Morocco's Royal Navy foils migrant hijacking attempt off Tan-Tan  (Read more...)

Morocco advances in green hydrogen projects in Sahara provinces

Moroccan Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch chaired a meeting in Rabat on Thursday of the steering committee overseeing «Morocco's Offer» for green hydrogen. The committee shortlisted a series of projects, primarily focused on the three regions of the Kingdom's southern provinces. These regions include Guelmim-Oued Noun, Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, and Dakhla-Oued Eddahab. The press release from the Head of Government's department stated that these projects will undergo further

Young footballer Ismail Baouf opts for Morocco over Belgium

Belgian-Moroccan footballer Ismail Baouf has chosen to represent Morocco at the international level, his father, former footballer Rachid Baouf, confirmed to the media. Baouf, who currently plays as a defender for Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht Futures, had previously represented Belgium at the U15 to U19 levels. «Ismail chose Morocco with all his heart and soul», his father said. «We are very proud of him. Hopefully, he can show his worth soon», he added. Baouf

Moroccan stars shine bright in European football : En-Nesyri, Ezzalzouli, and El Kaabi score

Yesterday, three Moroccan internationals made headlines in the Europa League and UEFA Conference League: Youssef En-Nesyri, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, and Ayoub El Kaabi all found the net for their respective clubs. المغربي يوسف النصيري يدرك التعادل لفنربهتشه ???#الدوري_الأوروبي pic.twitter.com/nIyj4uyc5y — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) October 24, 2024 Youssef En-Nesyri equalized for Turkish side Fenerbahçe SK against Manchester

Police bust ecstasy smuggling at Tanger Med, 209,000 pills hidden in cat food

A joint border control operation by police and customs officers at the port of Tanger Med on Thursday evening foiled an attempt to smuggle 209,000 ecstasy tablets aboard a foreign-registered car from Belgium. The tablets were carefully concealed in tins of cat food in an attempt to evade detection, according to a security source. The driver, a Belgian-Moroccan national, has been placed under judicial investigation by the prefectural criminal investigation department in Tangier, under the

BRICS : South Africa fails to include support for Polisario in Kazan Declaration

Participants at the BRICS summit, held from October 22 to 24 in Russia, adopted the Kazan Declaration. According to the document viewed by Yabiladi, the issue of Western Sahara was not mentioned, although the group members dedicated a long paragraph (No. 39) to the situation in Africa. «We commend the efforts and achievements of African countries in their pursuit of peace and development and in their fight against the growing threat of terrorism in Africa, particularly in the Horn of

CAF announces 2024 awards nominees with seven Moroccan contenders

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Thursday the list of nominees for the 2024 CAF Awards (men’s category), featuring seven Moroccan nominations. In a statement, CAF revealed ten nominees in each of the seven men’s categories: African Player of the Year, African Coach of the Year, African Goalkeeper of the Year, African Team of the Year, Young African Player of the Year, Best Player within Africa, and African Club of the Year. The awards cover the period from

Former Moroccan footballer Abdelaziz Barrada dies at 35 following heart attack

Former Moroccan international footballer Abdelaziz Barrada passed away on Thursday, October 24, at the age of 35 due to a heart attack. According to media reports, he died at his home in Marne-la-Faye, France. Throughout his career, Barrada played for several prestigious clubs, starting with Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Marseille in France, and also had a stint in the Spanish league with Getafe. He further played in the Turkish league with Antalyaspor, before moving to the Gulf leagues,

HRW criticizes Morocco for overturning landmark marital rape conviction

Morocco's Court of Cassation has overturned the country's first-ever conviction for marital rape, referring the case back to the Tangiers Appeals Court for review. The landmark 2019 ruling, which had sentenced the husband to two years in prison for raping his wife. The case began in 2018 when a young woman from Larache filed a complaint with the judicial police, alleging violence and rape by her husband. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticized the Cassation Court's decision in a statement

Algerian YouTuber sentenced by Morocco court for encouraging migration to Ceuta

The Court of First Instance in Tetouan sentenced an Algerian YouTuber on Wednesday, October 23, to eight months in prison and a 500-dirham fine for inciting irregular migration from Fnideq to Ceuta. According to media sources, the woman was arrested by the Royal Gendarmerie in the company of two young Moroccan women. The arrest followed an interview she gave to a local media outlet in which she encouraged irregular migration, back in September when hundreds of young Moroccans flocked to

Algerian Minister blames Morocco for «transboundary water damage»

The Algerian Minister of Hydraulics, Taha Darbal, has accused Morocco of harming «transboundary surface waters in western Algeria, causing significant environmental damage». Speaking at the tenth meeting of the parties to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes in Ljubljana, Slovenia, he asserted that the western and southwestern regions of Algeria are suffering from «the consequences of the neighboring state's actions on

CAF Awards 2024 to be held in Marrakech for second consecutive year

The city of Marrakech will host the «CAF Awards24» ceremony on December 16, 2024, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Thursday. For the second consecutive year, the ochre city will host this prestigious event, CAF noted in a statement, recalling that the previous edition attracted numerous celebrities and was a resounding success. At last year’s event, Nigerian Victor Osimhen was named «African Player of the Year» in the men's category, while

Ghizlane Benjelloun, 2024 UN Personality for children's mental health in Morocco

The United Nations Development System in Morocco announced on Thursday in Rabat the designation of Ghizlane Benjelloun as the 2024 UN Personality in Morocco, in honor of United Nations Day. This recognition highlights her longstanding dedication to children's mental health and advocacy for their rights, according to a press release from United Nations Morocco. «All UN agencies based in the Kingdom of Morocco recognize, through this award, the passionate commitment of a woman to the

IFC invests MAD 363 million in Moroccan logistics firm BLS

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced on Wednesday, October 23, an investment in Building Logistics Services S.A. (BLS), a logistics operator in Morocco. In a statement released on the same day, IFC said that this investment will support the company’s growth strategy, create jobs, and deepen Morocco’s role as a regional logistics and trade hub. The investment, valued at MAD 363 million, will help finance the company’s expansion plans, creating 500 new jobs by

Morocco climbs to 13th in FIFA World Ranking

Morocco has moved up one place to claim the 13th spot in the latest FIFA World Ranking, released on Thursday. With 1681.57 points, the Atlas Lions continue to hold the top position in Africa, ahead of Senegal, which ranks 20th with 1627.13 points. Morocco also maintains its first-place position at the Arab level, surpassing Egypt, which is ranked 30th with 1526.25 points. Globally, Argentina remains at the top of the FIFA ranking, followed by France and Spain. Top 10 FIFA Ranking as of

Royal Air Maroc expects to reach 7.5 million passengers by end of 2024

The report on public institutions and enterprises, published alongside the 2025 draft finance law, reveals that Royal Air Maroc is expected to close 2024 with 7.5 million passengers. According to the report, available on the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s website, the airline anticipates a turnover of 19.86 billion dirhams for 2024, reflecting a 4.5% increase in air traffic compared to 2023, with passenger numbers projected to reach 7.5 million. The report also noted that in the

Green energy : US company under pressure to leave the Sahara

«US company GE Vernova is seemingly gambling with its lucrative projects elsewhere when it operates in the occupied territory for the Moroccan government». This is the accusation leveled by the Western Sahara Resource Watch (WRSW), an NGO closely aligned with the Polisario Front, against the General Electric subsidiary. The accusation came immediately after Africa Intelligence published an article detailing the standoff between the two parties. This is the latest in a series of

Moroccan-French archaeological mission wins Inrap award

A Moroccan-French archaeological mission has been awarded the «Inrap - RAN Prize for the Preservation by Study of Mediterranean Archaeological Heritage» on October 19 in Narbonne, France. The award recognizes their work on medieval Almohad sites in Morocco, including Igiliz, Tit, and Tinmal. According to a press release from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap), the award was presented to the scientific and technical leaders of the mission during

Antonio Guterres welcomes Morocco's compliance with the ceasefire

In his report on the situation in the Sahara, the UN Secretary-General welcomed the Royal Armed Forces' (FAR) compliance with the ceasefire signed in 1991. Guterres noted that in February 2024, the Special Representative and Force Commander of MINURSO proposed a cessation of hostilities during the holy month of Ramadan, emphasizing that «the FAR responded on February 26 by reiterating their commitment to the agreements reached» in 1991, «but stressed their right to respond to