Ahmed Aboutaleb
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Ahmed Aboutaleb
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 Ahmed Aboutaleb in 2007 |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 5 January 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Ivo Opstelten |
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| In office 22 February 2007 – 12 December 2008 |
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| Prime Minister | Jan Peter Balkenende |
| Preceded by | Henk van Hoof |
| Succeeded by | Jetta Klijnsma |
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| In office 4 February 2004 – 22 February 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Rob Oudkerk |
| Succeeded by | Lodewijk Asscher (a.i.) |
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| Born | 29 August 1961 Beni Sidel, Morocco |
| Nationality | Moroccan, Dutch |
| Political party | PvdA |
| Spouse | Married |
| Children | Three children |
| Residence | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Religion | Islam |
Ahmed Aboutaleb (born 29 August 1961 in Beni Sidel) is a Dutch-Moroccan politician of the Dutch Labour Party. He was State Secretary of Social Affairs and Employment in the fourth Balkenende cabinet. On January 5, 2009 he took office as mayor of Rotterdam. He is the first mayor of a large city in the Netherlands who is of Moroccan, Muslim, and immigrant descent. Aboutaleb is a dual citizen (of the Netherlands and Morocco) and a practising Muslim.
[edit] Life
Aboutaleb grew up as a son of an imam in small Moroccan village in the Rif jaadar. Together with his mother and brothers he moved to the Netherlands in 1976. Aboutaleb then studied telecommunications at different schools up to the Hogere Technische School where he obtained a Bachelor of Engineering degree. After graduating he found work as reporter for Veronica, NOS-radio and RTL Nieuws. He also worked at the public relations department of the Dutch health ministry.
In 1998, Aboutaleb became director of the Forum organisation, an institute dealing with multiculturalism in the Netherlands. He also obtained a post as civil servant with the municipality of Amsterdam.
In January 2004, Aboutaleb succeeded the scandal-plagued Rob Oudkerk as alderman in the city. Labour Party leader Wouter Bos in his book Wat Wouter Wil (English: What Wouter Wants) said that if the Labour Party was involved in forming the next cabinet after the 2006 elections, Aboutaleb would be offered a ministerial post. Aboutaleb himself claimed at the time he wanted to focus on his work as alderman and that it was "important first that the PvdA wins the elections."[1] When the PvdA really did become part of a new coalition, Aboutaleb was just offered the job of State Secretary for social affairs, but said that he did not mind the lesser function, and believed he could learn a lot from Piet Hein Donner, the minister of social affairs.[2]
Along with another deputy minister, Nebahat Albayrak, of Turkish descent, Aboutaleb was criticized at the time of their announced appointments by Geert Wilders for holding dual passports. According to Wilders and his party, government ministers should not have dual citizenship, which they say implies dual allegiance.
On October 31, 2008 Aboutaleb was appointed as the next mayor of Rotterdam. He succeeded the former mayor, Ivo Opstelten on January 5, 2009. It has been announced that Jetta Klijnsma will succeed him as State Secretary.
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[edit] External links
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