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

Spain and Morocco renew commitment to joint firefighting efforts

The Spanish government reiterated its firm commitment to pursuing cooperation with Morocco in firefighting. An action plan for preventing and controlling forest fires in 2024 has been adopted. The plan aims to establish how the national government will support regional firefighting efforts. This agreement approves the 2024 forest fire prevention and control plan and acknowledges the implementation report for the 2023 plan. Since 2005, the Spanish government has adopted a set of

Real Madrid blocks Morocco's Brahim Diaz from Olympic participation

Real Madrid will not allow Moroccan international Brahim Diaz to participate in the Olympic Games in Paris this summer with the Moroccan Olympic team. The Moroccan team wanted him as one of their three overage players allowed in the Olympics, «but Real Madrid informed him that the club's decision is not to allow him to go to Paris 2024», according to the Spanish newspaper AS. With a packed summer schedule including the European Championship and Copa America, Real Madrid has 18

GCA joins €171M project to boost climate resilience and jobs in Morocco's forests

The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), an international organization that promotes adaptation to climate change impacts, announced Wednesday its involvement in an African Development Bank (AfDB) led project, PADIDZOF, aimed at improving Morocco's forest areas' climate resilience and creating jobs for youth and women. In a press release, GCA stated that PADIDZOF, with a total investment of €171 million, aims to restore 133,000 hectares of vegetation cover in Morocco by 2030. This project

Moroccan captain forced on migrant journey : Two men face trial in Spain

A Granada court on Tuesday began the trial of two men accused of forcing the captain of a fishing boat in Morocco to take them under threat to Motril in Granada in order to enter Spain irregularly. The two defendants, who have been in pre-trial detention since their arrest by the Civil Guard's Maritime Service, are facing a five-year prison sentence requested by the Granada prosecutor's office for illegal detention and causing minor injuries to the captain. The incident dates back to May

When the Merkava doesn't scare you… Cakes and cookies for the Eid

When the Merkava doesn't scare you,For you know that even your youngestChild can easily sweep it off the ground,Like dust fallen off dirty chalky shoes; When you pity the misfits inside it,Thinking they were commanded by theLord to crush the tiny naked pink doll,On their way to commit genocide; When you think of their dreadful fear,That they might come face to face,With men who pledged to avengeHundreds of thousands of olive trees; They know they can't put up a fight,They know that even that

Football Arbitration Court reverses suspension of Moroccan footballer Mohamed Chibi

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned the suspension imposed on Moroccan international Mohamed Chibi by the Egyptian Football Association. Pyramids FC, Chibi's club, explained in a press release that CAS recognized Chibi's right to seek civil justice for El Shahat's aggression, requiring the Egyptian Football Association to lift the suspension immediately. The decision comes a day after the club lodged an appeal, saying it wanted to «preserve the rights of its

Moroccans top list of foreign contributors to Spain's social security system

For the second consecutive month, Moroccan nationals represent the largest group of foreign workers contributing to Spain's social security system, according to figures released on Tuesday by the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. Moroccans now top the list with 358,371 affiliates, nearly 11,500 more than April. Romanians follow closely with 351,890 contributors, then Colombians (205,890), Italians (194,182), Venezuelans (157,784), and Chinese (157,784). The number

Cold snap and drought cripple Morocco's melon and watermelon season

Morocco's melon and watermelon season has been severely disrupted this year by exceptional weather conditions. Unseasonably cold temperatures and persistent drought have crippled production. The main producing regions, notably Souss, Al Haouz, El Kelaa des Sraghna, Settat, and Beni Mellal, saw harvests delayed, further exacerbating the shortage, reports FreshPlaza. The consequences of this crisis are being felt on both local and international markets. Prices for melons and watermelons have

Morocco becomes top buyer of Spanish regasified gas

The Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline (GME) resumed operations in reverse flow on June 28, 2022. In the past two years, Morocco has become one of the main customers of Spanish regasification facilities. Since the beginning of the year, deliveries to Morocco have accounted for 16.5% of all Spain's natural gas re-exports, significantly surpassing the 12.5% share achieved in 2023, reported Iberian media. The record was broken in January, when Morocco became the top importer of gas processed in Spain,

Morocco intercepts over 200 migrants near Ceuta on Eid al-Adha eve

Just over 200 migrants were intercepted in the two days leading up to Eid al-Adha in Morocco on suspicion of attempting to enter Ceuta, according to Moroccan media citing local authorities. The migrants included Moroccan nationals, Algerians, and sub-Saharan Africans. Authorities apprehended them in the forested border zone and neighboring areas. The sources report that the migrants planned to cross into Ceuta via the double border fence, by swimming across the breakwaters, or using fishing

Spain considers legal action against Polisario leader for unpaid €45,000 hospital bill

La Rioja's local government in Spain may sue Polisario leader Ibrahim Ghali to collect the 45,658 euro bill for his 44-day hospitalization in Logroño from April 18 to June 1, 2021. Ghali's hospitalization sparked a diplomatic rift with Morocco, which was later resolved with Spain's support for Morocco's autonomy plan for the Sahara. The previous socialist administration under Concha Andreu had withheld the bill from the judge investigating potential irregularities and abuse of power

Game turns tragic : 24-year-old Moroccan drowns in Italy

A tragic accident has claimed the life of a 24-year-old Moroccan man in Trieste, northeastern Italy. Ayoub Lakhlalki went missing after entering the water during a gathering with friends at the old port (Porto Vecchio) last week. Local media reports suggest it may have been part of a game that ended in misfortune. The Moroccan is believed to have thrown himself in the water as part of a game. His body was later found in the same area.

New visa initiative for Moroccan alumni of French universities

The French Embassy in Morocco has launched a new initiative to facilitate visa application procedures for Moroccan graduates of French higher education. The program targets Moroccan graduates with master's or doctoral degrees registered on the France Alumni Maroc platform, as well as engineers. This system allows graduates to easily access visa appointments and process their applications within specific timeframes. Applications are handled according to Schengen regulations, ensuring compliance

Spanish-Moroccan Lamine Yamal becomes youngest Euro player in Spain-Croatia match

Spanish-Moroccan wonderkid Lamine Yamal made history on Saturday, June 15th. The soon-to-be 17-year-old (his birthday is July 13th) became the youngest player ever to appear in a Euro match, starting for FC Barcelona in their win against Croatia in Berlin. Yamal, a dazzling young winger, played a key role in the match, even grabbing the crucial assist. Despite his young age, he's already a star at Barcelona, having notched an impressive seven goals and eight assists in 50 games across all

Spain's Grande-Marlaska highlights coordination's role in OPE success

While Operation Strait Crossing (OPE) saw a peak in passenger numbers during its first three days, totaling almost 50,000, Spain's Minister of the Interior praised the «excellent coordination» that ensured the smooth running of this crossing, accompanied by Operation Marhaba in Morocco. Visiting the port facilities of Algeciras on Monday, one of the main points of the joint operation, Fernando Grande-Marlaska pointed out that «the movement of people and vehicles towards

Moroccan man on trial for threatening Spanish diplomats

In Spain, the National Court will begin the trial on Thursday of a Moroccan man accused of sending threatening emails last August to the Spanish consulate in Casablanca. According to the EFE news agency, the suspect was reacting to delays in processing his marriage paperwork. The Moroccan national allegedly threatened the civil registry officials at the Spanish consulate general in Morocco, calling them «criminals» and promising to «slit their throats», the report

Abraham Accords : Arab nations cut Israeli arms orders

The Israeli Ministry of Defense welcomed, on Monday, June 17, the «new record in 2023, for the third consecutive year, amounting to nearly double the value of exports compared to five years ago». In 2023, the value of exports reached $13 billion last year compared to $12.5 billion in 2022 and $11.4 billion in 2021. Between 2018 and 2020, this figure fluctuated between $7.5 and $8.5 billion, according to Israeli media.   In 2023, orders from Arab countries that signed the

Marhaba 2024 : Nearly 50,000 travelers crossed Spanish ports in 3 days

Nearly 50,000 travelers crossed through Andalusian ports during the first three days of Operation Strait Crossing (OPE), a significant increase of 90.7% compared to the same period in 2023. OPE, launched on June 13th on the Spanish side and coordinated with Morocco's Marhaba 2024 operation, facilitates travel across the Strait of Gibraltar during the peak summer season. Data from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, obtained by Europa Press, reveals a total of 49,946 travelers between June