IFC loans €197 million to expand Morocco's Tanger Med Port Complex  (Read more...)

Sahara : Algeria reiterates refusal to participate in UN round tables

At the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, September 30, Algeria called for the «decolonization of Western Sahara», according to an official media source. The Algerian Foreign Minister stated, «The colonization of this region is bound to end, no matter how long it takes. The legitimate rights of the Saharawi people will eventually be fulfilled». He added, «Algeria rejects any attempt to impose a fait accompli. The Saharawi people will

Royal Air Maroc cancels Brussels flights Tuesday amid general strike

Morocco's national carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has announced that some of its flights to and from Brussels will be canceled tomorrow, Tuesday, due to a general strike in Belgium. The company explained on its «X» official account that the affected flights are AT678/AT679 and AT832/AT833. Annonce importante ?En raison du Préavis de grève générale le 1er Octobre à Bruxelles, nous sommes contraints de procéder à

Death toll rises to 14 in Tata bus tragedy amid ongoing search efforts

Local authorities in Tata have discovered another body of a man among the victims of the bus that was swept away during the September 20 floods in the region. «The competent health authorities at the Tata regional hospital are working to identify the victim, who was found near Sidi Mahdaoui», Mbarek Outachrifat, head of the Ifous Forum, a local NGO, told Yabiladi on Monday evening. The total number of bodies recovered after the bus accident has now reached 14, and the search

Sahara : Morocco reiterates its conditions to UN personal envoy De Mistura

In New York, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita received the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura. As in previous meetings with de Mistura, Bourita reiterated Morocco's consistent position on this issue, which has already been reaffirmed by King Mohammed VI to the UN Secretary-General. The Moroccan side assured the UN envoy of Rabat's support for «the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy for a realistic, pragmatic, and lasting

Dutch Economic Affairs Minister : PVV did not discuss Wilders' «fewer Moroccans» comment

Dirk Beljaarts, the Minister of Economic Affairs representing the PVV party in the Netherlands, has stated that there have been no internal discussions within the party regarding party leader Geert Wilders' controversial «fewer Moroccans» remark from the past. Speaking on the NPO 1 program WNL Op Zondag, Beljaarts also mentioned that Wilders had not personally approached him about the issue, according to Dutch newspaper WNL. The topic resurfaced after PVV State Secretary for

Armed man arrested after storming Moroccan Embassy in Stockholm, hanging rainbow flag

A man who stormed the Moroccan Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, on Monday, smashing windows and hanging a rainbow flag from a window, was arrested, according to police. Quoted by AFP, police stated that they entered the building to apprehend the man, who was armed with a knife and had barricaded himself in a room before the arrest. The motive behind the man's attack was not known, police reported. The arrestee is suspected of breaking and entering the embassy, aggravated vandalism, and causing

Moroccan man's identity confirmed in Fatal hit-and-run case in Italy

The Moroccan consulate has confirmed the identity of the man who was hit and killed on the sidewalk in Via Coppino, Viareggio, Italy,on September 8th by a woman he had allegedly just robbed of her purse, according to Italian news outlet NoiTV. The victim was identified as 54-year-old N.M., a homeless man who had been living in Italy for about 20 years. The confirmation of M.'s identity came after cross-checking biometric data collected by the Viareggio Police Commissioner with records held by

TotalEnergies Marketing Maroc sees surge in profit for first half of 2024

TotalEnergies Marketing Maroc reported a corporate net income of 402 million dirhams (MDH) and a consolidated net income of 406 MDH in the first half of 2024, compared to 136 MDH and 96 MDH, respectively, during the same period last year. According to a press release, this growth is attributed to the economic recovery, which drove an increase in sales alongside a drop in prices and the impact of lower inventories. TotalEnergies Marketing Maroc operates a network of 393 service stations.

AfDB approves €70M for Morocco's Bank of Africa to enhance African trade

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved €70 million in financing for Morocco’s Bank of Africa. The funding is intended to help the Moroccan lender enhance access to trade across Africa, AfDB announced on Monday. This trade finance facility comprises a €50 million Risk Participation Agreement (RPA) and a €20 million Trade Finance Line of Credit (TFLOC), according to Reuters, citing an AfDB statement. The funding from AfDB is expected to boost trade by nearly

Weir Group secures £25m contract to boost OCP's phosphate projects in Morocco

The Weir Group plc, a Scottish multinational engineering company headquartered in Glasgow, announced on Monday, September 30, that it had secured a £25m contract to provide energy-efficient and sustainable solutions for the next phase of OCP Group’s Benguerir and Louta greenfield phosphate projects in Morocco. In a statement published on its website, the company stated that the contract will support the continued construction of the Louta project and the tripling of production at

Moroccan chefs win Cous Cous World Championship in Sicily

Morocco has won the Bia Cous Cous World Championship, a culinary competition that brought together chefs from 10 countries, local media reported. Held in San Vito Lo Capo, a small seaside town in northwestern Sicily, Italy, the competition was produced by the Feedback agency and the Municipality of San Vito Lo Capo. Moroccan chefs Chaoui Hanae, an entrepreneur who opened La Medina in Milan, a bistro specializing in Moroccan cuisine and pastries, and Mourad Dakir, chef and owner of Maison

Moroccan Islamists condemn assassination of Hezbollah leader

Moroccan Islamists have condemned the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike carried out by the Israeli army on Friday. In a statement, the PJD referred to the death of «martyr Hassan Nasrallah» as occurring «following a treacherous raid by the Zionist criminal entity in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon». The Lamp Party stated that this «murder» further «confirms the criminal, bloodthirsty, and colonial nature of this

Tata's death toll rises to 13 as search continues for missing persons

Amid ongoing efforts to search for victims of the Tata floods, the body of one of the bus passengers swept away at the entrance to the city was discovered on Friday in the military zone of the Draa Valley. The victim, identified as a young woman, was laid to rest with funeral prayers held after evening prayers on the same day. This brings the number of bodies recovered to 13, while the search continues for 3 missing individuals. Meanwhile, 13 passengers have been rescued. Local authorities,

NGO urges Moroccan artisans and entrepreneurs to avoid traveling to Algeria

The Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights (LMDDH), affiliated with the Istiqlal Party, is advising Moroccan craftsmen and entrepreneurs against traveling to Algeria. «From a human rights perspective, Algeria is not a safe country», the NGO states in a press release. The same warning was also issued to «those who wish to visit this country for family reasons. They risk being subjected to arbitrary arrests and unfair trials. Witness the arrests and trials of over 500

Futsal World : Brazil end Morocco’s run (1-3)

Morocco's national futsal team was eliminated in the quarter finals of the 2024 Futsal World Cup after losing to Brazil (1-3) on Sunday at the Universal Sports Complex in Bukhara. Brazil's three goals came from Marcel (12’), Leandro Lino (18’) and Dyego (29’) before Otmane Boumezou managed to nick a consolation goal for the Moroccan team in the 35th minute. Morocco had finished the group phase in second place behind Portugal, having won twice and lost once to the reigning

Morocco brings together Sahel countries in New York

The royal initiative to facilitate access to Sahel countries, launched on November 6, 2023, is progressing steadily. On the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, a roundtable meeting of this royal project was held in New York on Friday, according to Moroccan diplomacy. The foreign ministers of Morocco, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad «commended, in a joint statement, the work accomplished by the National Task Forces» of the five states, since «the 1st

UN : Ould El Ghazouani's brief Sahara mention angers Polisario

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani has sparked anger among Polisario supporters. In audio messages consulted by Yabiladi, they strongly criticize the 10 seconds the head of state dedicated to the Sahara issue during his speech at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. «We reaffirm our consistent position regarding the Western Sahara conflict. We support the efforts of the United Nations and all relevant Security Council resolutions to achieve a lasting

Morocco partners with Tata to produce WhAP 8×8 land combat vehicles

The National Administration of Defense and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), Indian aerospace manufacturing, military engineering and defense technology company and a subsidiary of the international conglomerate Tata Group, have signed a strategic partnership agreement for the local production of the WhAP 8×8 land combat vehicle, at the TATA Advanced Systems Maroc (TASM) plant. The WhAP 8×8 is a highly advanced armored vehicle that will enhance the FAR's capabilities and