Who is Nadia Hai, new French Minister of Moroccan origins

Nadia Hai who was named Minister of Territorial Cohesion and Relations with Local Authorities in the newly invested French government has carved a brilliant career successfully shifting from Finance after standing out in politics.

She was raised along with her three siblings by her working class father and stay-at-home mom both of Moroccan descent from the eastern city of Oujda

Hai who lives and works in Paris was a prominent political leader in La République en Marche and has supported Macron’s candidacy.

She worked with HSBC bank before joining Barclays where she spent 15 years as an asset manager.

Her political career started with activism within La République en March of President Emmanuel Macron where she campaigned for equal chances and defended women causes.

As a deputy representing LREM des Yvelines, she is also member of the finance committee at the French parliament and has showed expertise in issues relating to city management.

During her political career, Nadia championed French-Moroccan friendship and acted as vice-president of a Moroccan-French friendship group at the French parliament, which has 137 members.

Hai is not the first Moroccan lady to take such a senior position within the French government, renowned French women of Moroccan origins include Rachida Dati former justice minister, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the first French woman to be appointed Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Research in 2014, and Myriam El Khomri who held the portfolio of labor.