Moroccan king returns after surgery and prolonged absence

King Mohammed VI returned to his country on Monday 16 April 2018, after a long absence in France, where he underwent a successful surgery, according to AFP.

A statement by the Royal Court said on February 26 that the king, “will begin his regular tasks after a period of rest that the doctors recommended.”

The 54-year-old monarch regularly visits France, where he owns a palace, and he underwent a surgery last February at a Paris hospital where a benign tumor was removed from one eye.

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The king’s absence has raised rumours on social media and questions in some diplomatic circles, and his personal photos posted on Facebook during that period sparked interest in Moroccan media.

The Moroccan monarch resumed his official activities on 10 April when he met French President Emmanuel Macaron at the Élysée Palace in Paris.

On the eve of the meeting, the king met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri at an informal dinner, as shown in a picture taken of the three men published by Hariri.

لا تعليق pic.twitter.com/KbXMcJlw8K

— Saad Hariri (@saadhariri) April 9, 2018

He was expected to visit Saudi Arabia later to participate in the 29th Arab summit last Sunday, but his brother, Prince Moulay Rachid, went on his behalf.

Moroccan media expected King Mohammed VI to travel to the northern city of Fez to take part in official events on Tuesday and also indicated his participation in the climate summit in the Congolese capital Brazzaville on April 23.