Mohammed VI (1963-…) became king of Morocco in 1999, following the death of his father, Hassan II, who ruled Morocco for 38 years. Mohammed is considered a liberal king, based on his policies in such areas as women’s rights, education, and unemployment support. He is the oldest son of Hassan and Princess Latifa Amarouk.
Sidi Mohammed was born on Aug. 21, 1963, in Rabat, the capital of Morocco. He received a B.A. degree in 1985 and an M.A. degree in 1987, both in law, from Mohammed V University in Rabat. In 1993, he received a Ph.D. degree in law from the University of Nice, France. Mohammed had a military career before becoming king. In 1985, he became coordinator of the Royal Armed Forces, and in 1994, he was promoted from major colonel to general. He became chief of the armed forces when he became king.
Mohammed was one of several younger leaders who came to power in the Middle East in the late 1990’s—a group that includes King Abdullah II of Jordan, Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, and Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani of Qatar. Mohammed promised expanded rights for women, government support for the education system, and progress on the problem of unemployment. He allowed the return of a former Communist leader, Ibrahim Serfaty, who was jailed for 17 years and deported from Morocco in 1991.
