Anouar Benichou

Head of Economic Affairs Section

Embassy of Morocco – Washington, D.C. | 2019– Present

Bilateral Trade & Policy

Organize and lead negotiations for the U.S.–Morocco Joint Committee on FTA implementation, addressing non-tariff barriers, labor, and environmental issues.
Conduct in-depth monitoring and analysis of U.S. trade and foreign policies affecting Morocco’s economic interests: e.g Inflation Reduction Act, reciprocal tariffs.
Coordinate with U.S. Departments of State and Commerce on FDIs screening, export controls, and broader geopolitical trade dynamics.

Commercial Diplomacy & Partnerships

Build and manage relationships with the U.S. congress, think tanks, and trade associations to expand U.S. market access for Moroccan exports.
Serve as Morocco’s chief liaison for the U.S.–Africa Business Summit, coordinating G2B meetings and ministerial-level engagement.
Directly supporting U.S. companies investing in Morocco by providing industry briefings. Facilitated over $2 billion investment
Supported the expansion of bilateral air connectivity by coordinating advocacy efforts to launch direct routes from Washington D.C. (2016), Miami (2019), Newark (2024) and Atlanta (2025) contributing to a 30% increase in inbound U.S. tourism to Morocco.

Multilateral & Institutional Engagement

Coordinate Morocco’s engagement with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund: Country Partnership Framework (CPF) and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).
Led diplomatic task force to champion Morocco’s bid to host the 2023 World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings.
Coordinated technical Assistance programs with the World Bank and U.S. Department of Treasury on anti-money laundering.

Counselor for Economic Affairs

Embassy of Morocco – Washington D.C. | 2015 – 2019

Conceptualized and organized the U.S.-Morocco Trade and Investment Forum across four major cities to foster bilateral trade and build partnerships: (Atlanta 2015, Seattle 2016, Washington D.C. 2018, Miami 2019).
Managed communication, including speechwriting, press releases, and op-eds to advance Morocco’s diplomatic and economic messaging within the U.S. policy ecosystem.
Delivered real-time economic and political briefings, to support bilateral negotiations and institutional engagements.

Stakeholders Engagement & Risk Mitigation

Advised on pre-litigation strategies in investment disputes to prevent escalation to ICSID arbitration.
Organized trade missions, facilitating direct engagement between Moroccan officials and American investors, policymakers, and industry leaders.

International Development Officer – South Asia

Ministry of Foreign Affairs– Rabat | 2012 – 2015

Provided policy briefs on partnership opportunities with southeast Asia to develop smart cities in Morocco.
Managed diplomatic engagements with ASEAN member states to secure support for Morocco’s candidacy to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).
Coordinated Japanese International Cooperation Agency’s programs in Morocco focused on women’s empowerment in rural areas.

Junior consultant

ACE and Partners Strategy Consulting Group – Rabat | 2011 – 2012

Contributed to a comprehensive review of Morocco’s Framework Law 92-07 on disability rights and the drafting of Law 62-09 on enhancing the rights for persons with disabilities.
Participated to an assessment of the National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) program of establishing local offices for elected officials by conducting surveys to evaluate its impact on communities and constituents’ needs.
Participated in the planning of the 4th United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Congress hosted in Rabat.

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