve around social welfare, the doubling of the health sector's budget as well as the achievement of quality education,” he said in a recent interview with Moroccan media.
In the October 2016 legislative elections, his party won just 37 seats.
“The RNI has deep pockets and no party can match the wealth of its leader and his well-funded publicity drive in TV, street billboards or social media. It’s widely known here in Morocco as the party of businessmen. It’s like a money machine and the growing public frustration at the Islamists plays well into their hands,” Saida El Kamel, a political science researcher at the Mohammed V University, told The National.
Mr Akhannouch is one of the richest people in the Arab world, with a net wealth of nearly $1.8 billion, according to Forbes. He runs a business empire that includes about 50 companies, mainly in the fields of energy and communications.
The father of three was born in Tafraout, southern Morocco, in 1961 and studied administrative management at the prestigious Canadian Universite de Sherbrooke in 1986.
But experts say his party’s big gains in the elections are also linked to the failure of Islamists in other Arab countries to consolidate their power base, such as Ennhada in neighbouring Tunisia and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
They have proved out of touch, says Mustafa Menshawy, a post-doctoral fellow at Lancaster University’s sectarianism, proxies and de-sectarianisation project.
He explained: “I believe that the main problem with Islamists in power revolves around a struggle to juggle religion and politics. With the first mostly fixed and immobile and textually sacred, and the second dynamic, shifting, malleable and profane, the Islamists’ rise to power thus exemplifies a moment of tension, incongruity and contradiction between the two paths,” he told The National.
“Members of the parties and many people felt disillusioned as Islamists always propagated their preparedness for a radical full 'overturn' or transformation of power by replacing an old regime with a puritan one, bringing the dream of 'Islamic state and society' closer," he said. "It was more a baptism by fire under which they enter this upper level of politics through immersion and without full preparation.”
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SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
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Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
The%20Secret%20Kingdom%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Matt%20Drummond%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlyla%20Browne%2C%20Alice%20Parkinson%2C%20Sam%20Everingham%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
In 2018, the ICRC received 27,756 trace requests in the Middle East alone. The global total was 45,507.
There are 139,018 global trace requests that have not been resolved yet, 55,672 of these are in the Middle East region.
More than 540,000 individuals approached the ICRC in the Middle East asking to be reunited with missing loved ones in 2018.
The total figure for the entire world was 654,000 in 2018.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
