Morocco is marking the 23rd birthday of Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan this Friday, May 8, with celebrations across the kingdom reflecting the deep and abiding attachment of Moroccans to the Throne and to King Mohammed VI as Commander of the Faithful.
Born at the Royal Palace in Rabat on 8 May 2003, the Crown Prince was named in tribute to his late paternal grandfather, King Hassan II. His birthday has become an annual occasion for Moroccans to reaffirm their allegiance to the sovereign and to the institution of the monarchy as the cornerstone of national unity and stability.
The year preceding this anniversary has been notably active for the Crown Prince on the institutional front. King Mohammed VI recently appointed him Coordinator of Bureaux and Services of the Royal Armed Forces General Staff — a significant elevation in his formal military responsibilities. Earlier, on April 13, he presided over the inauguration of the Mohammed VI Tower in Rabat, the landmark architectural project transforming the twin cities of Rabat and Salé.
Among his other recent engagements, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan presided on April 30 over the opening of the 31st International Book Fair in Rabat. In December 2025, he presided over the opening ceremony of the 35th Africa Cup of Nations at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. He had earlier received the victorious Moroccan under-20 national football squad following their World Cup triumph in Chile. On August 25, he received at the Royal Palace in Tetouan, children from Al-Quds who participated in the 16th edition of summer camps organized by Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency.
These successive engagements reflect the gradual and deliberate preparation of the Crown Prince for the responsibilities of leadership — a tradition of institutional apprenticeship that has defined the Alaouite monarchy’s approach to dynastic continuity.
