Who is King Mohammed VI of Morocco?

King Mohammed VI is Morocco's current head of state, and you will see his portrait almost everywhere you go — in shops, cafés, riads, and government offices — so it helps to know who he is. He came to the throne in July 1999 on the death of his father, King Hassan II, becoming the eighteenth ruler of the Alaouite dynasty, the family that has reigned over Morocco since the seventeenth century. He is often referred to within the country with deep formality and respect, and the monarchy remains central to Moroccan identity and governance.

His reign has coincided with a striking period of modernisation. Travellers feel it directly: the high-speed rail line, Al Boraq, linking Tangier and Casablanca — the first of its kind in Africa; the vast Noor solar complex near Ouarzazate; the expansion of ports like Tanger Med; and a sustained national bet on tourism that has reshaped cities such as Marrakech. The Morocco you travel through today, with its new motorways and airports alongside its ancient medinas, is in large part the product of these decades of investment.

On the social side, the reign is often associated with reform, most notably the 2004 overhaul of the Mudawana, the family law code, which expanded women's rights in marriage, divorce, and custody and was significant in the region. There was also a public reckoning with past abuses through a truth-and-reconciliation commission early in his rule. As with any head of state, there are differing views and ongoing debates about politics and reform in Morocco, and I keep my framing factual and neutral rather than editorial.

For visitors, a little etiquette goes a long way. The king and the monarchy are held in genuine respect, and it is wise to be courteous about the subject — Moroccans are warm and open, but the royal family is not a topic for casual criticism in conversation with people you have just met. Knowing that the man in all those portraits is the living head of a dynasty stretching back over three centuries adds real depth to the history you are seeing all around you.