Morocco Leaders Stats

Groomed for "kingship", as his late father King Hassan II referred to his upbringing, Mohammed VI became monarch in 1999.

He initiated political and economic changes and an investigation into human rights abuses during his father's rule.

The king says the fight against poverty is a priority, earning him the name "guardian of the poor". Economic liberalisation has attracted foreign investment and officials point to better basic services in shanty towns and rural areas. But some non-government groups say little has changed, with poverty still widespread and unemployment remaining high.

A key reform has been the Mudawana, a law which grants more rights to women. The king has said it is in line with Koranic principles, but religious conservatives have opposed it.

Bomb attacks in Casablanca in 2003 prompted the enactment of new anti-terrorism laws and a reinvigorated campaign against extremists. But some rights groups say the measures have eroded human rights.

King Mohammed married computer engineer Salma Bennani in 2002. They have a son, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, born in 2003, and a daughter, Princess Lalla Khadija, born in 2007.

Under the constitution, the king can dissolve parliament and dismiss or appoint the prime minister. After protesters demanding political reform took to the streets in February 2011, King Mohammed announced a wide-ranging review of the constitution.

He scored a landslide victory in a July 2011 referendum on a reformed constitution which he proposed to placate "Arab Spring" protests. However, although the new constitution grants more powers to the prime minister and parliament, the king still retains veto power over most government decisions.