Rachid Idrissi

Moulay Rachid Idrissi (; 1939 – October 18, 1971) was a Moroccan nuclear chemist and engineer. Idrissi gained notoriety after his work on the recovery of uranium from phosphates, where he discovered a significant amount of uranium in Moroccan phosphates. Shortly after this discovery, he died in a traffic accident near Rabat, the circumstances of which remain contested.

Early life and education

Moulay Rachid Idrissi was born in 1939 in the Douar Oulad Belhlou near the town of Outat El Haj, near Taza. His family claimed descendance from the Idrisid dynasty. After obtaining his scientific baccalaureate from the collège, he moved to Rabat and continued his studies in chemistry.

As a young man, Idrissi worked on development projects in his hometown of Outat El Haj, coordinating with UNESCO to build a youth house in the village. He also obtained a degree in chemical engineering from the National Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology in Saclay. He became a community activist and a politician under the banner of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces. During his research, he mapped the Ganntour basin and its uranium repartition.

In 1968, he discovered a significant amount of uranium in Moroccan phosphates, which he announced to local press. In December 2023, a synopsium was held by the Moulay Rachid Idrissi Center for Studies and Research in Outat El Haj regarding Idrissi's life.