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

Morocco education Minister responds to keffiyeh controversy at awards ceremony

Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation Abdellatif Miraoui has responded to the recent controversy at an awards ceremony where the dean of the Faculty of Science of Ben Msik in Casablanca refused to award an outstanding student for wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh. Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, the minister described the incident as a «personal opinion» and suggested that the dean might have made a mistake. The National Syndicate for Higher Education

Spain denies citizenship to Moroccan over «Islamist proselytizing»

Spanish courts have denied citizenship to a Moroccan national, upholding a 2022 decision by the Interior Ministry. A Spanish police investigation accused the Moroccan of «Islamist proselytizing» among unaccompanied minors in a reception center, according to El Confidencial Digital. The accused allegedly urged the minors to strictly adhere to religious precepts, especially outside Muslim countries, and «justified certain Daesh terrorist actions», the same source

One killed, 51 injured in Morocco bus accident

A deadly road accident occurred on Tuesday in the province of Béni Mellal when a passenger coach overturned, killing one person and injuring 51 others, 15 critically. The coach, carrying 52 people, collided with a light vehicle approximately 10 kilometers from the center of Oulad Yaich. Emergency services, including the Royal Gendarmerie and Civil Protection, were immediately dispatched to the scene. The injured were transported to the regional hospital in Béni Mellal and the

Raja player's transfer drama : Near miss between Russia and Morocco

In June, a representative from FK Dynamo Moscow traveled to Casablanca to negotiate the transfer of a Raja de Casablanca player. The process, however, was met with unexpected hurdles. An agent claiming exclusive representation for Raja, backed by an official power of attorney, intervened to lead the negotiations. The agent made exorbitant demands, including illegal commissions that violated FIFA regulations, according to Al Ahdath Al Maghribia. Frustrated, the Moscow club's representative

Morocco and Malawi strengthen cooperation in Laayoune

Foreign Ministers Nasser Bourita of Morocco and Nancy Tembo of Malawi signed several agreements during the first meeting of the Joint Cooperation Commission between their countries, held on Tuesday, July 16, in Laayoune. This commission marks a new chapter in Morocco-Malawi cooperation across various sectors, including agriculture, food security, mining, water, sanitation, energy, transportation, infrastructure, land management, housing, urban development, higher education, scientific

Morocco and Guinea-Bissau forge tew Trade and infrastructure partnerships in Laayoune

Nasser Bourita, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Carlos Pinto Pereira, his Guinea-Bissau counterpart, signed several agreements at the conclusion of the 3rd Moroccan-BissauGuinean Joint Cooperation Commission meeting on Tuesday, July 16, in Laâyoune. The two ministers signed agreements on mutual administrative assistance in customs matters, road transport of passengers and goods, and reciprocal recognition of driving licenses. Other agreements included a cooperation agreement

Moroccan man gets 3 years for falsely reporting a bomb to avoid missed flight

A Moroccan national residing in Belgium was sentenced to three years in prison on Monday, July 15, by a Fez court for disrupting a flight by falsely reporting a bomb. He was also fined 10,000 dirhams. The public prosecutor decided to prosecute the 50-year-old man after he was provisionally detained in Bourkaiz Prison. Scheduled to fly from Fez Sais Airport to Belgium earlier in June, the man called and falsely reported the presence of a bomb on the plane fearing he might miss his flight. The

17,000 Moroccans receive direct housing assistance

The number of people who have benefited from the Direct Housing Assistance Program has reached 17,000 by July 15, 44% of whom are women and 22% are expatriates, Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch said on Monday. Speaking at the House of Representatives' question time, Akhannouch revealed that 84,500 requests to benefit from the program have been submitted to the dedicated platform. The total value of the homes acquired amounted to 6.3 billion dirhams, with the State contributing 1.3 MMDH, said

Morocco opens door for importing pet food animal meal

Morocco has created a new system for importing animal meals, specifically for use in dog and cat food, the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) reported in a July 9th announcement. This framework, implemented by the Moroccan government for the first time, now permits the use of animal meal specifically in dog and cat food production. The new regulation, issued by Morocco's Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits

UK government warns citizens of protest risks in Morocco

The British government has warned its nationals wishing to travel to Morocco of the safety risks posed by popular protests. «Protests and demonstrations could occur across the country, particularly in large cities, often without warning», the UK Foreign Travel Office said in a recently updated travel warning. «These events are typically monitored closely by law enforcement. While authorized protests are generally peaceful, unauthorized ones have sometimes led to clashes

Spain urges Pedro Sanchez to address Moroccan agricultural imports

A Spanish farmers' union, closely aligned with Vox, has urged the government of Pedro Sanchez to take action against the entry of agricultural products from Morocco. «If measures do not start to materialize in September, meaning real decrees with concrete decisions, then we will resume protests with our tractors in November and December», warned the coordinator of the Union told media. For the record, on April 25, the Spanish Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Luis Planas,

South Africa's new Foreign Minister meets Polisario envoy

South Africa’s Unity government was quick to respond to the Polisario's request, expressed on July 2, to meet its new Foreign Minister. On Monday, July 15 in Pretoria, Ronald Lamola received the Front's «Minister of Foreign Affairs» and Brahim Ghali's envoy. «South Africa will continue to raise the issue of the self-determination of Western Sahara with the international community», Lamola said on X. Mohamed Sidati's visit to Pretoria comes after Ronald Lamola

UN approves 9.1% budget increase for MINURSO operations

The UN General Assembly has approved a budget of $75.35 million for the operations of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) from July 2024 to June 2025. This represents a 9.1% increase compared to the previous fiscal year. The financial allocation is broken down into several components: $68.79 million for the day-to-day running of MINURSO; around $5 million to fund the peacekeeping support account; $872,000 for the UN Logistics Base in Brindisi, Italy; and $686,000 for

Samir case : Corral Holding awarded only $150 million of claimed $2.7 billion

The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) dismissed, on Monday, most of Corral Morocco Holding's claims, amounting to $2.7 billion. The tribunal awarded the group only $150 million, less than 6% of the amount initially claimed. Moroccan Economy and Finance Minister Nadia Fettah, speaking to MAP-Washington, emphasized the measures Morocco took to help SAMIR, the oil refinery at the center of the dispute. She highlighted the significant resources mobilized and the

AfDB launches «RASME» digital tool to modernize Morocco's development projects

The African Development Bank (AfDB) launched the new «RASME» digital solution on Monday, which collects accurate and reliable data in real-time to monitor the progress of projects in digital formats. The RASME (Appraisal Supervision Monitoring and Evaluation), soon to be extended to all other African countries, utilizes several digital technologies to further improve project monitoring and evaluation processes, according to a press release from the AfDB. Speaking on the occasion,

Algerian National Assembly president criticizes Morocco

A new edition of the Boumerdès summer university for Polisario cadres opened on Sunday, July 14, in Algeria. In the absence of Brahim Ghali, the president of the Polisario Front's parliament, Hamma Salama, presided over the opening ceremony. Unlike last year, Algeria sent Mohamed Reda Ousahla, the Vice-Chairman of the Lower House in charge of foreign relations, to read a speech by the Chairman, Salah Goudjil. Goudjil, officially Algeria's No. 2 figure, denounced «Morocco's

Amazingh Festival brings Amazigh Music to Morocco's coast

The first edition of the Amazingh Taghazout Bay Festival will take place from August 2 to 10 in Taghazout Bay (Agadir), offering an immersive experience celebrating musical diversity. An inspired combination of «Amazigh» and «Amazing», Amazingh aims to be a fusion reflecting a balance between the region's cultural heritage and the extraordinary experience the festival promises to deliver, according to Seven PM, the event organizers. Over nine days, festivalgoers can

Swimmer Hassan Baraka becomes first Moroccan to cross the English Channel

On Saturday, July 13, swimmer Hassan Baraka crossed the English Channel, a 55-kilometer journey from England to France, becoming the first Moroccan to achieve this feat. Baraka swam from Dover in the UK to Cap Blanc-Nez (Pas-de-Calais, France) in 15 hours and 55 minutes, culminating years of preparation that included participation in long-distance races across diverse weather conditions. Baraka contended with cold waters (ranging from 12 to 14 degrees Celsius), strong currents, and the