In Morocco, a Adel (plural Adoul) () is a public official who practices a liberal regulated profession through a set of competencies and conditions defined in Law Nâ°. 16.03 related to the justice plan, and in special legal texts. This profession falls within the auxiliary professions of the Judiciary of Morocco
Adoul act in pairs to record Islamic/Shar'i marriages, known as Nikah. They may also draft contracts, prenuptial agreements, inheritance-related documents, divorce settlements and adjudicate testaments. Their office is comparable to that of a civil law notary.
On January 23, 2018, women were officially allowed to become Adoul, following a royal decree issued by King Mohammed VI of Morocco. The decision sparked significant controversy - particularly among the existing ranks of Adoul - but also the Moroccan public.
The term Adoul (Arabic: ùÃÂïÃÂÃÂ) is classically pronounced /ÃÂuÃÂduÃÂl/, with the voiced pharyngeal fricative ÿAyn (ù) followed by a long "u" vowel. In Moroccan Darija, however, the phonological realization of ÿAyn is often weakened or glottalized, and vowels tend to shift. As a result, the word is typically pronounced /adul/ or /aÃÂdul/, reflecting the broader phonetic tendencies in Maghrebi Arabic to simplify guttural consonants and level short vowels in colloquial usage.