Flash actualités

Uber eyes Dakhla launch in Western Sahara after Morocco comeback

After relaunching its operations in late 2025 in Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier, the U.S. ride-hailing giant Uber is now considering expanding into Western Sahara, with a possible launch in Dakhla. According to Africa Intelligence, the market study has been entrusted to a well-connected consultancy in Morocco. Uber reportedly hired the same Moroccan firm that assisted the company during its first entry into the Moroccan market in 2015. That initial expansion, however, ran into a

Moroccan man in Italy car attack had history of mental health treatment, no extremist links found

Italian investigators said searches carried out at the home of 31-year-old Moroccan Salim El Koudri uncovered no evidence of extremist activity or signs of self-radicalization following Saturday’s car-ramming attack in central Modena, which left eight people injured. According to Italian media reports, authorities found no propaganda material or documents linked to extremist groups during the search of his apartment. Toxicology tests also came back negative for alcohol and drugs, while

Mamelodi Sundowns’ Morocco trip reportedly held up by permit issue ahead of CAF final

South African club Mamelodi Sundowns saw its travel to Rabat delayed by 24 hours ahead of Sunday’s CAF Champions League final second leg against AS FAR after Moroccan authorities reportedly failed to issue a landing permit for the team’s charter flight. According to South African media reports, the Pretoria-based club was unable to depart from OR Tambo International Airport as scheduled due to administrative complications linked to the aircraft’s authorization to land in

Ten years after his death in The Hague, Moroccan man finally identified

Ten years after an unidentified homeless man died alone in a hospital in The Hague, a breakthrough investigation stretching from the Netherlands to Rabat and Italy has finally restored his identity and given his family long-awaited answers. The man died on April 14, 2016, at Leyenburg Hospital in The Hague after years spent living on the streets. Despite a police investigation, no one was able to identify him, and his case gradually faded into obscurity. Nearly a decade later, the Dutch Cold

Morocco raises over 2 billion euros in international bond sale

In a sign of continued investor confidence in Morocco’s economy, the kingdom raised €2.25 billion through a bond issuance on international markets. The operation was divided into two tranches: a €1.25 billion tranche maturing in 2034 and a second worth €1 billion set to mature in 2038. According to Asharq, the issuance drew €5.2 billion in orders, making it nearly 2.5 times oversubscribed. Pricing margins were set at 170 basis points above US Treasury yields for the

Putin appoints former pro-Polisario diplomat as ambassador to Morocco

Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Igor Belyaev as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Morocco, Russian state media reported on Tuesday. The diplomat is already well acquainted with the region, having served as Russia’s ambassador to Algeria from July 2017 to May 2022. During that time, he stood out for statements favorable to the Polisario, particularly after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced in March 2022 his support

French FM Barrot in Rabat to boost Morocco France partnership

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot is expected in Rabat on Wednesday to co-chair, alongside his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, the Second Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping in Francophone Environments. António Guterres is also expected to take part in the meeting. On the sidelines of the conference, Barrot will hold talks with Bourita on ways to further strengthen the framework of the «enhanced exceptional partnership» between Morocco and France.

Atlas Cubs advance to U17 AFCON quarter-finals and Qatar 2026

Morocco’s U17 national football team has qualified for the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar after securing a place in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco 2026) with a 2-1 victory over Egypt on Tuesday evening at Pitch No. 8 of the Mohammed VI Football Complex. The Atlas Cubs opened the scoring in the 18th minute through Mohamed Amine Moustache before Imrane Talai doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time (45+1). Egypt pulled one back shortly after the restart

Morocco adopts legal profession reform bill

The House of Representatives on Tuesday adopted Bill 66.23 regulating the legal profession, approving the text by a majority vote of 163 in favor and 57 against. Presenting the bill’s main new provisions, Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi said the reform forms part of a broader effort to modernize Morocco’s judicial system. With the aim of raising standards for entry into the profession, the bill introduces a competitive selection process to replace the current examination

Morocco accelerates energy reforms with major renewable investment push

Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Leila Benali said Tuesday in the House of Councillors that the government is moving ahead with major structural reforms in the energy sector aimed at strengthening Morocco’s energy sovereignty, boosting investment, and creating jobs. Responding to oral questions, Benali said the draft law regulating the natural gas sector is currently progressing through the adoption process at the General Secretariat of the Government. She noted

John Bolton reassures Spain and the Polisario

As some Republican voices in the United States question Spain’s «sovereignty» over Ceuta and Melilla, including Representative Mario Díaz-Balart, an ally of Marco Rubio, John Bolton has moved to reassure the Spanish authorities. The former national security adviser to Donald Trump during his first term in the White House dismissed the idea that Morocco could replace Spain in its strategic role in the Mediterranean. «Spain has always been an Atlantic power»,

Royal Air Maroc adds 32 direct flights to United States for Morocco fans at 2026 World Cup

Royal Air Maroc has launched an exceptional program to transport supporters of Morocco’s national team to the United States during the 2026 World Cup, scheduling 32 additional direct flights to New York, Boston and Atlanta, with a total capacity of more than 8,800 seats. In a statement, the airline said the special flights will operate during the first round of the World Cup, from June 13 to 24, 2026, to enable Moroccan fans to accompany and support the national team during its matches

Madagascar supports Moroccan sovereignty over Sahara

Madagascar, committed to the principle of the territorial integrity of United Nations Member States, has expressed its support for respect for Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The position was set out in a joint statement issued following talks on Tuesday in Rabat between Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, and Madagascar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alice N’Diaye. In the joint

Morocco heatwave alert as temperatures hit 42C

A heatwave and hot weather are expected from Wednesday to Friday in several Moroccan provinces, with temperatures ranging from 34°C to 42°C, the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM) announced. According to an orange-level weather alert issued by the DGM, a heatwave with temperatures between 37°C and 42°C will affect the provinces of Ouazzane, Meknès, Fès, Moulay Yaâcoub, Taounate, Sidi Kacem, Khémisset, Sidi Slimane, Khouribga, Fqih Ben Salah,

Moroccan front condemns Israeli interception of Sumud Flotilla carrying Gaza aid

The Moroccan Front for Supporting Palestine and Opposing Normalization condemned what it described as the «maritime assault and piracy» carried out by the Israeli occupation army against the humanitarian Sumud Flotilla as it sailed in international waters on May 18, 2026, saying the operation constituted a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and conventions guaranteeing freedom of navigation. In a statement, the Front said that naval forces affiliated with the

Morocco treasury financing requirement drops to MAD 21 billion by April 2026

The Treasury expenses and resources statement (SCRT) showed a financing requirement of 20.9 billion dirhams (MAD) at the end of April 2026, compared with 33.3 billion dirhams over the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Net funds raised on the domestic market remained steady at around 19.2 billion dirhams, while net external borrowing stood at negative 2.5 billion dirhams, the ministry said in its latest SCRT report. The flow of domestic borrowing

Ismaël Saibari named best player in the Dutch league

Moroccan international Ismaël Saibari has won the Eredivisie Golden Shoe, an award honoring the best player in the Dutch football league. The 25-year-old PSV Eindhoven attacking midfielder finished well clear at the top of the annual ranking compiled by Dutch daily De Telegraaf, in partnership with the KNVB, the governing body of football in the Netherlands, and the VVCS, the association representing Dutch professional players. The jury, made up of 35 former Netherlands internationals

Al Hoceima man gets 20 years for Eid mosque attack on imam

The Criminal Chamber of First Instance at the Court of Appeal in Al Hoceima has sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for attempting to kill a mosque imam with a bladed weapon during Eid al-Fitr prayers at a mosque in the Tabrant commune, in Al Hoceima province. The court also ordered the defendant to pay 50,000 dirhams in civil compensation to the imam, after the public prosecutor’s office charged him with attempted premeditated murder. The incident dates back to the morning of Eid,