Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska Awards Abdelatif Hammouchi with Grand Cross of Civil Guard Merit
On Tuesday, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska presided over an official ceremony in Madrid, awarding Abdelatif Hammouchi, Director General of National Security and Territorial Monitoring, with the Grand Cross of Merit from the Civil Guard, the highest honor granted by this security institution to foreign dignitaries.
According to a statement from the General Directorate of National Security and the General Directorate of Territorial Monitoring, the ceremony was attended by Mercedes González Fernández, Director General of the Spanish Civil Guard, and General Luis Palacios Peñero, head of the Civil Guard’s Intelligence Commission, along with several senior security officials from both Morocco and Spain.
In his speech, Minister Grande-Marlaska noted that the award to Hammouchi is a recognition by Spanish authorities of his pivotal role in strengthening and developing the security partnership between Morocco and Spain, as well as his ongoing efforts in enhancing operational cooperation and mutual assistance in countering risks and threats to the security of both nations.
The Spanish Interior Minister praised Hammouchi’s “exceptional efforts to develop and modernize the National Security and Territorial Monitoring services in Morocco, allowing them to achieve a prominent and exemplary position internationally in combating terrorism and organized crime.”
On this occasion, the Minister reiterated Spain’s commitment to collaborating, based on mutual trust, with Morocco to ensure the success of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which he described as an opportunity to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and cooperation between the two kingdoms.
Additionally, officials from the Spanish Civil Guard emphasized that Hammouchi’s award of the highest merit honor serves as a testament to the high regard for the exceptional cooperation between the Spanish Civil Guard and both General Directorates in various security fields and shared issues of concern.
The formal ceremony was organized following the Spanish government’s earlier approval, based on a proposal from its Interior Minister, to confer the Grand Cross of Merit from the Spanish Civil Guard to Hammouchi, recognizing his distinguished contributions to enhancing joint security efforts between the two countries.
The event also provided a favorable opportunity for bilateral discussions between Hammouchi and Spanish security officials, focused on ways to enhance joint operations to combat terrorism and violent extremism, as well as transnational organized crime risks, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, irregular migration, and cybercrime.
It is worth noting that Hammouchi had previously been awarded the Red Distinction of the Spanish Security Merit in 2014, another high honor, recognizing his notable contributions to establishing a model security partnership between Morocco and Spain.
Similarly, Hammouchi has received three distinguished awards from French authorities, including the National Order of the Legion of Honor from the French President in 2011, the Gold Medal of Honor from the French Police on August 5, 2024, and the Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honor in June 2025.
At the Arab level, in 2025, the Council of Arab Interior Ministers awarded Hammouchi the Prince Nayef Award for Arab Security of the First Class, in recognition of his efforts to strengthen Arab security cooperation on an international scale.
Hammouchi also received royal recognition in 2011 when King Mohammed VI of Morocco bestowed upon him the Throne Order of the Officer Class, in recognition of his efforts in the investigations related to the Argan terror incident, marking a precedent in the history of Morocco’s security institution as he was the first senior security official to receive this royal honor.
