CAF approves RS Berkane's jersey with full map of Morocco, sparking anger in Algeria  (Read more...)

King Mohammed VI congratulates newly elected President of Senegal Bassirou Diomaye Faye

King Mohammed VI has congratulated the newly elected President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye. «The Senegalese people have entrusted you with the responsibility of presiding over the destiny of your Nation by electing you, in the first round, to the Presidency of the Republic of Senegal. I congratulate you and send you my best wishes for every success in the exercise of your office», wrote the Sovereign in a letter on Tuesday. «Our two peoples form a community of values

Algeria decides to move forward on Rabat property expropriation

Algeria has decided to move forward on the issue of its expropriated property in Rabat, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf said Tuesday in a press briefing. «This matter arose from Morocco, and we responded in a way that Morocco found suitable. We consider this closed», Attaf cautiously stated. This moderate approach contrasts with the strong warnings issued by the Algerian Foreign Ministry on March 17th. In a press release, Algiers threatened to respond in «any

Morocco, Mauritania draw 0-0 in friendly

Morocco’s national football team failed to score as they drew 0-0 with Mauritania in a friendly game, held Tuesday at the Grand Stadium of Agadir. From the outset of the game, the national squad faced a strong Mauritanian defensive block, pushing Walid Regragui's men to maintain their pressure to create chances, notably through Soufiane Rahimi and Brahim Diaz, but in vain. The changes made in the second time by national coach Walid Regragui, with the exit of Soufiane Rahimi and Hakim

A 3.2 magnitude earthquake recorded near Marrakech

A 3.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Marrakech-Asfi region on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at 8:06 AM local time, according to a seismological website. The temblor, centered about 36 kilometers southwest of Marrakech, occurred at a depth of 7 kilometers and was felt by people in the surrounding area.

Moroccan arrested for leading a network facilitating irregular migration to Italy

A 47-year-old Moroccan, subject to an international arrest warrant issued by Morocco, was arrested Monday in Monza, northern Italy. The suspect is accused of managing a network facilitating irregular migration to Italy, local media reported. Investigators believe that in 2021 the arrestee received money from people he promised to help enter Europe irregularly, sometimes failing to fulfill his promises. The man was convicted before in similar cases. In 2018, he was sentenced to 8 months in

Radisson to increase number of properties in Morocco by 2030 World Cup

International hotel chain Radisson is planning to boost its presence in Morocco ahead of the 2030 World Cup. The hotel chain’s ambitious plan consists of increasing the number of properties it owns in Morocco to 25, it said Monday in a press release. Radisson currently manages 11 properties in the Kingdom. Radisson will mostly focus on the cities of Casablanca and Marrakech, with plans to open properties in other destinations, such Rabat, Tangier, Agadir and Fez. «The introduction

Potential end of Morocco fisheries deal : EU is prepared «for any scenario»

Spain's Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Luis Planas, said on Monday that the European Union is prepared «for any scenario» regarding the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement, as the Court of Justice might annul the deal. «We shouldn't prejudge the situation», Planas told EFE from Bruges, Belgium, where EU fisheries ministers are discussing the sector's future. «But we are ready, and both the Council and the Commission are working on potential

Morocco, European Commission hold talks days after CJEU Advocate General’s opinion

Morocco and the European Commission held a new session of political consultations Monday in Rabat. In a post on X, Twitter formerly, the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that discussions «focused on the bilateral agenda and political issues of common interest». The Brussels delegation was led by Hélène Le Gal, the former French ambassador to Morocco and current Director General for the Middle East and North Africa at the European External Action Service

King Abdullah II of Jordan bestows Moroccan coach Houcine Ammouta

King Abdullah II of Jordan bestowed the Silver Jubilee Medal on players and staff of the national football team in an audience held Monday. Moroccan coach Houcine Ammouta, who manages the Jordanian national football team, was also honored during the event. According to the Jordanian News Agency, the recognition comes in appreciation of the team’s «exceptional efforts in reaching second place at the Asian Cup, which was hosted by Qatar». The Jordanian king, commended the

Angola and Mauritania friendlies to strengthen Atlas lions’ defensive tactics, Regragui says

Moroccan national football team coach Walid Regragui said on Monday in Agadir that the friendlies against Angola and Mauritania aim to gain experience against teams with strong defenses. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Mauritania match, scheduled for Tuesday, Regragui called these games an opportunity for the Atlas Lions to find solutions against African teams known for their defensive tactics. He added that similar matches are planned for the future. The coach emphasized avoiding

Women in Morocco 73% more likely to be inactive than men, HCP finds

Women in Morocco are 73% more likely to be inactive than men, estimated at 7.5%, reveals the Haut-Commissariat au Plan (HCP) in an intersectional study on women's participation in the Moroccan labor market. This disparity is all the more marked among married women, whose probability of being inactive reaches 81.9% (3.1% for married men), than among young women aged between 25 and 34, with a probability of 79.4% (3.3% for young men), indicates the study carried out within the framework of the

Morocco to create its first electric car battery zone

Morocco will establish a new 283-hectare industrial zone dedicated to electric car battery production. The zone, expected to generate 4,000 jobs, has already attracted three initial investments totaling approximately USD $2.3 billion, according to Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour. «This is the first time Morocco has established an industrial zone specifically for electric battery manufacturing», Mezzour told Al Sharq. He added that the first investments, including a joint

Sahara : After Pretoria and Moscow, De Mistura visits London

The UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, landed in London, where he held talks with British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for South and Central Asia, North Africa, the UN and the Commonwealth, Lord Ahmad Tariq. «The UK continues to support Staffan de Mistura and MINURSO, and encourages constructive engagement with the UN-led political process», Lord Tariq wrote on his X account. De Mistura's visit comes after trips to South Africa

Morocco’s Head of government receives US Congressmen delegation

The Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, received Monday in Rabat a delegation of six members of the US Congress representing the Republican and Democratic parties, accompanied by the US Ambassador to Morocco, Puneet Talwar. This visit aims to examine ways to strengthen strategic relations between Morocco and the United States of America, reads a press release from the Head of Government’s Department. During the meeting, the two parties highlighted the various aspects of multi-sector

Moroccan naval maneuvers off Sahara spark concern in Spain

The Royal Moroccan Navy is planning to carry out military maneuvers in Moroccan Atlantic waters from March 29 to June 28. The news of naval forces sailing 120 kilometers off the Canary Islands has put Iberian media on high alert. On March 19, two days before the publication of the EU court Advocate General’s opinion on the Morocco-EU agreements, orders were given to fishing boats to avoid the areas where these naval exercises will take place. In Spain, on Monday, March 25th, the Popular

Saudi solar plant in Morocco suffers breakdown with cost estimated $47 million

Renewable energy utility ACWA Power International reported a storage breakdown at one of its solar power plants in Morocco on Sunday. According to a Reuters report quoting a company statement on the Saudi Stock Exchange website, the breakdown will cost the firm an estimated $47 million. The 150-megawatt Noor III plant, part of the Noor Ouarzazate solar complex, will be inactive until November 2024 due to the issue. This is not the first problem at the Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plant. In

Morocco rescues 165 sub-Saharan migrants off Dakhla

A Royal Navy patrol boat intercepted, on Friday 260 km southwest off the southern city of Dakhla, a pirogue carrying 165 sub-Saharan migrants, including 4 corpses. The pirogue, which had intended to reach the Canary Islands, set sail on March 6, the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces said in a press release. The rescued people received first aid onboard before being taken to the Port of Dakhla and handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for the usual administrative procedures, the same

Moroccan activist Rabha El Haymar is an inspiration to women worldwide, US Ambassador to Morocco says

The United States’ ambassador to Morocco lauded the strong will of Moroccan activist Rabha El Haymar, who was recognized as the 2024 International Woman on Courage for campaigning for the rights of children deemed illegitimate. «She is an extraordinary woman», said Ambassador Puneet Talwar, Saturday, in an interview with state-owned channel 2M. Speaking about the month of March, as Women's History Month in the US, the diplomat congratulated El Haymar for «her