Khalid Hatimi, appointed Morocco’s minister of agriculture, maritime fisheries and food sovereignty on Friday, brings more than three decades of private-sector management experience to a ministry facing mounting pressure from water scarcity, food prices and dependence on agricultural imports.
A senior figure in the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), Hatimi replaces Ahmed El Bouari in Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri’s government, taking charge of a portfolio that now explicitly includes food sovereignty for the first time.
His career has largely unfolded outside government. Hatimi previously served as chief executive of Atlas Bottling Company, part of Diana Holding, overseeing beverage production and distribution operations, including facilities in Tangier and Oujda.
He has accumulated more than 30 years of management experience in industry, agribusiness and agriculture, including over a decade leading major companies and multinational businesses.
Hatimi holds an executive MBA in business strategy from Emory University in Atlanta, alongside qualifications in corporate governance, marketing and sales.
His political career began with his election to Parliament in 2021, representing Taroudant-South, a largely rural constituency in the Souss region where farming and water shortages are major concerns.
He served on Parliament’s Finance Committee and joined PAM’s political bureau in May 2024.
In July 2026, he relinquished his parliamentary seat following his nomination to the board of Morocco’s National Electricity Regulatory Authority.
Hatimi now inherits a ministry responsible for balancing agricultural exports with domestic food supplies, as successive droughts have strained water resources, livestock production and farmers’ incomes.
His immediate challenges include rebuilding the national livestock herd, improving access to irrigation, supporting small farmers and addressing the distribution chains that influence food prices.
The newly designated food-sovereignty portfolio also raises questions about Morocco’s dependence on imported cereals, animal feed and vegetable oils, while requiring coordination with the water ministry over agricultural resource use.
The post From corporate executive to agriculture minister: Who is Khalid Hatimi? appeared first on HESPRESS English - Morocco News.