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

Casablanca hosts pioneering Esports Summit

Mastercard organized its first Africa Esports Summit in Casablanca on November 12, 2024. The event gathered financial and gaming sector representatives, including officials from the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communications. The summit featured discussions on payment technologies and regulatory frameworks for the gaming sector. Speakers included Hicham El Khlifi, President of the African Esports Confederation, and Mohamed Benomar, Mastercard's Country General Manager of North West

Morocco and Mauritania boost military ties

On Tuesday, November 12, Morocco and Mauritania held the 5th session of the Joint Military Commission in Rabat. This has been an annual event since it was launched in the Kingdom's capital in January 2020. At this latest session, the FAR Inspector General, General Mohammed Berrid, and the Mauritanian Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces emphasized the «need to further consolidate cooperation between the two Armed Forces in terms of border security and the fight against immigration and

Morocco participates in Global Forum to Combat Nuclear and Radiological Terrorism

Morocco is participating in the high-level meeting to launch the US initiative of Global Forum to Prevent Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism, or Global (FTPRNT). At the meeting, held November 13-15 in Bucharest, Romania, by the US State Department and Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Redouane Houssaini, Director of United Nations and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Resident Abroad, highlighted the security challenges facing

Morocco surpasses 2023 tourism record in just 10 months, with 14.6 million arrivals

Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, Traditional Industry, Social Economy and Solidarity, revealed that the number of tourists reached 14.6 million by the end of October, surpassing the entire year's record for 2023 in just 10 months. This exceptional performance represents a 19% increase compared to the same period in 2023, with 2.3 million additional arrivals. This remarkable growth concerns both foreign tourists, up 22% (1.3+ million), and Moroccans living abroad, up 16% (1+

Morocco to establish railway carriage factory, Minister announces plan

Minister of Transport and Logistics Abdessamad Qaiouh said on Monday in the House of Representatives that a project to set up a railway carriage factory in Morocco is expected to be implemented. In response to a question posed by the Istiqlal Team for Unity and Equilibrium during an oral question session, Qaiouh explained that this factory will be able to supply the National Railway Office with these wagons and export them to a number of African countries. The minister highlighted that the

Space station captures Morocco's desert marvel

An International Space Station astronaut has documented one of Morocco's most striking desert landscapes, photographing the Erg Chebbi dune field from orbit on December 21, 2023. The image provides a detailed view of this southeastern Moroccan landmark, situated near the Algerian border northeast of the Little Atlas mountains. SciTechDaily magazine reports that the photograph, taken during ISS Expedition 70, reveals the complex structure of the region's star dunes, also known as pyramid

Morocco's first PCR test for mpox endorsed by Africa CDC

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, through its Diagnostic Advisory Committee (DAC), has recommended the first locally manufactured Real-Time PCR test for mpox from Morocco. In a press release published on Tuesday, the body described the Morocco-made PCR test as a «major milestone» in line with «the African Union's continental effort to strengthen the self-sufficiency of African public health systems towards enhancing the continent's efficiency in

CDG, Gotion High-Tech ink MoU to support electric battery gigafactory in Kenitra

The Deposit and Management Fund (CDG) and Gotion High-Tech Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday in Hefei, China, to support the electric battery gigafactory currently under development in Kenitra, Morocco. The agreement was signed by CDG's CEO, Khalid Safir, and Gotion High-Tech Chairman, Li Zhen. It outlines that CDG Invest, the investment arm of CDG, will acquire a stake in Gotion Power Morocco through its NAMA industry fund, according to a press release from the

ONEE finalizes desalination project to ensure water for Sahara fishing village

The National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) has completed a project to secure the drinking water supply for the Amgrew fishing village in the province of Tarfaya, utilizing a seawater desalination plant. This desalination plant is ONEE's 12th and its 10th in the Kingdom's southern provinces, according to an ONEE press release. Financed by ONEE and the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra Regional Council, at a total cost of approximately 26.1 million dirhams, the project involves

Strong wind gusts and dust storms expected Thursday in Morocco

The General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM) has issued an orange-level alert, warning of strong wind gusts and likely dust storms expected to affect multiple provinces on Thursday. The alert spans the regions of Figuig, Jerada, Oujda-Angad, Taourirt, Boulemane, and Midelt, where winds reaching speeds of 75 to 90 kmph (47 to 56 mph) are anticipated from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Ryanair to launch new routes connecting Dakhla to Madrid and Lanzarote

Ryanair will connect Dakhla airport to two Spanish destinations: Madrid and Lanzarote. This new service, set to launch in January 2025, aims to boost the Moroccan city's connectivity. The announcement follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday between the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) and the Irish low-cost carrier, with Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, Crafts and the Social Economy, and Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair, in attendance. According to an ONMT

IMF grants $415m to boost Morocco's green transition

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board has approved a second disbursement of $415 million to Morocco under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility. «The authorities continue to demonstrate strong commitment to Morocco’s transition toward a greener economy», the IMF stated in a release issued Monday from Washington. This additional funding brings the total disbursed under the program to approximately $747 million. Back in September 2023, the IMF’s

UN urged to preserve lives of Sahrawis killed in «pointless war»

The Saharawi Movement for Peace (MSP) has expressed its frustration over the ongoing «war» initiated by the Polisario Front against the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) on November 13, 2020. This sentiment was conveyed in a letter sent yesterday by the MSP's Secretary General, Hach Ahmed Bericalla, to the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura. Bericalla called for «urgent intervention» to prevent «young Sahrawis from being used

Morocco to acquire new Turkish Akıncı drones

Morocco is set to receive new Turkish drones, this time of the Akıncı type, manufactured by the Baykar company, according to the FAR Morocco Forum on X. Delivery of the first unmanned aircraft is scheduled for early 2025. The Royal Armed Forces had considered purchasing Akıncı drones as early as 2023. Talks were initiated between the two parties in August of that year. Unlike the 19 Bayraktar TB2s, which the Moroccan army acquired in 2021, the Akıncı features cutting-edge technology. It

Head of Government chairs Moroccan delegation at COP29 in Baku

Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, who is leading the Moroccan delegation at the 29th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Azerbaijan, was welcomed on Tuesday at the Olympic Stadium in Baku by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The Head of Government was accompanied by Minister of Energy and Sustainable Development Leila Benali and Moroccan Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohamed Adil Embarch. Akhannouch

Regragui : Fierce competition for places in Morocco national team

National coach Walid Regragui said on Tuesday that competition for places on the national football team is fierce. «There’s competition between the players we have available, and the tougher the competition, the more choices I have, as coach, to have the most exemplary squad possible», Regragui enthused at a press conference held at the Mohammed V Football Complex in Salé, ahead of the Moroccan national team’s matches against Gabon on November 15 in

Morocco sends support to Spain, deploys relief teams for Valencia flood recovery

The Spanish government has accepted aid from several countries, including Morocco, to support efforts in rehabilitating areas affected by Storm Dana, which recently struck the Valencia region. According to a statement by the Spanish Interior Ministry, Spain is preparing to mobilize dozens of workers and essential equipment over the next 24 to 48 hours from Morocco, France, and Portugal. This includes resources for extracting and transporting mud and debris. Following Valencia’s approval

Morocco and Spain team up to revitalize red meat sector

Moroccan and Spanish businessmen and officials met in Rabat on Tuesday to discuss ways to rehabilitate and modernize Morocco's red meat sector. The meeting was organized by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services of the Rabat-Salé-Quneitra region. Participants reviewed the strengths of both Morocco and Spain in the red meat industry, emphasizing the need to develop and strengthen the sector through investment in all its chains. This would help diversify supply, control prices,