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

Moroccans abroad send record 115.3 billion dirhams home in 2023

Remittances from Moroccans living abroad (MRE) reached a record level in 2023, standing at 115.3 billion dirhams (MMDH) compared with 110.8 MMDH in 2022, an increase of 4.1%, according to the Foreign Exchange Office. The average annual growth rate (AAGR) of these revenues over the period 2020-2023 is 19.2%, says the Office in its annual report on Morocco's balance of payments and international investment position. The increase in MRE revenues is recorded in Saudi Arabia (+47% or +3.9 MMDH),

Elderly Frenchman accused of child sex abuse in Essaouira

Police in Essaouira arrested an 80-year-old French citizen on charges of sexually assaulting minors. According to media reports, the arrest followed a tip-off that the man was in a parked caravan with two girls, aged 10 and 11. Responding to the tip, authorities apprehended the suspect and presented him to the public prosecutor in Safi on August 2. The prosecutor ordered the man's immediate detention and charged him with «assaults and violence against minors». A subsequent

Morocco's Ex-PM Benkirane congratulates Yahya Sinwar on Hamas leadership

PJD Secretary General Abdelilah Benkirane has welcomed the appointment of Yahya Sinwar as the new head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Hamas movement, following the assassination of Ismaïl Haniyeh last week in Iran. In his letter, published on Wednesday, August 7, Benkirane extended his sincere congratulations on behalf of himself and the members of the Justice and Development Party in Morocco. «We are delighted with this successful choice», he wrote. The Secretary

Algeria defies France with mass return of expelled nationals post-Sahara policy shift

Since the official recognition of the Moroccan Sahara by Paris, Algeria has opened a new front against Emmanuel Macron and his government. After withdrawing its ambassador in Paris, the Algerian government is now opting for the systematic return of its nationals expelled from France. In its Wednesday, August 7 edition, Le Canard enchaîné reports that «the situation has deteriorated since the Elysée Palace's recent stance in favor of Morocco on the subject of Western

Africa's sole representatives Moroccan break-dancers Mallakh and El-Mamouny make Olympic debut

Moroccan b-boy Bilal Mallakh and b-girl Fatima El-Mamouny are making history as the first-ever Olympic breakdancers. This marks Morocco's debut in the sport and Africa's sole representation at the Paris games. The duo qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning the World DanceSport Federation's (WDSF) African Championship in Rabat last May. «Representing Morocco is a beautiful thing», Mallakh, also known as «B-Boy Billy», told CNN. «The Olympics are

Fez high school principal sentenced to 5 years for harassing a student

The Fez Court of Appeals on Monday convicted the principal of a high school in the Ain Chekf community, affiliated with the Moulay Yacoub province to five years in prison and a fine of 1,000 dirhams after a video of him harassing a student at the school went viral, according to al3omk. The regional directorate of the Ministry of National Education in Moulay Yacoub suspended the principal last April after the harassment video circulated on the internet. The directorate confirmed that upon

Spain’s CITCO director praises strong Spain-Morocco security collaboration

Manuel Navarrete, the director of Spain’s Center for Intelligence Against Terrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO), has praised the security collaboration between Spain and Morocco. Speaking on the 10th anniversary of CITCO, Navarrete emphasized the strength and consistency of the partnership. «The cooperation between the Police, the Guardia Civil [Civil Guard], and Spanish security forces, in general, with their Moroccan counterparts is very good and constant», Navarrete stated

Morocco sees 14% surge in tourist arrivals, reaching 7.44 million in H1 2024

The volume of tourist arrivals at border crossings reached approximately 7.44 million in the first half of 2024, representing a 14% increase compared to the same period a year earlier, according to the Observatoire du Tourisme. Compared with the first half of 2023, all major outbound markets showed strong performance, with the UK (+34%), Germany (+28%), Italy (+21%), France (+17%), and Spain (+6%) all reporting growth, according to the Observatory's June 2024 statistics. The Kingdom's five

Morocco Navy exercise off Sahara coast, Canary Islands unfazed by Sumar's «concerns»

On Tuesday, August 6, the autonomous government of the Canary Islands, led by a right-wing coalition formed by Coalition Canaria and the People’s Party, commented on the Royal Moroccan Navy's exercises in the waters off the Saharan provinces. Contrary to the version given by the far-left formation Sumar, the government clarified that «the exercises are taking place far from the median line that separates the Canary Islands from Morocco». This announcement was made by Nieves

Suspect arrested in murder of Moroccan lifeguard in Italy

The suspect in the murder of a young Moroccan in Pontecorvo, Italy, has been revealed. Mehdi El Boukhani, aged 34, allegedly killed Mourad El Guerounani with a blade to the abdomen. El Boukhani claims it was an act of self-defense, a hypothesis corroborated by the carabinieri, according to Captain Bartolo Taglietti. The Italian press reports that the murder weapon has not yet been found, but it is believed to be a kitchen knife used in the stabbing of the 24-year-old victim. Discovered in a

Morocco's 2023 Trade : Growth with Europe, decline with Asia and America

Europe remains Morocco's main trading partner, with a 63.2% share of total merchandise transactions in 2023, compared with 58.8% in 2022, according to the Office des Changes. Trade with Europe amounted to 724.8 billion dirhams (billion dirhams (MAD)) in 2023, compared with 685.8 billion dirhams (MAD), an increase of 5.7%. By country, trade is mainly with Spain (28.9%), France (22.5%), Italy (7.8%), Germany (7.4%) and Turkey (6.7%), according to the same source. In its annual report on

Tragic allergic reaction claims life of UK student on Moroccan trip

A university student holidaying in Morocco with her mother died after eating a meal at a restaurant in Rabat. Eighteen-year-old Lily King suffered a severe allergic reaction after consuming a «chicken and chips» dish. The student was on a week-long trip to Morocco with her mother, Aicha, to celebrate getting top marks in her first year of university, according to reports from the Daily Mail. On June 19, the final day of their holiday, Aicha and Lily visited a restaurant and lounge

Moroccan referees Karboubi and Jermoumi to officiate USA vs Germany Olympic semi-final

Moroccan international referee Bouchra Karboubi, who has been officiating since 2016, will oversee the semi-final of the women's soccer tournament at the Paris Olympic Games (JO 2024). The match, scheduled for this Tuesday in Lyon, will feature the USA and Germany. Her compatriot Fatiha Jermoumi will assist her as referee, alongside Zambia's Diana Chikotesha and South Korea's Kim Yu-Jeong. During the group phase of the Olympic Football Tournament, Bouchra Karboubi refereed the Spain-Japan

A Morocco-Finland business forum planned for 2025

Morocco and Finland have emphasized that their bilateral relations are excellent and mutually beneficial, reaffirming their shared desire to strengthen and expand them. At a meeting on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, in Helsinki, Elina Valtonen, head of Finnish diplomacy, and Nasser Bourita, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is on a working visit, expressed their determination to enhance economic and trade ties. To this end, the organization of a business forum in 2025 will be planned

IFJ celebrates release of journalists Radi, Bouachrine, and Raissouni

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), largest global union federation of journalists' trade unions in the world, has welcomed the release of three Moroccan journalists Omar Radi, Taoufik Bouachrine, and Soulaimane Raissouni, granted royal pardon on the 25th anniversary of King Mohammed VI's accession to the throne. In a press release sent Tuesday to Yabiladi, IFJ calls on «the Moroccan authorities to cease the prosecution of journalists and uphold press

After Rabat, Paris Saint-Germain announces new academy opening in Casablanca

On Tuesday, August 6, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) announced the opening of its new PSG Academy in Casablanca, set to launch in September. «This initiative aims to extend PSG's training methodology to Moroccan youth, further strengthening the club's sporting ties with Morocco», the Parisian club stated. Located in Tamaris, «this state-of-the-art academy will be equipped with several soccer pitches and will welcome boys and girls aged 4 to 18, offering first-class training and

Finland backs Morocco's Sahara autonomy plan as «good basis for a solution»

Finland considers the Moroccan autonomy plan «a good basis for a solution» to the regional dispute over the Sahara. This stance was articulated in a Joint Communiqué issued on Tuesday by Helsinki, following a meeting between Nasser Bourita, Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Elina Valtonen, Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs. «Finland considers the autonomy plan presented in 2007 to be a serious and credible contribution to the UN-led political process and a

Spanish far-left coalition criticizes Moroccan naval exercises off Sahara coast

The Royal Moroccan Navy has scheduled naval maneuvers off the coast of the Saharan provinces from September 1 to December 31, 2024. In Spain, these operations have irritated the far-left Sumar coalition, a member of Pedro Sanchez's government and close to the Polisario. In written questions to the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs, its Sahara-born deputy, Tesh Sidi, inquired whether Morocco had informed its Iberian neighbor about these exercises. She referred to the maneuvers as