Background
He was born in March 1929, into a poor family living in the countryside.
He was born in March 1929, into a poor family living in the countryside.
Educated at a village school, then selected for secondary education alongside the royal princes at the imperial school in Rabat. He was sent to Rabat University where he had an outstanding record, graduating in law. He completed his studies at Bordeaux University in France, qualifying in public and private law.
On his return to Morocco, King Mohammed V appointed him to the Royal Cabinet in 1956 to be in charge of legal questions. In 1958 he was transferred to the Foreign Ministry, where he rose to be head of the European department and later the American department. For a short period he was Secretary-General at the Ministry of National Defence and then returned to the Foreign Ministry to take up the post of Ambassador to West Germany in August 1961. From Bonn he continued his diplomatic career to Washington as Ambassador.
After his service in the United States he came home to be Under-Secretary of State for Industry and Mines and then in 1970 he became Under-Secretary of State for Administrative Affairs. In July 1971 he became Director of the Royal Cabinet and urged the King to aim at creating political conditions for a government of national union. It was on his advice that King Hassan sent a letter in September 1972 to all six main political organisations with a view to establishing a dialogue which could lead to a wide range of participation in government. Although the opposition parties kept their distance he persevered with his objectives: “the preparation of the right climate and laws to ensure honest elections". A royal decree issued on March 9, 1973, made him also Minister of Defence.
His influence has steadily increased since he was brought into the palace administration as Director of the Royal Cabinet after the assassination attempt against the King on July 10, 1971. As more liberalisation of the political system became recognised as an urgent necessity, King Hassan gave him the important task in November 1971 of taking soundings with opposition leaders. His discretion on these secret missions won him respect even though he was often criticised as being a “creature of the King”. When he formed his cabinet in November 1972 he laid great emphasis on integrity and produced a “Government of Young Men” with a large number of technocrats.