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In just three years, the Moroccan Forum for Cultural and Creative Industries (FOMICC) has established itself as a ritual gathering point for the sector, a space where meetings generate long-term initiatives and act as a catalyst for decision-making. In this spirit, the third edition, held from December 11 to 14 in Rabat, aims to make a tangible contribution to supporting a sector that generated nearly 50 billion dirhams in 2024 and accounted for more than 2.5% of Morocco’s national GDP.
This year’s program revolves around three key themes: financing cultural entrepreneurship; export, mobility and market access; and African cooperation. Opening the edition on Thursday, the president of the Hiba Foundation, the organizer of FOMICC, underlined that these themes were being tackled at the right moment, through panels and workshops backed by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, the Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, the Delegation of the European Union to Morocco, and the French Embassy.
These discussions are taking place as Morocco prepares to host major global events, including the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal, «as many opportunities to showcase Moroccan and African creativity to the world», the president noted.
A Unifying Space for the Creative Industries
For Younes Boumehdi, FOMICC has become «much more than an event». «It is a community, a workspace, a laboratory of ideas, and, I hope, a catalyst for decision-making», he said. This third edition therefore aims to «move from diagnosis to action» in a cultural and economic context where the creative industries have experienced exponential growth in recent years.
Younes Boumehdi, president of the Hiba Foundation / Ph. FOMICC
Boumehdi estimated that the 50 billion dirhams generated in 2024 were supported by 150,000 direct jobs and more than 200,000 indirect jobs, 34% of which are held by women. «The goal is to double this economic weight and these jobs by 2030», insisted the Hiba Foundation president, who is also vice-president of the Federation of Cultural and Creative Industries (FICC) within the CGEM.
According to him, «every point of GDP gained in the creative industries means tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs. Behind every studio, festival, workshop, media outlet, there are life stories, families, neighborhoods that live better. The potential is immense, but it requires clear political choices, adapted regulations, better-targeted funding, training aligned with realities on the ground, accessible infrastructure, guiding data, and governance that listens and includes».
Strengthening the Territorial Ecosystem
Speaking about territorial anchoring and the importance of regional dynamics, Hiba Foundation director Marwane Fachane told Yabiladi that «impressive» upstream work is being carried out to highlight these initiatives within FOMICC and beyond, by aligning the efforts of private, public, independent, and institutional actors.
«We support and act in this process as we would with any other industry. We must move past the preconceived idea that the creative industries evolve separately from other sectors, when in fact they comprise a multitude of professions», Fachane explained at the forum’s opening.
He added that, together with Rayhane Monkachi, the Foundation’s head of partnerships, they have spent the past three years traveling across Morocco, meeting Technoparks, Regional Investment Centers, universities, artisans, and creative communities, with the goal of strengthening local ecosystems and fostering cultural entrepreneurship across regions.
Marwane Fachane and Rayhane Monkachi - Hiba Foundation / Ph. FOMICC
A Driver of Development and National Soft Power
For Fachane, «skills, training, and professions may differ, but the essence of the industry remains the same. This vision must be adapted regionally to energize creative sectors that generate social and economic value».
The diversity of Morocco’s creative industries makes them a powerful driver of youth and women’s employment, territorial development, and cultural pride, and an essential part of the country’s tourism experience.
In this regard, the Hiba Foundation president underlined that the momentum aligns with the royal vision, recalling King Mohammed VI’s message that «culture is the cement of our identity and the engine of our economic and social development».
«We deeply share this vision», Boumehdi stressed, «because culture creates bonds in a rapidly changing society, and because it is a powerful economic engine, creating jobs, exports, and attractiveness, a lever of soft power for a Morocco that looks toward Africa, the Mediterranean, Europe, and the world».
Finally, this dynamic is supported by the Foundation’s Kawaliss program, which acts as an incubator for creative industries. Its goal is to «promote youth employment and cultural entrepreneurship through an integrated system that enables the emergence and development of viable, high-impact projects».
