Morocco's Arrabet and Skaleet partner for a new neo-bank offering in Africa  (Read more...)

Dutch-Moroccan ex-anti-terrorism official denies «spying for Morocco», seeks PM's testimony

Moroccan-Dutch Abderrahim El M., a former employee of the Dutch National Coordinator for Terrorism and Security (NCTV), is currently on trial in the Netherlands, accused of espionage for the Moroccan secret service. He has pleaded not guilty. El M., who remained silent during interrogations by the Dutch Criminal Investigation Department, stated he was willing to provide a statement to the judge «behind closed doors», as reported by Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant on Monday. The

IFC loans €197 million to expand Morocco's Tanger Med Port Complex

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) announced on Monday a partnership with Morocco’s Tanger Med Port Complex. This partnership aims to expand the truck and passenger terminal of the Moroccan Strategic Hub, IFC said in a statement. IFC’s deal with Tanger Med Port includes a loan of €197 million (including €47 million provided under IFC’s Managed Co-Lending Portfolio Program). This

Educational astronomy project to tour Morocco in November

A new educational initiative called «Les Étoiles du Petit Prince» (The Little Prince's Stars) will tour Morocco from November 7-17, 2024, bringing astronomy education to primary and secondary schools in the country's southern and eastern regions. According to a press release from the Center for Space and Habitability at the University of Bern and Cadi Ayyad University of Marrakech, the project will utilize two light aircraft—a Cessna 172 RG and a Beechcraft

Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz ready to write history with Morocco

Real Madrid's Moroccan star Brahim Diaz said, «I dream of writing history with the national team and bringing joy to Moroccan fans». «I'm very proud to wear Morocco's national team jersey. I'm grateful to Morocco and the entire African continent for all the love and warm welcome I've received», Brahim Diaz told MAP in an exclusive interview at the Valdebebas training center in Madrid. The former AC Milan player expressed pride in playing for the Moroccan national team,

Morocco's Royal Navy foils migrant hijacking attempt off Tan-Tan

Two Royal Navy units, with a Commandos team on board, freed the crew of a Liberia-flagged freighter 110 km off Tan-Tan on Monday without incident. «On November 4, 2024, Rabat’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) received an alert reporting that the crew of a Liberia-flagged cargo ship, 110 km off Tan-Tan, had been threatened by would-be migrants who planned to divert it to the Canary Islands», the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces said in a press release. Two

Moroccan caftan shines at UNESCO’s first Arab Week in Paris

The Moroccan caftan, in all its splendor, dazzled Paris on Monday evening at a unique fashion show organized as part of the first Arab Week at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Hind Lamtiri’s chic and sophisticated collection captivated an international audience, who were left in awe of the Moroccan designer’s undeniable talent. Her creations continue to enchant enthusiasts of traditional elegance, reimagined with

New head with Moroccan roots appointed to lead Israeli liaison office in Morocco

The Israeli liaison office in Morocco has a new head. «Without any public announcement, politician Yossi Ben David, of Moroccan Jewish origin, has taken charge of Israel's diplomatic representation in Rabat», reports Africa Intelligence. «He succeeds diplomat David Govrin, who quickly left with his team following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023», the source notes. Ben David, a 55-year-old member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, has a

US unites Morocco and Algeria in joint naval exercise

The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) is organizing a naval exercise called «Phoenix Express 24» in Tunisian waters from November 4 to 15. The Royal Moroccan Navy is participating alongside other African and European countries, including Algeria, according to Tunisian media reports. The purpose of the exercise is to «strengthen cooperation and coordination between naval crews (...) in combating illegal activities at sea, such as smuggling and human trafficking, to

Morocco expels two Norwegians from Laayoune

On Monday, November 4, Moroccan authorities expelled two Norwegian nationals—a man and a woman—from Laayoune, according to a Spanish newspaper. The pair had arrived in Laayoune to «inquire about the human rights situation» in the Sahara and planned to «investigate» the renewable energy projects Morocco is currently developing in the region. While in Laayoune, they met with members of pro-Polisario associations, including Mina Baali, a new prominent figure

Morocco's exports surge 5.3% to 331 billion dirhams

Moroccan exports maintained their upward trajectory, reaching an estimated total value of 331 billion dirhams (MMDH) by the end of September 2024, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch announced in Rabat on Monday. Speaking at the monthly oral question session in the House of Representatives on the theme of «the centrality of the foreign trade sector in the development of the national economy». Akhannouch stated that these revenues represented a 5.3% increase in value (+16.8 MMDH)

Morocco's UM6P : First African university to implement ChatGPT Edu

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) has implemented ChatGPT Edu, becoming the first university in Africa to integrate this AI tool into its academic operations. The deployment, announced on November 4, 2024, aims to enhance educational and administrative functions across the institution. According to a press release from UM6P's Digital Ecosystem Office, the system, powered by GPT-4o from OpenAI, will serve multiple functions within the university. Leah Belsky, OpenAI's General Manager of

Morocco ties Ceuta-Melilla border opening to EU's Sahara recognition, Spanish media says

Morocco «does not intend to open the customs borders in Ceuta and Melilla in the short or medium term», Spanish media reported, attributing this decision to «technical complications». They suggested that Rabat's stance is influenced by the recent cancellation of agricultural and fisheries agreements by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Diplomatic sources from the Spanish Foreign Ministry confirmed that Morocco's refusal is linked to the ECJ's decision, according to

Netflix's Outer Banks season 4 takes teen adventurers to Morocco

The new adventure of the American action-adventure mystery teen drama television series Outer Banks is taking the cast all the way to Morocco. Aired on Netflix, the trailer for Season 4 Part 2 of the series shows that the next treasure hunt is taking place in the North African Kingdom. Surviving a shipwreck, the gang in the teen series will be traversing sandy dunes and coming under gunfire in North Africa. The trailer shows the adventurers reaching a fortified medina near the beach on the

Moroccan cyclist Mouhcine Kouraji wins 35th Tour du Faso, securing sixth victory for Morocco

Moroccan cyclist Mouhcine Kouraji was crowned the winner of the 35th Tour International du Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou on Sunday, marking Morocco's sixth victory in this international competition. Kouraji received the yellow jersey from Burkina Faso's transitional president, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who presided over the official prize-giving ceremony at the end of the 10th and final stage of this year’s Tour. Kouraji, who won both the first and fifth stages, held on to the yellow

US Embassy accredits Sahrawi MP for November 5 presidential election observation

The U.S. Embassy in Morocco has accredited Sahrawi MP Hajja El Joummani as part of the delegation of international observers for the upcoming U.S. presidential election. This announcement was made on social media by the PAM parliamentarian. «We are currently training in Washington to understand the legal framework and rules governing the elections. Our main role will be to monitor the electoral process in North Carolina on November 5, 2024», stated Hajja El Joummani. For the

Algeria's amendments to UN resolution 2756 revealed by Morocco

Morocco's permanent representative to the United Nations revealed the exact number of amendments Algeria submitted to the U.S. draft resolution on the Sahara. «Out of the 44 paragraphs in the text, Algeria proposed 23 amendments. This is unprecedented. Never before has a Security Council member acted in this manner», noted Omar Hilale in an interview with national TV channel 2M. «They specifically aimed to remove any mention of Algeria as a party and eliminate the

Morocco expels two Norwegians from Laayoune

Moroccan authorities in Laayoune expelled two Norwegians on Sunday, November 3. The two had arrived on Friday, November 1, intending to «conduct investigations» into Morocco's renewable energy projects in the Sahara, according to a Spanish media outlet. During their visit, they met with members of associations affiliated with the Polisario Front to learn more about these projects. The visit followed a recent appeal on October 24 by the Norwegian Support Committee for the Saharawi

Morocco-France : Bourita's message to Algeria

In an interview with the weekly magazine Le Point, the Minister of Foreign Affairs addressed messages to Algeria, especially following the cascade of Algerian reactions in the media and on social networks to Emmanuel Macron's visit to the kingdom. «Morocco does not interfere in the relationships that other countries maintain with Algeria. We focus exclusively on our bilateral relations with our partners, leaving each country free to develop whatever ties it wishes with Algeria. This