Morocco's crown prince gets key army role in sign of elevation

Souhail Karam, Bloomberg News on May 2, 2026

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King Mohammed VI of Morocco named his only son to a key army role, signaling a milestone for the crown prince’s preparations to eventually take the throne of a four-century-old ruling dynasty.

The 62-year-old monarch appointed Prince El Hassan as the army general staff’s coordinator of offices and services, the royal Cabinet said in a statement. The king’s eldest child, who holds the rank of lieutenant colonel, previously had only ceremonial military duties.

As chief coordinator of the military, Prince El Hassan, who turns 23 next week, will have unprecedented access to reports compiled by military intelligence and counterespionage services before they are submitted to the king, the army’s supreme commander.

He will also be involved in day-to-day monitoring of border security and regional threats, as well as overseeing the modernization of the army and its social services.

The royal Cabinet recalled that his father was appointed to the same role by the late King Hassan II in 1985. Mohammed VI also was 22 at the time of the appointment.

Prince El Hassan, who is studying at King Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat, has been taking a more prominent role in public life in recent years, leading the opening ceremony of the African Cup of Nations soccer tournament in December. He inaugurated the King Mohammed VI tower near Rabat last month.