Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch Businesswoman & Entrepreneur Enquiries

Milestones & recognition

The documented
record.

1994 – 2025 Third-party sources only

Professional milestones and external recognition, listed with the awarding or publishing body and year. Nothing appears here that could not be traced to a published source.

Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch photographed with Aziz Akhannouch, with the Moroccan flag behind them.
Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch, founder and chief executive of AKSAL Holding

Individual recognition

Listings and awards.

Presented in reverse chronological order, with the source publication or awarding body named in each case.

2025
Ranked 23rd on the 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen list, listed as Founder & CEO of AKSAL Holding in the retail industry category
Forbes Middle East
2020
Named among the top ten “Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands”
Forbes
2018
Included in the BoF 500, the index of people shaping the global fashion industry
The Business of Fashion
2017
Named among the “Most Influential Women in Business in Africa”
The Africa Report
2017
Described as “Morocco’s Leading Lady of Luxury Goods”
OZY
2016
Recipient of the Arab Woman of the Year Award for Achievement in Business
Arab Woman Awards
2015
Ranked 8th among the 100 most powerful Arab businesswomen
Arabian Business

Business milestones

The commercial record.

Dated events in the development of the business, each traceable to published reporting.

Gold sequin feature wall at a retail brand launch event.

Brand launch environment

1994
Espacia founded — the first venture, a distribution business, and the origin of the group.
2001
Agreement with Inditex — a partnership concluded with the Spanish group behind Zara, Massimo Dutti and Pull & Bear.
2004
First Zara flagship in Africa opens; AKSAL Holding and the AKSAL Foundation are established.
2009
AKSAL Malls established and the Morocco Mall project formally launched.
2011
Morocco Mall inaugurated on 1 December — a ten-hectare Casablanca Corniche development, investment reported at around €175 million, with more than 350 retailers; opening marked by a concert from Jennifer Lopez.
2011
AKSAL Academy founded — training in retail, services and mall management.
2016
AKSAL Digital established — omni-channel commerce across the group.
2017
Yan&One launched — the group’s own beauty and cosmetics brand, with a flagship in Morocco Mall.
2023
AKS Mode registered in the Casablanca trade register on 31 July, extending the group into hospitality and catering.
Current
AKSAL Developments advancing smart lifestyle and social-shopping projects in Marrakech, Rabat and Bouskoura.
Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch in a corporate portrait.

Founder & Chief Executive, AKSAL Holding

Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch attending a public event.

Project recognition

Awards to Morocco Mall.

The development in which AKSAL holds a 50 per cent stake was recognised repeatedly by the international property and retail industries in the year following its opening.

2012
Best Shopping Centre
MIPIM
2012
Best Retail & Leisure Development
MAPIC
2012
Gold, Design & Development Awards
ICSC
2011
Best Retail Development in Africa
African Property Awards
—
Guinness World Record for the largest in-store shop facade
Guinness World Records

Sourcing

How this record was compiled.

Entries are drawn from published encyclopaedic records, international business press, industry award listings and property-sector reporting. Where two credible sources give different figures — for the Morocco Mall investment, the count of franchised brands, or the group’s reported turnover — the range is indicated rather than a single number presented as authoritative.

Distinctions that could not be verified against a published source are omitted, including any that may exist but are not documented in accessible reporting. No honorary titles, board memberships, academic appointments or philanthropic figures are listed, as none could be independently confirmed at the time of writing.

This record is therefore conservative by design. It is likely to be incomplete rather than inaccurate.

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