News Flash

Algeria clarifies stance on French wheat boycott

On Thursday, Algeria responded to the exclusion of French companies from a wheat import tender, following President Emmanuel Macron’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara last July. While not refuting the information reported by Reuters on Wednesday, the Algerian Interprofessional Cereals Office (OAIC), a public entity, clarified in a statement that «the restricted consultation launched by OAIC on October 6, 2024, adhered to specific technical criteria, based on

Burundi eyes Moroccan investments after Laayoune consulate opening

The head of Burundi's diplomacy is leading «an economic mission to Morocco», indicates the Burundian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As part of this visit, Albert Shingiro met on Thursday, October 10, in Rabat with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita. The two ministers «reviewed bilateral issues related to the upcoming round table and the ministerial meeting of the joint commission». Indeed, the Burundian government plans to organize, on December 5 and 6, a round

Sahara : Algeria seeks Russia's support at the Security Council

As the Security Council is set to adopt a new resolution on the Sahara issue on October 30, Algeria is courting Russia. This is evidenced by the meeting on October 9, «at the request» of the Algerian ambassador in Moscow, Boumediene Guennad, with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergey Vershinin, as indicated by Russian diplomacy in a statement. The talks focused on «the prospects for interaction between Russia and Algeria on the UN 'platform,' as well as a number of

Morocco secures €500M EIB funding for earthquake recovery

In Rabat on Thursday, the Ministry of the Economy and Finance and the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed an agreement to finance the integrated post-earthquake reconstruction and upgrading program for Al Haouz, for a total amount of 500 million euros (M€). The agreement was signed by Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Economy and Finance, in charge of the Budget, and EIB Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris, in the presence of Khalid Ait Taleb, Minister of Health and

Algeria criticizes EU backing of Morocco after CJEU ruling

Following its statement on October 5 welcoming the European Court of Justice's recent ruling, Algeria has now added another layer to its response. Through its Minister of Foreign Affairs, the eastern neighbor criticized the broad support given by a large majority of EU countries to the strategic partnership with Morocco. «The most surprising thing is to hear, as we follow the reactions to the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union, member states of this same institution

King Mohammed VI to inaugurate legislative year on October 11

On Friday, October 11, 2024, King Mohammed VI will preside over the opening of the first session of the fourth legislative year of the 11th legislature at the Parliament's headquarters in Rabat, the Ministry of the Royal Household, Protocol, and Chancellery announced in a press release. On this occasion, the Sovereign will deliver a speech to the members of both Houses. The address will be broadcast live on radio and television, starting at 4:40 p.m., the same source said.

Government coalition condemns Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon

The governmental majority expressed its «firm condemnation of the war waged by Israel against the Palestinian people, which has claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians—most of them women and children—while leaving tens of thousands wounded, alongside a policy of mass displacement and widespread destruction». In a statement issued at the end of a meeting on Wednesday, October 9, in Rabat, the coalition parties called for «an immediate end to this war and a

Government coalition denounces EU court's decision on Morocco

The government majority has expressed its rejection of the recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) regarding the EU-Morocco agricultural and fisheries agreements. In a communiqué following a meeting held on Wednesday, October 9, in Rabat, the parties forming the coalition government pointed out the lack of relevance and neutrality in the court's final ruling. Last Friday, the CJEU rejected an appeal by the European Commission concerning agreements with the

Pub Access to install 60 public toilets in Casablanca

Pub Access, a leading provider of mobile public toilet solutions in Morocco, has announced a partnership with Baia Casablanca, a local development company, to install over 60 public toilets in various areas of Casablanca. According to a company statement, these toilets will contribute to improving living conditions and addressing the daily needs of citizens in high-traffic locations. Additionally, the toilet facades will be used for advertising, generating additional revenue to support the

CJEU Ruling : European Parliament rejects pro-Polisario MEP's proposal

At a press briefing on Tuesday with the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita expressed appreciation for the support shown by «19 European countries» for the strategic partnership with Morocco. This support came in response to the October 4 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in favor of the Polisario. The previous day, during the plenary session of the European Parliament, a similar display of support for Morocco

Morocco's tourism industry hits new high with 13.1 million arrivals by end of September

Morocco's tourism sector continues to thrive, reaching a new historical milestone by welcoming 13.1 million visitors by the end of September 2024. The Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Social Economy announced this achievement on Wednesday. This represents an increase of approximately 2 million tourists compared to the same period in 2023, highlighting Morocco's growing appeal as an international travel destination. September was particularly successful, attracting 1.3 million tourists, a

Fitch Ratings affirms Morocco's sovereign credit rating at «BB+», Outlook Stable

Leading credit rating agency Fitch Ratings has affirmed Morocco's Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at "BB+." The agency also maintained a Stable Outlook on the rating in a rating action published on Tuesday, October 8. This indicates that Fitch still deems Morocco's creditworthiness as belonging to the «speculative» category but maintains a «positive outlook». The Stable Outlook on the latest rating suggests nonetheless that Fitch expects Morocco's creditworthiness

Fez's Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University leads Moroccan public universities

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025, released on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, placed several Moroccan universities in the top 1,500 out of 2,092 institutions worldwide. The rankings are based on five key indicators: teaching, research environment, research quality, international visibility, and knowledge transfer. For the seventh year in a row, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fes was ranked as the top public university in Morocco, tied with two other national

Moroccan grant enables Gaza university to issue diplomas

Al-Azhar University in Gaza announced on Wednesday that it had successfully issued certificates to the 40 graduates of the previous cohorts of the King Hassan II College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. This was made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Kingdom of Morocco, which came despite the challenging conditions in the Gaza Strip due to ongoing Israeli aggression. This grant followed a previous one provided by the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency to the university to

Morocco, Tunisia, Libya qualify for CHAN 2025

Teams from Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya have automatically qualified for the final phase of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) for Local Players, scheduled to take place from February 1 to 28, 2025 in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) made this announcement on Wednesday in Cairo during the competition's draw. The CHAN qualifiers will consist of two rounds of knockout matches. The first round will be played from October 25 to 27 and November 1 to 3,

Morocco shares expertise with Mauritania in vocational training

The Moroccan Minister of Economic Inclusion, Microenterprise, Employment, and Skills, Younes Skouri, and the Mauritanian Minister of Vocational Training, Handicrafts, and Crafts, Mohamed Maalainine Ould Eyih, met in Rabat on Wednesday to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation in vocational training. Their meeting focused on exploring specific and concrete ways to advance cooperation in this area, which is crucial for both countries. The discussion built upon the framework agreement signed

France arrests Moroccan key member of the Mocro-Maffia

A leading member of Mocro-Maffia, a criminal organization in the Netherlands, was arrested on Tuesday, October 8, in Paris after leaving a restaurant. According to AFP and Le Figaro, citing information from the Gendarmerie, the Moroccan man in his thirties was the subject of a European arrest warrant issued by the Netherlands. The arrest was carried out by the Gendarmerie's elite unit GIGN in collaboration with investigators from the Paris research section. The man was apprehended at 3 p.m.

Morocco ready to repatriate minors immediately, says Foreign Minister

Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita on Tuesday expressed Morocco's willingness to repatriate unaccompanied Moroccan minors from European Union countries «starting tomorrow». However, he criticized the complexities surrounding their return, attributing them to «gaps in laws and procedures» within the EU countries rather than Morocco. During a joint press conference in Rabat with Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo, Bourita urged EU countries to address these