Portrait of Leila Benali’s Career: A Notable Graduate of École Mohammadia d’Ingénieurs

Portrait of Leila Benali’s Career: A Notable Graduate of École Mohammadia d’Ingénieurs

Academic Background

Leila Benali has followed an exceptional academic path in engineering and social sciences. She graduated from the École Mohammadia d’Ingénieurs (EMI) in Rabat and École Centrale Paris. She then earned a DEA in Political Science and a PhD in Energy Economics “Summa Cum Laude” from Sciences Po Paris.

Early Professional Career (1998–2002)

After receiving her engineering degree, Leila Benali began her career at Omnium Nord Afrique (ONA) as an industrial engineer (1998–2000), then joined Schlumberger in the same capacity (2000–2001). She later specialized in electricity sector reforms in the United Arab Emirates (2001–2002).

Consultant and Academic (2002–2015)

Between 2002 and 2013, Leila Benali worked at Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), later IHS CERA and IHS Markit, as Director for the Middle East & Africa. She led strategic studies on energy policies (roadmaps, supply optimization, “Thirst for Growth” studies, sector reforms, reserves for SEC) for governments and major energy companies.
At the same time, she was an Associate Professor at Sciences Po (teaching “Energy Strategies and Players” and “Energy Economics”) from 2002 to 2015.

Senior Roles in Industry (2014–2021)

• Saudi Aramco: Lead for energy policy and gas strategy (2014–2018), where she contributed to pricing reforms and preparations for the largest IPO in oil history.
• APICORP (Arab Petroleum Investment Company): Appointed in 2018 as Chief Economist and Director of Strategy and Sustainability, overseeing macroeconomic analysis and investment direction for this multilateral institution.
• International Energy Forum (IEF): Chief Economist from March to October 2021, advising the Secretary General and executive board on energy security, transition, and market stability. In 2016, she was named a “Future Leader” by Petroleum Economist.

Public Engagement and International Leadership (since 2019)

• Member of Morocco’s Special Commission on the Development Model (CSMD) in 2019, tasked with rethinking the nation’s socio-economic trajectory.
• President of the 6th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), strengthening Morocco’s position on global sustainable development issues.
• President of the Arab Energy Club, fostering dialogue and partnerships among businesses, governments, and regional institutions.

Major Publications

• Energy Poverty: Global Challenges and Local Solutions (2014), a collective work praised by former U.S. President Bill Clinton as “required reading” for addressing energy poverty.
• Electricity – Sector Reforms in the MENA Region (2019), a reference on electricity sector reform policies in the Maghreb and Middle East.

Ministerial Appointment and Key Achievements (since 2021)

Appointed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI on October 7, 2021, as Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali leads Morocco’s national strategy to accelerate renewables, expand infrastructure (transport and interconnections), promote green hydrogen, and decarbonize the country’s industry. Under her leadership, Morocco has strengthened its electricity grid, increased annual investments in the network fivefold, and consolidated its role as a regional energy hub (LNG terminal at Nador West Med, Maghreb-Europe and Africa-Atlantic pipeline projects).

Thanks to her technical, economic, and diplomatic expertise—rooted in her engineering education at EMI—Leila Benali stands out as a key figure in energy transition, driven by an integrated vision of energy, climate, and sustainable development.