King Mohammed VI’s Inner Circle Includes Spanish MMA Expert

Yusef Kaddur and King Mohammed VI have developed a friendship since the 2021 death of Kaddur’s brother, Suli Abdeselam. "No words could express our gratitude and love [...] especially to His Majesty King Mohammed VI who, from the moment of his passing, did everything to repatriate my brother," Kaddur had written in an Instagram post.

Since then, the athlete from Melilla has been part of Mohammed VI’s inner circle. Kaddur was seen alongside the Sovereign in December 2022, celebrating in the streets of Rabat the victory of the Moroccan team against Spain during the World Cup in Qatar. Images posted on social media in July last year show him sitting behind Mohammed VI in a convertible in Tetouan, the city where the King of Morocco was enjoying his vacation.

Yusef Kaddur is an accomplished athlete. He has won many titles in his discipline, including the medal of the Spanish Olympic Committee and the gold medal of the city of Melilla, the highest distinction of the autonomous city. The native of Melilla was then "forced" to leave Spain to join Morocco where he was six-time world champion. The athlete also had a brief political career in Melilla where he was in charge of Youth in 2019 (July to November).