Flash actualités

Saudi Arabia enhances Hajj regulations for 1447 H with new measures and strict controls

The Saudi authorities have rolled out a series of organizational measures for the 1447 Hajj season, aiming to ensure a smooth and orderly pilgrimage, as announced by the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs. «Only those with official authorization will be allowed to perform the pilgrimage rites. Pilgrims arriving from abroad must secure an official Hajj visa, which is necessary to obtain the Nusuk card,» the ministry detailed in a press release. These measures also involve

Jazzablanca 2026 brings world music icons to Casablanca for a 10-day celebration

The 19th edition of the Jazzablanca Festival, running from July 2 to 11, 2026, is set to be a grand celebration of jazz, world music, and contemporary sounds. Over 10 days, 50 concerts will breathe life into Casablanca, with performances spread across three stages. Anfa Park will host 40 shows, while 10 free performances will take place at the Arab League Park, a first in the festival's history. At Anfa Park, the first weekend (Thursday, July 2 to Saturday, July 4) will spotlight international

Military Service 2026: Registration deadline set for Thursday at midnight

The Ministry of the Interior has announced that the registration process for the 2026 military service intake will close on Thursday, April 30 at midnight, as part of the census operation launched on March 2. Young people who have received a notice to complete the military service census form are urged to do so via the dedicated website (www.tajnid.ma) before the deadline. The ministry also called on young men and women wishing to volunteer for the next intake, scheduled to begin on September

Camarinal Still poses key challenge for Morocco–Spain undersea tunnel

Morocco and Spain are moving forward with plans for a major underwater tunnel beneath the Strait of Gibraltar, with estimated costs ranging between €7.5 billion and €10 billion. The project aims to link Africa and Europe through a railway line dedicated to transporting passengers and goods. The tunnel would run between Punta Paloma, near Tarifa in Spain, and Malabata, near Tangier, spanning 42 kilometers, including 27.7 kilometers under the seabed at depths of up to 475 meters. The

Akhannouch holds talks with US Deputy Secretary Landau on expanding Morocco–US ties

Morocco’s Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch met on Thursday in Rabat with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who is on an official visit to the kingdom, in the presence of U.S. Ambassador Duke Buchan III. The talks focused on strengthening the strategic partnership between Morocco and the United States, reads a press release by the government. Akhannouch welcomed Washington’s reaffirmation of its recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and its

Morocco reviews progress on advanced regionalization, pushes for faster implementation

Morocco is stepping up efforts to advance regionalization, with a new meeting held Wednesday at the Interior Ministry in Rabat to assess progress on the rollout of advanced regionalization. The meeting brought together concerned ministers, regional governors, and presidents of regional councils, in line with royal guidelines issued during the ministerial council of April 9, 2026, chaired by King Mohammed VI, reads a press release. Participants reviewed progress on the roadmap for advanced

Kenitra police arrest suspect in severe assault case involving bladed weapon

Police in Kenitra arrested a 56-year-old man on Wednesday, April 29, on suspicion of carrying out a violent assault with a bladed weapon. According to a security source, the suspect allegedly attacked a person with a sharp object last Sunday in Kenitra, causing serious injuries. The incident, which was captured in a video circulating on social media, prompted an investigation that led to his identification and arrest. The suspect has been placed in custody as part of an investigation

Kenitra man sentenced to 15 years in prison for road rage assault on truck driver

On Wednesday, the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeal in Kenitra sentenced the man accused of assaulting a truck driver in the industrial area of the Kenitra Free Zone, in an incident that occurred at the end of March. The defendant was handed 15 years in prison and ordered to pay 100,000 dirhams in civil damages to the victim, in recognition of the serious injuries he sustained. The case sparked widespread outrage on social media after a video showed the attacker striking the victim on

ONHYM plans fundraising for $25bn Nigeria–Morocco gas pipeline

Morocco’s state-run Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) is preparing to raise part of the $25 billion needed to finance the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The fundraising would mark ONHYM’s first since its conversion into a public limited company in February, a move aimed at strengthening its ability to structure partnerships and mobilize diversified financing for large-scale projects in Morocco and abroad. The company did not

Mohammed becomes one of the most common names in southern Spain cities

The name «Mohammed» has become one of the most common in several southern Spanish cities, according to the latest data from the Andalusian Institute of Statistics and Cartography. The figures show particularly high concentrations in Almería, especially in agricultural municipalities such as Níjar and La Mojonera, where more than 15% of residents bear the name, a share that rises further when different spellings are included. Similar patterns can be observed in parts

Israel denies supporting Morocco's Ceuta and Melilla claims

Following the circulation of Israeli media reports in recent days suggesting that Israel could support Morocco’s claims over the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, Israel’s ambassador to Spain, Dana Erlich, has denied that such an approach is under consideration. She stressed that the issue is not among the Israeli government’s current priorities. Erlich made the remarks during a seminar in Madrid, dismissing the reports as unfounded. «This is not something we are considering

Moroccan Karim Mosta shares epic cycling journey from Casablanca to Beijing

The Hangzhou National Silk Museum has opened a photographic exhibition titled «Cycling on the Silk Road, from Morocco to China», retracing the remarkable journey of Moroccan cyclist Karim Mosta, who at the age of 70 rode from Casablanca to Beijing in seven months. Supported by the Moroccan Embassy in China, the exhibition features 50 documentary photographs capturing Mosta’s 15,000-kilometer journey across 15 countries. It will run until July 31. Launched in February 2024,

Tangier hosts seminar bringing together Fulbright scholars from Morocco and Spain

Tangier hosted the «Crossing the Strait» research seminar from April 27 to 29, bringing together 26 American Fulbright scholars based in Morocco and Spain for an interdisciplinary exchange focused on cooperation across the Strait of Gibraltar. Organized by the Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (MACECE) in partnership with the Fulbright Commission in Spain and the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIM), the three-day event

BNP Paribas sells BMCI stake to Holmarcom Finance Company

BNP Paribas has agreed to sell its entire 67% stake in the Moroccan Bank for Commerce and Industry (BMCI) to Holmarcom Finance Company (HFC), the two groups announced on Wednesday. A long-time partner and shareholder of BMCI for more than three decades, Holmarcom is now set to support the bank’s next phase of growth and development. BNP Paribas, for its part, reaffirmed its long-term commitment to Morocco, noting that it will continue to expand its investment banking activities in the

Morocco signs deal to develop integrated desalination industry

Morocco has taken a new step toward strengthening its water security and industrial sovereignty, with the signing of a framework partnership agreement to develop an integrated desalination industry. In a statement posted Wednesday on X, Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour announced that the agreement was signed in Rabat alongside Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water, and Amine Mohamed, president of the Moroccan Federation of Water Professions, in the presence of key sector

Morocco's Bourita warns of separatism and terrorism alliance threatening Mali's stability

On Wednesday in Rabat, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita addressed the escalating crisis in Mali during a press briefing. «The Kingdom of Morocco has observed a now evident collusion between separatism and terrorism. This objective alliance poses a threat to regional stability and to Mali,» he stated at a joint press conference with Christopher Landau. He characterized this complicity as a «risk» for «the Sahel region, which is navigating a very critical phase in

Sahara: Massad Boulos meets with the head of MINURSO

On Wednesday, Massad Boulos, the special advisor to President Donald Trump on African and Arab affairs, held a meeting with Alexander Ivanko, the UN Secretary-General's special representative and head of MINURSO. «I reaffirmed U.S. support for a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution in Western Sahara based on genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty», declared Massad Boulos on the platform X. «Iemphasized the importance of sustained engagement,

Morocco joins the Artemis Accords for space exploration collaboration with the US

The collaboration between Morocco and the United States is entering a pivotal new phase. «Today, we are excited to witness our partnership extend into the realm of space,» U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced on Wednesday in Rabat, following Morocco's signing of the Artemis Accords. This statement was delivered during a press conference after Landau's meeting with Nasser Bourita, Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Living