News Flash

Air Arabia inaugurates new air base in Tetouan

Air Arabia inaugurated a new air base at Tetouan's Saniat R'mel airport on Tuesday. The ceremony was attended by prominent figures including the Wali of the Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma region, Younes Tazi, and the Managing Director of Air Arabia Maroc, Laila Mechbal. Mechbal highlighted the significance of this expansion, which introduces 13 direct flights to five European destinations: Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, and Brussels. She emphasized Tetouan's growing appeal

Algeria's Foreign Minister visits New York ahead of UN session on Sahara

Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf arrived at UN headquarters on April 16, hours before the start of a closed session of the Security Council devoted to the Sahara issue. At the UN, Attaf met with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura to discuss «UN steps and efforts aimed at relaunching the political process, involving both parties to the conflict – the Polisario Front and Morocco, to find a solution guaranteeing the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination», according to the

Spain admits talks with Morocco on Sahara airspace transfer

The Spanish government has admitted to holding talks with Morocco on the issue of Saharan airspace. This comes in a written response to a question by a Canary Islands MP, acknowledging «two bilateral meetings» on the topic since the diplomatic rapprochement with Rabat in spring 2022. The government affirms that these negotiations are in line with point 7 of the Moroccan-Spanish Joint Declaration of April 7, 2022, which called for «discussions concerning the management of

Morocco's growth projected at 3.1% in 2024, 3.3% in 2025, according to IMF

According to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) updated World Economic Outlook released on Tuesday, Morocco's economy is expected to grow by 3.1% this year and 3.3% in 2025. The report, launched during the spring meetings with the World Bank in Washington, also forecasts inflation at 2.2% in 2024 and 2.5% in 2025. Unemployment is predicted to reach 12% this year, falling slightly to 11.5% in 2025. The IMF anticipates the Kingdom's current account balance to stand at -2.6% in 2024,

Morocco Ibn Tufail University and Shanghai University sign cooperation agreement

Ibn Tufail University and Shanghai Normal University signed a cooperation agreement on Tuesday in Kenitra, focusing on scientific research and innovation. The agreement, signed by Ibn Tufail University President Mohamed Larbi Kerkeb and Shanghai Normal University President Li Yan Song, aims to develop joint projects in various fields, with a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence. The visit of a delegation from Shanghai Normal University provided an opportunity to sign a cooperation

UB40 to headline Jazzablanca festival on June 6th

Legendary reggae pop band UB40 will be performing at the Jazzablanca festival on Thursday, June 6th on the Casa Anfa stage, according to a press release sent Tuesday to Yabiladi. The British band boasts over 100 million albums sold and more than 50 chart-topping singles in the UK. This year marks their 45th anniversary, which they'll celebrate with a performance at Jazzablanca. Casablanca audiences can expect to hear some of UB40's biggest hits, including «Kingston Town», «I

King Mohammed VI reiterates call for creation of a legally binding code of ethics for MPs

On Monday April 15, King Mohammed VI congratulated Rachid Talbi Alami of the RNI on his re-election as head of the House of Representatives. In his short message, published by MAP, the King reiterated his call, made a few months earlier, «for the moralization of parliamentary life» to «consolidate confidence in elected institutions». On January 17, during the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the kingdom's first elected parliament,

Spain’s PM vows «great success» for 2030 World Cup

The 2030 FIFA World Cup, with Morocco, Spain, and Portugal as the sole candidate approved by the FIFA Council, will be a «great success», Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared during a joint press conference in Madrid with Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro. «The 2030 World Cup will be a great success because our three countries—Portugal, Spain, and Morocco—share a deep societal love for football», Sanchez said. «We have a long and

Moroccan Navy intercepts dinghy carrying 53 migrants near Tan-Tan

A Royal Navy combat unit intercepted an inflatable dinghy carrying 53 migrants on Monday, 46 km northeast of Tan-Tan port. The dinghy was headed for the Canary Islands, according to a press release from the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces. The rescued people received first aid onboard before being handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for standard administrative procedures.

After Algiers and Pretoria, Rif separatists head to the UN headquarters in New York

Members of the «Parti nationaliste rifain» (NRP) were in New York on Monday, April 15th. In front of the United Nations headquarters, a leading figure of the separatist group, Yuba El Ghadioui, went live on social media, took photos, and even attached the flag of the «Republic of the Rif» to police barricades set up to prevent unauthorized access. Yuba affirmed in his speech that meetings with foreign delegations would be held at the UN soon. This 30-minute live,

Three Moroccan banks among MENA’s 30 Most Valuable

Three Moroccan banks have been featured in Forbes' 30 Most Valuable Banks for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The 2024 list of MENA's 30 most valuable banks, compiled by Forbes, includes Morocco's Attijariwafa Bank, ranked 18th with a market value of $10.6 billion, BCP Group, ranked 22nd with a market value of $5.9 billion, and Bank of Africa, which is ranked 30th with a market value of $4.1 billion. According to Forbes, while Saudi Arabia represents a third of the list with

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné's Sahara statement angers Algeria

After a week of silence, Algerian media has finally commented on Stéphane Séjourné's latest statement on France's economic recognition of the Moroccan Sahara. «This statement is a new threat to relations between Paris and Algeria», says El Khabar. The Arabic-language daily wondered about the «impact» of the Foreign Minister's remarks on «Algerian-French relations». The Algerian government is preparing a visit to France by President

Staffan de Mistura holds talks with UN head and a Polisario member ahead of Sahara meeting

Staffan de Mistura met, Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York. The UN envoy informed Guterres of all the meetings he held, since the adoption of Resolution 2703 by the Security Council in October 2023, with the parties involved in the Sahara conflict and international players to relaunch of the negotiation process. In recent months, De Mistura visited South Africa, Russia, the UK, Mauritania and Morocco. After his meeting with Guterres, De Mistura met with the Polisario

Man wanted for burning woman to death in Morocco arrested in Italy

A man wanted for murder in Morocco was arrested in Forlì, Italy, on April 11th, after applying for international protection at the immigration office. Identified as a man with Spanish citizenship, he had only been living in Italy for a few days before applying for international protection. According to Italian media, Interpol had recently issued an alert for him as he was considered a dangerous individual and wanted by the Moroccan authorities. Police investigations revealed that the

Belgium backs Morocco's autonomy plan for the Sahara

Belgium considers Morocco's autonomy plan, presented in 2007, to be «a serious and credible Moroccan effort and a good basis for a solution accepted by the parties». This position was expressed in the joint declaration adopted at the third meeting of the Moroccan-Belgian High Joint Partnership Commission, co-chaired on Monday in Rabat by the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, and his Belgian counterpart, Alexander De Croo. Prime Minister De Croo reiterated «Belgium's

An Amsterdam bridge named after the «Moroccan Van Gogh»

An Amsterdam bridge was named after Moroccan painter Abdellah Zaki, known as the Moroccan Van Gogh. The bridge, located in Amsterdam West, was officially dedicated on Sunday, April 14, by the city's mayor in the presence of the painter’s daughter. «The Abdellah Zaki Bridge symbolizes the connection between two cultures», said Zaki's daughter, Hajia Zaki. «He was a bridge builder, he brought people together», his daughter explains. «When I see today how many

Israel to build drone plant in Morocco

Israel’s BlueBird Aero Systems, which specializes in the design, development, and production of Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and peripheral equipment will open a drone production site in Morocco. Ronen Nadir, CEO of BlueBird Aero Systems told Israeli media that the company has already established the local production facility that «will start operations in the near future». The military cooperation agreement between Morocco and Israel, signed on November 24, 2021,

Morocco's Head of Government meets Belgian Prime Minister in Rabat

The Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, held talks on Monday, April 15, 2024, in Rabat with his Belgian counterpart, Alexander De Croo. De Croo is currently on a working visit to Morocco for the third session of the Moroccan-Belgian High Joint Partnership Commission. The talks, attended by both countries' foreign ministers, Nasser Bourita and Hadja Lahbib welcomed the strong and growing bilateral relations. The focus was on establishing a «strategic partnership» that reflects the