Mohammed ben Abdallah
| Mohammed bin Abdallah محمد بن عبد الله | |
|---|---|
| Shadow of God on Earth | |
| Sultan of Morocco | |
| Reign | 1757–1790 |
| Predecessor | Abdallah bin Ismail |
| Successor | Yazid bin Mohammed |
| Born | c. 1710 Fez, Morocco |
| Died | 9 April 1790 (aged 80) Meknes, Morocco |
| Burial | |
| Wives | Lalla Fatima bint Suleiman Lalla Dawiya |
| Issue | Moulay Mohammed Ali Sultan Moulay Hisham Sultan Moulay Yazid Lalla Lubabah Sultan Moulay Sulayman |
| House | 'Alawi dynasty |
| Father | Abdallah bin Ismail |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah al-Khatib (Arabic: سيدي محمد بن عبد الله الخطيب), also known as Mohammed III (Arabic: محمد الثالث), (c. 1710 – 9 April 1790) was the Sultan of Morocco from 1757 to 1790 as a member of the 'Alawi dynasty. He was the governor of Marrakesh around 1750. He was also briefly sultan in 1748. He rebuilt many cities after the earthquake of 1755, including Mogador, Casablanca, and Rabat. Historians such as Abdallah Laroui have described him as "the architect of modern Morocco." He also defeated the French in the Larache expedition in 1765 and expelled the Portuguese from Mazagan (al-Jadīda) in 1769. He is notable for having been the first leader to recognize American independence, along with establishing an alliance with Luis de Unzaga (nicknamed "le Conciliateur", or "The Conciliator"), as well as his secret intelligence service, led by Unzaga's brothers-in-law Antonio and Matías de Gálvez. He was the son of Mawlay Abdallah bin Ismail and a woman of the Chéraga Guich tribe.