Marrakech to host 53rd National Festival of Popular Arts

The High Atlas Association, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, and with the support of local authorities, has announced the 53rd edition of the National Festival of Popular Arts under the royal patronage. The event will be held in Marrakech from July 4th to 8th, 2024, under the theme of «Timeless Rhythms and Symbols». Over 600 artists from across Morocco are expected to participate. According to a statement from the High Atlas Association, the

Algeria pushes for zellige recognition by UNESCO

Algeria's Culture Minister Soria Mouloudji has announced a UNESCO application for «the art and architectural decoration – zellige». The minister added that her department was working to inscribe this ancestral know-how, which she described as «Algerian», on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list by month's end. The Algerian media Echorouk, which reported the news, accused Morocco of promoting the fact that zellige was of Moroccan origin. According to the same

Moroccan Futsal team dominates Afcon awards

The Moroccan national futsal team swept the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) awards, mirroring their dominating performance on the court. Adding to the celebratory atmosphere, Moroccan players received top honors: Abdelkrim Anbia won best goalkeeper, Sofiane Chaaraoui claimed the top scorer award, and Bilal Bakkali was named best player of the tournament. For the record, the futsal Atlas Lions secured their third consecutive AFCON title on Sunday, defeating Angola 5-1 in the final held at the

Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah frustrated by limited role with Atlas Lions

Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah expressed his disappointment at not being called up more frequently by national coach Walid Regragui. In a recent interview, Hamdallah criticized the coach's selection decisions: «Since the 2022 World Cup, I've only featured in one match, against Cape Verde. Coach Regragui substituted me right after halftime. If I wasn't a dedicated player, I wouldn't have a successful 12-year career outside Morocco». Hamdallah questioned the coach's evaluation

Oscar-winner Colin Firth to film new series in Essaouira

The crew of «Flights 103» is expected to arrive in Essaouira on Monday, April 22nd, 2024, to begin filming the new series. Academy Award-winning actor Colin Firth will star in the lead role, with Michael Keillor directing and NBCUniversal producing. The series is inspired by the sensitive story of the bombing of Pan American Airlines Flight 103, which tragically killed over 270 people in Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. «The majority of the series' scenes will be filmed in

CAF refers USM Alger vs. RS Berkane cancelled match to «competent bodies»

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced, Sunday, it would refer the case of the cancelled CAF Confederation Cup semifinal match between Algerian club USM Alger and Morocco's Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (RSB) to the competent bodies. «The TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup first leg semi-final fixture today, 21 April 2024, between USM Alger and RS Berkane in Algiers, Algeria did not take place as scheduled», CAF stated. «The matter will be referred to the

Morocco’s Berkane vs. Alger club match cancelled over jersey dispute

The semi-final match between Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (RSB) and USM d'Alger in the African Football Confederation Cup has been cancelled by the match referee after the Moroccan players refused to take the field on Sunday evening. This decision stems from the Algerian authorities' refusal to comply with the CAF Interclubs Committee's decision regarding RSB's jerseys depicting the full map of Morocco. On April 20, the African Football Confederation (CAF) ordered Algeria to release the

Algeria-led Maghreb project announces meeting in Tunisia without Morocco

The Algeria-initiated Maghreb project, excluding Morocco, is moving forward. Tunisia will host a summit on Monday, April 22nd, between the Tunisian and Algerian presidents, and the president of the Libyan presidential council. The Tunisian presidency's press release, published on social media on Saturday, did not announce the participation of Mauritania's head of state. The meeting in Tunis of the three Maghreb countries follows the March 3rd summit in Algiers, which brought together

Diaspo #335 : Nadia Tomane defends Moroccan heritage through French association

France-born Moroccan Nadia Tomane is devoted to defending Moroccan heritage through an association she founded in 2021 with a group of fellow Moroccans.

Full map of Morocco on Berkane football club jersey irritates Algeria

Moroccan football club Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (RSB) faced delays at Algiers International Airport due to their jerseys, which depict the Moroccan map including the Sahara.