The mineret that takes you home

About Membership Volunteer Newsletters Souk Links

Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
January 16, 2016

Morocco: House of Life – High Atlas Foundation intercultural tree planting and Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action ceremony 
Monday, January 25th, 2016 – Akrich, rural commune of Tamesloht, Al Haouz province (25 km south of Marrakesh)

At what has become an annual, intercultural celebration of the new planting season, a further milestone in the calendar of the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) is set to take place.  The event will be framed around a tree planting and distribution ceremony and the signing of a Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action.  This latter involves planting one million trees in nurseries adjoining historic rural Jewish burial sites in the Moroccan provinces of Azilal, Essaouira and Ouarzazate, for the benefit of local, disadvantaged Muslim farmers.

Moroccan and U.S. dignitaries will include Mr. André Azoulay, Advisor to HM King Mohammed VI of Morocco, The Honorable Dwight L. Bush, Sr., Ambassador of the United States of America (who hosted a reception in support of HAF in October 2015) and Mr. Younès Al Bathaoui, Governor of Al Haouz province.  Crucially, local beneficiaries, including schoolchildren, will play a prominent role.

The sapling to be planted will be a fig, one of several endangered varieties HAF is committed to protect. A thousand mature trees of various species will be distributed to local farming families. All the trees have been raised at Akrich, just south of Marrakesh, where HAF established an organic fruit tree nursery on land lent by the Jewish community of Marrakesh-Essaouira in 2012.  The nursery, managed by the local Muslim farming community, adjoins a Jewish cemetery housing the 700-year old resting place of Rabbi Raphael HaCohen, one of several hundred such locations dotted around the Kingdom.  

It is the pilot site for the House of Life initiative, which builds on and strengthens intercommunal relationships between Moroccan Muslim and Jewish communities to utilize land in this way.  To date a total of 90,000 fruit seeds and saplings have been planted here, including almond, fig, lemon, pomegranate and olive. During the upcoming 2016 planting season, 30,000 mature trees from the nursery will be distributed in kind to the surrounding communities. 
  
The name itself is a traditional term for a Jewish burial site.  Symbolic of hope, it was referenced at Akrich in February 2015 by the Governor of Al Haouz during a speech which paved the way for the project to continue at a national level.  In May 2015 this was formalized in the Commitment to Action under the auspices of the Clinton Global Initiative.  

House of Life forms an integral part of HAF’s ongoing One Billion Tree Campaign, which also includes Sami’s Project, a junior educational initiative undertaken in memory of Sami El Kouhen, who passed away from cancer at the age of three.  As a whole, this transformative scheme, which has already succeeded in planting over a million organic, indigenous trees and medicinal plants in 13 Moroccan provinces, aims to support the Kingdom in its bid to overcome subsistence agriculture, which lies at the root of rural poverty, and to offset severe environmental challenges including soil erosion and deforestation.  Projects are determined and managed by local communities using a participatory, democratic approach.

The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) has been implementing development projects in predominantly rural areas throughout Morocco since 2000, building on the Peace Corps experience of its founders. HAF is both a U.S. 501(c)(3) organization and a Moroccan non-profit association. Since 2011 it has held special Consultative Status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The foundation actively seeks expertise within Morocco and is supported by Moroccan and international volunteers. The dynamic created by this intercultural team affords HAF a unique perspective and capacity to advance human development. 
Contact  Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir  HAF President +212 (0)524 42 08 21 haf@highatlasfoundation.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Argan Oil Market Expected to Reach $1.79 Billion by 2022: Study.
Monday 11 January 2016 -Karla Dieseldorff New York

The global Argan oil market is expected to reach US $1.79 billion by 2022, according to a new study conducted by Grand View Research. “Argan Oil Market Analysis By Application (Cosmetics, Food & Medical) And Segment Forecasts To 2022” published this month by the California-based market research company, noted that North American and European markets’ health and cosmetic demands are driving the growth of the industry. According to the report, the global Argan oil market is expected to reach 19,622.5 tons by 2022, compared to the 4,835.5 tons in 2014, recording a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.6 percent.

Argan oil is a vegetable oil produced from the kernels of the Argan tree native to Morocco. It is one of the most expensive plant oils for its limited supply and high demand. This oily tree, scientifically known as Argania spinosa, from the Sapotaceae family of trees, only grows in the dry arid soil of Agadir and Essaouira in southwestern Morocco. Argan trees can live from 150 to 200 years. Known for centuries by the Berber tribes for its gastronomic and cosmetic properties, Argan oil is produced by female-owned cooperatives in the Agadir region.

Its top applications include cosmetics, food and medical. The cosmetic sector has led the market with a 40 percent of the Argan oil demand in 2014.
To produce Argan oil for cosmetic use, freshly harvested kernels are pressed and filtered through an organic cotton sieve, to extract the aromatic oil. It is easily absorbed by the skin.

According to Grand View Research, the Western world’s trend for consumption of a low fat vegetable oil such as Argan oil and the growing needs in the ‘personal care’ industry are expected to boost sales of this Morocco endemic oil. Due to its beneficial properties, Argan oil is also used in the treatment of several diseases such as “cancer, arthritis, obesity, acne and skin ailments,” the study revealed.

Morocco is the leader producer and consumer of Argan oil. Moroccans, mostly in rural areas, depend on it for nutrition as it is added to many traditional dishes, charcoal, livestock, wood and shelter among other cosmetic uses. Argan oil’s top use in North America is cosmetic, where hair treatments and skin products containing a percentage of it can be found in almost every beauty department across the U.S.

According to the same forecast, North America will experience the highest CAGR of the Argan oil market expected at 20.2 percent from 2014 to 2022. Among the top consumers of Argan oil, representing the global market are: U.S., Germany, China, Japan and Morocco. Health and medical innovations in other regions such as countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Southeast Asia, are expected to drive the fast growth of the global Argan oil industry.

According to Grand View, key manufacturers of Argan oil include OLVEA, Zineglob, Biopur and Nadifi Argan.

Considered and endangered species, Argan forests cover about 800,000 hectares in Morocco hosting approximately 21 million trees. In 2014, Argan trees were given UNESCO protection as a “biosphere reserve”.
Grand View Research, Inc. is an American market research and consulting firm in San Francisco that provides fact-based industry research.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/01/177234/argan-oil-market-expected-to-reach-1-79-billion-by-2022-study/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco Celebrates ‘Yennayer,’ Amazigh New Year.
Tuesday 12 January 2016-Larbi Arbaoui Taroudant

The Moroccan Amazigh (Berber) community is celebrating Yennayer, Amazigh New Year 2966, which falls on January 12, through several festivities showcasing its food, local music and dance. The Amazigh New Year, or Idd n Yennayer, as it is called locally, meaning the eve of the first day of the agrarian calendar year used since ancient times by Amazigh throughout North Africa, marks the beginning of the crop year.

Under different names, Yennayer is celebrated by both Arab and Berber speaking communities. Some Arab speaking community in old cities referred to this traditional event as “Haguza” or “Aam Alfilahi” (the Agrarian year). However, the celebration is known by the Amazigh community, more precisely those dwelling in the south east of Morocco, by “Id Suggas” (the night of the year).

“People are celebrating by preparing couscous. They used to put couscous on top of tents in the middle Atlas. If the grains of couscous are dispersed, they say that some devout people eat it and the year will be good,” Benaceur Azaday, an academic told Africa News.

Amazigh activists call on the government to recognize Yennayer as a national holiday in Morocco. “We are happy with what we achieved for the Amazighs but we are asking for more. We want our language to benefit from the same rights Arabic has because it is an official language and we also insist that the 13th of January be made a national public holiday,” The president of the Addour association said, according to the same source.

To celebrate this event, people all over Morocco prepare various succulent dishes. Some prepare “Irkmen”, wheat with dry fava beans simmered in the form of soup. Others serve “Tagola”, a meal based on corn kernels cooked, and mixed with butter and accompanied with ghee. However, Couscous with seven vegetables remains the luxurious dish to be served on that special night.

Traditionally, Amazigh people put a seed of dates or a piece of almond in couscous to be served for the night of celebration. The person who finds this seed of dates or piece of almonds is to be entrusted with the keys of a room reserved for storing the family’s food, and that person is believed to be “blessed” throughout the whole year.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/01/177245/morocco-celebrates-yennayer-amazigh-new-year/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moroccan Amazigh Push to Make Amazigh New Year a Public Holiday.
Monday 11 January 2016- Iliana Hagenah Washington D.C.

Today marks the first day of year 2966, according to the Amazigh calendar. To gain recognition for this New Year, Amazigh have been orchestrating inclusive cultural festivities on the streets of Rabat today. Although anthropologists say it is difficult to confirm the historical roots of the Amazigh New Year, known as Yennayer, the holiday’s roots have been linked back to 950 BC. The New Year began as a celebration after Amazigh (Berber) King Chachnaq won the war against the Pharaohs, defeating Ramses III. Ever since, his descendants celebrate this historic victory annually.

But for the past few years, Amazigh have been attempting to claim a new victory with this holiday. In recent years, they have succeeded in making their Amazigh language the official language of the state along with Arabic in the 2011 Constitution. Now, they pushing for more recognition, trying to make their New Year a national public holiday.

Morocco has two New Years marked as public holidays. These include January 1, according to the Gregorian calendar and the first day of the Islamic calendar, which changes every year depending on the moon. Most Moroccan citizens celebrate the Gregorian New Year, with media coverage focusing on January 1 festivities. Meanwhile, the Islamic calendar falls under the radar.

The Amazigh New Year has fallen even further, being relegated as a cultural observation, although it is still an integral part of Berber identity. Morocco adopted the Gregorian calendar for civil purposes when it was under French rule (1912-1956). After using the Berber agricultural calendar and the Julian calendar under the Roman Empire, Morocco adopted the Muslim New Year in the late seventh century with the conversion of Amazigh to Islam.

“We want the Amazigh New Year to be considered a public holiday, following the example of other calendars,” activist Meriem Demnati told Africa News. Amazigh saw many aspects of their once dynastic culture reduced to folklore. To many Amazigh, the New Year marks the reaffirmation of some important aspects of agrarian society. During their celebrations, Amazigh sing and dance “Ahwach” and “Ahidous” dances, which have remained part of the Amazigh tradition for centuries.

The word “Ahouach” means group dances in Amazigh. In the dance, Amazigh people line up close to one another and move in conjoint rhythms, occasionally clapping together to the beat. As the pace of the music accelerates, dancers begin to move slowly with a slight swaying shoulders and hips in a circle.
Each dance relates to one another with improvisations and individual and group singing through alternating rhythms. These dances highlight a sense of fellowship along with individual poetic expression.

There is currently no proposal to the King to formalize the event as an official holiday. The head of the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) says that in the absence of any proposal “there is no official position on the subject” and activists must push on with their campaign. Last year, the youth wing of Amazigh Network for Citizenship (Azetta) launched a petition for the holiday. There has been no government response ever since.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/01/177219/moroccan-amazigh-push-to-make-amazigh-new-year-a-public-holiday/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco's first solar-powered desalination plant has started operations near Marrakech.

The pilot Aquasolar project cost MAD 4.45 million (US$ 450,000) and was financed entirely by Morocco's institute for solar and new energies research, Iresen.
The mobile plant is modular and powered by photovoltaic (PV) and thermal solar technologies to desalinate 120 m³/d according to Iresen. The plant comprises 57 PV panels with a combined capacity of 10 kW and 18 solar thermal panels rated at 14 kW to fuel reverse osmosis and membrane distillation. The reverse osmosis uses electricity from the PV cells while the membrane distillation process is powered by the solar thermal panels.

The "innovative" combination of two technologies for desalination and two solar technologies optimises the volume of processed water and keeps brine production to a minimum Iresen said.

The price of one cubic metre of potable water produced by the device is estimated at MAD 8 (about US$ 0.8) over an operation time of 10 years, said Iresen.
Aquasolar was implemented in the National Energy Centre of Nuclear Science and Technology by academia and industry including: the universities, Moulay Ismail and Hassan II; Moroccan company, LSA Industrie; and Spain's Solar Platform of Almeria.
http://www.desalination.biz/news/news_story.asp?id=8301&title=Morocco's+first+solar-powered+desalination+starts+up
------------------------------------------------------------------------

93% of Young Moroccans See Terrorist Groups As ‘Complete Perversion of Islam’.
Friday 15 January 2016-Karla Dieseldorff New York

A recent survey revealed that 93 percent of young Moroccans reject terrorist organizations and believe they represent a “complete perversion of Islam.” A face-to-face poll by U.S. organization Zogby Research Services (ZRS) conducted between October and November 2015 to 5,374 Muslim youth aged 15-34 in eight Arab countries, regarding Arab Muslim Millenials attitudes on religious identity, religious leadership and religious extremism. Respondents were surveyed in Morocco, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

According to the study commissioned by the Abu Dhabi-based Tabah Foundation, which interviewed 738 Moroccans from Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Fez and Tangier. The poll revealed that 93 percent of Moroccan youth reject religious extremism and believe that terrorist groups, such as the so-called Islamic State and Al Qaeda are a “complete perversion” of the teachings of Islam. In regards to “religious extremism,” 50 percent of young Moroccans believe that “corrupt, repressive and unrepresentative governments” are a key factor in recruiting youth toward extremist ideas.

The ZRS survey also pointed out that 44 percent of Moroccan youth blame “extreme religious teachings” on recruitment of young jihadists, while 39 percent believe is caused by “poor levels of education.” According to the same source, 70 percent of Moroccan youth interviewed said “religious leadership”belongs to the country’s Grand Mufti as the only religious leader with the right to interpret and explain religion and say what is “halal” or “haram” (allowed or prohibited).
Meanwhile, 63 percent of young Moroccans obtain their religious ideas from imams (preachers) through television, while only 33 percent follow the teachings of Sheikhs.

As far as identity, the poll noted that 59 percent of Moroccans are defined by their birth country, Morocco, while only 18 percent see themselves first as Arabs and 15 percent as Muslims. On the other hand, 92 percent Moroccans consider it important that the people they meet know they are Muslims.

Tabah Foundation is a non-profit organization that explores suggestions and recommendations for the benefit of society, while exalting the values of Islam and Arab countries. Washington D.C.-based ZRS is managed by Dr. James J. Zogby, author of “Arab Voices” and founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), which serves as the political and policy research arm of the Arab American community.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/01/177433/93-of-young-moroccans-see-terrorist-groups-as-complete-perversion-of-islam/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moroccan Dutch Woman Elected President of Netherlands’ Parliament.
Wednesday 13 January 2016 -Larbi Arbaoui Taroudant

Moroccan-Dutch Khadija Arib of the Labour Party (PvdA) was elected on Wednesday as the new chairwoman of the House of Representatives. After four rounds of voting, she came out as the winner with 83 of the 134 valid votes, beating Madeleine van Toorenburg of the Christian Democratic Appeal and Martin Bosma of the Party for Freedom, who obtained 32 and 11 votes respectively.

“I’m a very touched,” Arib said, immediately following the acceptance of the presidency of the House. “It will be a President of the House for everyone, who will work with great conviction and I will “act where necessary,” she added. Arib praised her fellow candidates for supporting her during all the previous rounds.

The Moroccan-Dutch, 55, who has been a member of parliament since 1998, will preside the House of Representatives until March next year, when parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place. With her remarkable political career, Arib has become the first Muslim to achieve such privileged politic position in the Netherlands.

However, she is not the first Moroccan national to achieve a respectable political position in the Netherlands. Ahmed Aboutaleb, the Moroccan-born son of an Imam, has been the Mayor of Rotterdam since January 5, 2009. Previously named Dutchman of the Year, Aboutaleb was also named the most popular politician in the Netherlands in March 2015
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/01/177338/moroccan-dutch-woman-elected-president-of-netherlands-parliament/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco’s solar power gamble.
By Monica Gitau - 11 January 2016

Beaming in the desert, 10 kilometers away from the mountainous city of Ouarzazate, lies Noor, the world’s biggest solar power station. Spread across an area of some 30 square kilometers, the first-of-its kind complex is expected to generate 580MW and power more than 1 million homes when fully completed in 2017. The plant is part of a bold policy initiative envisioned by King Mohammed VI back in 2009 aimed at breaking Morocco’s reliance on energy imports and speeding up the pace of green energy development. The kingdom, North Africa’s only nation whose soil is completely barren of fossil fuels, spends upwards of $6 billion every year to import electricity from neighboring Spain. Noor is poised to change all that.

Relying on an innovative technology called Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), Noor’s 800 rows of mirrors and lenses will reflect the sun’s rays on a network of pipes filled with a saline solution. The $9 billion plant, albeit considerably more expensive than your run of the mill photovoltaic cell, has the added advantage of working for hours after the sun goes down – engineers estimate that the plant will have virtually no downtimes, since it will be able to produce energy for three hours after sunset and store energy for up to eight hours of darkness. The energy complex was slated to open in December when the first 160MW segment would have come online. However, the inauguration was postponed.

The long game: from Mounir Majidi to Nareva

Presenting Morocco’s bid for the COP22, slated to take place in Marrakech in November 2016, King Mohammed VI unveiled plans to accelerate the de-carbonization of the kingdom’s GDP. The share of renewables in Morocco’s 2030 energy mix will grow from an estimated 45% to 52%, one of the world’s most ambitious pledges. In order to realize this objective, Morocco aims to generate an additional 2GW from solar, 2GW from wind and 2GW from hydro. Building almost 6GW worth of renewables is no small feat – for the sake of comparison, the US has only built approximately 220GW to date. The King hopes this transition will transform Morocco into a net exporter of energy for the region, from Rabat all the way to Mecca. However, Europe’s aging infrastructure is unlikely to be upgraded in time to receive solar powered electricity. “We believe that it’s possible to export energy to Europe but first we would have to build the interconnectors which don’t yet exist,” said Maha el-Kadiri, spokeswoman of Moroco’s solar energy agency Masen.

While critics might dismiss this pledge as a publicity stunt, the facts on the ground show that if anything, Morocco may be arriving late in the game. Environmental degradation already swallows up between 2% and 4% of potential GDP and devastating floods caused by overgrazing are a direct cause behind the creeping yearly expansion of the Sahara desert. Since Morocco’s population has more than doubled over the past 40 years, mismanaged farming and firewood harvesting have degraded soil cover, rendering agriculture more costly. Therefore, any reduction in the country’s energy bill can be put to good use, notably towards relieving the social costs of anthropogenic climate change.

In order to draw in foreign funds, Morocco passed a law liberalizing the renewables sector , which in turn increased investment and made projects like Noor possible. “The law was crucial in allowing for the development of renewables in Morocco”, says Anne Lapierre, head of energy for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Norton Rose Fulbright, a law firm.

Even the King himself joined the bonanza, investing his own money into bringing to fruition the transition to renewables and instilling confidence in the project Mounir Majidi, personal secretary to the sovereign and administrator of the royal family’s fortune has staked a considerable part of the assets he manages into the transition. Nareva, a private company owned by the Majidi-controlled National Investment Society (SNI), is developing a string of energy projects worth some 1150 MW, including Africa’s biggest wind power plant. Perched on the Atlantic coast, at Tarfaya, the 300MW Tarec wind farm is a $600 million investment that offsets 900,000 tons of CO2 per year thanks to its 131 wind turbines. Along with Enel and Siemes, Nareva is also involved in the development of a 850MW project, raising the company’s total portfolio to more than 1GW, making the SNI responsible for more than half the country’s wind power quota.

The wider lesson Morocco has to offer is that, as difficult and expensive the transition to renewables might seem, strong leadership and bold initiatives can fill the gap between what is needed and what is possible. While harnessing the Sahara’s sunlight is by no means a new idea, Noor is the first massive scale project to take its roots there. Just a few years ago, in 2013, a previous initiative to generate 100GW by 2050 and export it to Europe failed to get financial support and was dismissed for being “utopian”.

However, Noor’s completion – the first component of the failed 2013 initiative – along with the clear signal sent by the recently signed COP21 agreement, specifically, that the world is placing fossil fuels in the past, could put back on the table the vision of transforming the Sahara into the world’s biggest generator.
http://africatimes.com/2016/01/11/moroccos-solar-power-gamble/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Solar to lead Morocco’s fast-paced renewable energy business opportunities.
Construction, Research and Development, and Job Training Essential for Morocco to Generate Half of Energy from Renewables by 2030
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Morocco's recently-announced goal to generate more than half of its electricity from renewables by 2030 presents strong business opportunities, energy experts announced today at the World Future Energy Summit. By 2030, Morocco aims to generate 52 percent of its electricity from renewables, including 2 gigawatts each from solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, Morocco announced at the recent COP 21 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Currently Morocco' is the Middle East's largest energy importer, at more than 97 percent of its total, according to the World Bank.

Demonstrating the strong investment and business potential, the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN)'s Solar Integrated Projects call for USD 9 billion in investment by 2020, according to a recent report by the World Future Council. Meeting Morocco's ambitious renewable energy targets will require international investment and sharing of global best practices, as the country flips the equation from being an energy importer to potential exporter, Morocco-watchers agreed.

Encouraging new business opportunities and innovation in the solar markets of Morocco and the region is the WFES Solar Expo. More than 150 solar exhibitors will interact with innovators, project developers, and buyers to experience the latest solar innovations, learn about solar trends, and network with solar experts at the WFES conference.

Morocco's signature solar project is Noor, which is set to be the world's largest concentrated solar power plant in the world, with a capacity of more than 500 megawatts and set to power 1.1 million homes by 2018, according to the World Bank. Supporting Morocco's renewables, the World Bank has joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, BMCE Ban, and Clean Technology Fund in investing in solar plants and wind farms in Morocco. Morocco will also host COP 22 in 2016.

Masdar and the Moroccan government recently announced a partnership to install solar home systems in more than 17,000 homes in rural Morocco. Furthermore, Masdar recently announced that Morocco is one of three key markets in the Middle East and North Africa for renewable energy investment over the next 10 years.

WFES 2016, hosted by Masdar , will be co-located with the International Water Summit and EcoWASTE at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 18-21 January 2016.
About Masdar: Masdar is Abu Dhabi's renewable energy company advancing the development, commercialisation and deployment of clean energy technologies and solutions. The company serves as a link between today's fossil fuel economy and the energy economy of the future. Backed by the Mubadala Development Company PJSC, the strategic investment company of the government of Abu Dhabi, Masdar is dedicated to the Emirate's long-term vision for the future of energy.
For more information about Masdar , please visit: www.masdar.ae
Stay connected: facebook.com/masdar.ae and twitter.com/masdar
About World Future Energy Summit
The World Future Energy Summit (WFES) is the world's most influential event dedicated to advancing future energy, energy efficiency, and clean technology. Held each year at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, WFES is hosted by Masdar Institute. The WFES 2015 exhibition and conference saw 650 companies from 40 countries, and more than 32,000 attendees from 170 countries participate. For more information, please visit www.worldfutureenergysummit.com.
About Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) is the ground-breaking global forum that unites thought leaders, policy makers and investors to address the challenges of renewable energy and sustainable development. With the global population set to reach nine billion by 2050, ADSW promotes collaborative thinking and development to accelerate the sustainable solutions needed to support rapid economic and population growth. An Abu Dhabi government initiative, ADSW is the largest gathering on sustainability in the Middle East and a significant forum in stimulating the international dialogue and action. For more information, visit www.abudhabisustainabilityweek.com.
https://www.zawya.com/story/Solar_to_Lead_Moroccos_FastPaced_Renewable_Energy_Business_Opportunities-ZAWYA20160116080042/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Greening the Economy to Speed Up Industrialization
Rabat — Economic Commission for Africa)

The ECA office in North Africa is organizing on 1- 4 March 2016 in Rabat (Morocco), its 31st Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE) under the theme: Green economy to speed up industrialization in North Africa. High-level officials, academics, private sector and civil society representatives from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia will take part in this international meeting. They will examine economic and social conditions in North Africa and make recommendations to achieve stronger economic development and integration in this sub-region as well as the African continent.

This meeting will build on a number of ECA studies on topics such as achieving sustained industrialization in Africa (2012 ICE meeting), optimizing the use of basic commodities and other natural resources (2013 ICE meeting), selecting policy and institutional frameworks (2014 ICE meeting) and speeding up industrialization processes through trade (2015 ICE meeting). In preparation for COP 22, scheduled to take place in Marrakech (Morocco) in November 2016, participants will also discuss the sub-region's essential need to preserve its environment while industrializing.

One of the five regional commissions of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Economic Commission for Africa was set up in 1958. In North Africa, ECA's sub-regional office aims to increase member states' capacity to achieve socio-economic development, especially in areas such as integration - a regional priority. The Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE) supervises the activities, action plans, program and strategic orientations of the ECA's office in North Africa.

In addition to the ICE meeting, the ECA office in North Africa will hold a round table under the theme: "Industrialization through trade in North Africa in a multi-agreement context", to identify the necessary conditions to industrialize Africa, facilitate the emergence of growth centers in strategic industrial sectors and build regional value chains including through intra-African trade.

Press release issued by:Communication Team, Economic Commission for Africa, Office for North Africa, Tel: +212 (0) 537 548 749
Email: hfilali-ansary@uneca.org;cea.an.coms@gmail.com
http://allafrica.com/stories/201601150546.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco for families: Serenity among the sun-seekers: It's a country renowned for bustling crowds, but Sarfraz Manzoor found some untouched, family-friendly pockets of calm in Taghazout and Marrakech
Sarfraz Manzoor Friday 15 January 2016 Paradise Valley Alamy

I was lying on a narrow bed while a young woman massaged my oil-covered back. I could hear ocean waves, coming not from a stereo but the Atlantic. The blue sky and hot sun combined to make Britain seem a long way away. In fact, it was only a few hours' flight; I had woken in cold London but was now at Paradis Plage, a spa, yoga and surf resort 30 minutes north of Agadir on Morocco's Atlantic coast. The long British winter was sapping the days of light and I ached for sunshine. I wanted to get far from it all, but my wife and daughter insisted on coming along, so we settled on a week in Morocco where sunshine is virtually guaranteed, the flight time is a child-friendly four hours and there is no jet lag.

Sun-seekers tend to migrate to Agadir, but on my last visit I had found it soulless: a main road stuffed with indistinguishable hotels, a beach congested with sun-loungers, and restaurants with laminated menus bearing flags of half a dozen nations. It was not my idea of fun, which was why this time I had skipped Agadir and decided to head north to this oasis of serenity amid a desert of bustle and distraction. The hotel feels pleasantly isolated – gaze beyond the 5km of golden-sand private beach and you are more likely to see fishermen in blue wooden vessels than jet skis and banana boats.

When travelling with a family, the best way to keep the peace is through compromise. After the spa, I took our daughter, Laila, to the hotel's near-deserted beach to collect shells and take a pony ride so my wife, Bridget, could have a surf lesson. Later, after a lunch of freshly caught grilled fish in the beachside restaurant, Bridget went for a yoga session in a glass-walled room facing the ocean, with birds chattering busily as the sun dipped under the horizon. She returned radiating a blissful inner calm (which may just have been because she had spent a few hours away from me). A campfire was burning by the beachside bar once the sun had gone down, and we sat on bean bags to watch the flickering flames.

Every evening the hotel screened a film in the outdoor cinema, so after dinner, while Bridget was putting Laila to bed, I settled down with Marley. It felt a canny selection, Bob Marley's sun-drenched reggae blasting out as the wind rustled through the fronds of the date palm trees, the roar of the ocean in the distance and the stars pricking the night sky.

Tourists most often come to this part of Morocco for the beach, some simply to sunbathe and others to surf. The area around Taghazout, a few kilometres south, is considered among the best spots for surfing in the world, something to do with awesome right-hands, apparently.

Rather than surfing or lounging on the beach, we left the following day for the mountains, in search of a place known as Paradise Valley. The story goes that it was given the name by Jimi Hendrix when he visited Morocco in the late Sixties. Like most stories, it is probably apocryphal but, regardless of whether Hendrix actually came here or not, the valley had long been popular among the hippie generation in the days before budget airlines and package holidays.

We drove south, past Taghazout, an endearingly shabby surfer town whose authentic charm is under threat from the staggering amount of construction work going on – seven large hotels and a golf course are planned over the next few years. We also passed through a village where it seemed every street-side was selling endless bunches of bananas. “Tourists call this place Banana Village,” explained our driver helpfully, gesturing towards huge plantations.

He weaved through the Atlas mountains, past clay-coloured beehives – this region has long been famed for its honey – and large piles of black olives that had been pressed for oil, before parking up for the hour-long trek into the valley. The walk was perfectly manageable, even with a four-year-old, with one or two rest stops for refreshing gulps from a gushing spring. When we reached the valley, it was a picture of still, blue-green pools cradled by mountains. We had it to ourselves and, seeing a ledge from which one could leap, Bridget decided to take the plunge. The shriek as she hit the water reverberated around the valley but it had soon become a yelp of joy. “This is amazing,” she yelled, a wild grin slapped across her face.

Searching for serenity in a hotel by a beach wasn't exactly a big ask, but how would we fare in Marrakech – a four-hour drive from the coast and an ancient city that has long been a byword for bustling, frantic energy? Happily, I had chosen the ideal hotel. Les Deux Tours is a 15-minute drive north-east from the heart of the city in the Palmeraie, a boutique hotel with only 37 rooms, suites and villas spread out in a large, private garden. My strategy to enjoy Marrakech but not let it overwhelm was to dip into the mania before retreating for peace.

Ben Youssef Medersa
It is impossible – and possibly illegal – to visit Marrakech and not experience Djemma el-Fna, the square in the heart of the ancient, walled medina. We took a horse and carriage to the square and were dutifully assailed by the sound and vision of men brandishing monkeys in nappies, balloon sellers and snake charmers. It was entertaining, but I felt too sorry for the monkeys to enjoy it properly. It was more rewarding to watch the spectacle from a rooftop bar on the main square and reflect, as the sound of drummers bled into the call to prayer from the soaring, red-stoned Koutoubia mosque, that a version of this ordered chaos has been going on since the 12th century.

There were images of the square from the 1930s, also featuring monkeys, hanging on the walls of the Maison de la Photographie, a museum with a rooftop café, where we paused for a hibiscus tea. Having survived the square, we marvelled at the exquisite beauty of the Ben Youssef Medersa Koranic school with its geometric tiles and courtyard carved in cedar, marble and stucco with Arabic calligraphy, before delving into Marrakech's often forgotten Jewish history with a visit to a synagogue.

Make a splash: Taghazout (Alamy)
We then fled for some peace to the Majorelle Garden, created by French artists Jacques and Louis Majorelle and later bought by Yves Saint Laurent. Wandering through the giant cacti, bamboo groves and palm trees was an ideal way to recover from the hectic energy of the medina.

Before coming to Marrakech, I had been a little apprehensive. The current climate of terrorism paranoia has led to a fall in tourist numbers to Morocco. The number of French tourists, Morocco's largest market, fell by 15 per cent last year (although British visitor numbers have barely fallen) and I was worried that the city would be a ghost town. I had also heard stories about Western women being harassed. Happily my fears were completely unfounded – the welcome was warm, the streets bustled and the restaurants were encouragingly busy.

We chose to have lunch at Al Fassia, a restaurant that began life more than 30 years ago as a women's co-operative and is today considered one of the finest places to eat in the city. What makes Al Fassia unique is that it has an all-female staff. Surrounded by red rugs, red velvet drapes and cushions, we tucked into vegetable couscous with chicken tagine and seemingly endless bowls of salads.

We left the restaurant ready to hit the souks. This was no place to find serenity, you would think, and it was true that as we pushed our way through the labyrinthine alleys, dappled by afternoon sunlight falling from the wooden beams overhead, it was somewhat exhausting, not least as I was terrified of losing Laila in the throng. And yet, even among the amiably keen market sellers with their endlessly negotiable prices, we found a pocket of precious calm in Nomad, a restaurant perched on the top of a building. Sitting at our tranquil rooftop table, we were only seconds from the souk. It was hard to imagine a better place from which to see the city – but there was one ..

The ground was slowly disappearing under our feet. It was early the next morning, the sun had not yet appeared, but we were rising from the city by four metres a second, climbing until we were 1,000 metres into the sky over Marrakech. I should have been terrified, but I was too busy enjoying the view from our hot-air balloon perch: the laughing children below were racing to keep up as the sun slowly lit up the landscape. It was mesmerising to be flying so silently through the air, the balloon gently rising over the ground, its journey both thrilling and serene, relaxing and exhilarating, much like the city and country below.

Getting there: Flights to Agadir are operated by easyJet (easyjet.com) from Gatwick and Monarch (monarch.co.uk) from Manchester. Marrakech is served by British Airways (britishairways.com) from Gatwick; easyJet from Gatwick, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow; and Ryanair (ryanair.com) from Luton, Stansted and Edinburgh.

Staying there: Lawrence of Morocco (01672 500555; lawrenceofmorocco.com) offers a one-week trip in Morocco from £715 per adult and £190 per under-11 sharing their room. The price includes three nights' B&B at Paradis Plage and four nights' B&B at Les Deux Tours, plus transfers. Flights not included. Hot-air balloon trips from £151pp.
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/africa/morocco-for-families-serenity-among-the-sun-seekers-of-agadir-and-marrakech-a6813806.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Professionals are taking a stand to stop violence and discrimination against women in Morocco
By Camille Roch, 14 January 2016, 17:10 UTC

In Morocco, human rights training for professionals has enabled women to respond to gender-based violence and discrimination. We spoke to one of these professionals to find out how human rights education sparks change beyond the training sessions.

How to support women’s rights activists in a country that is ranked among the 10 worst countries for gender inequality, and what happens once you’ve trained the trainer? In the region of Meknes, Morocco, 30 professionals including people from women’s rights groups, activists and lawyers have taken part in human rights training in response to gender-based violence and discrimination against women. Over six days, participants received legal training and advice on how to assist women at risk of physical, sexual or psychological harm.

This form of training of trainers has since multiplied in impact and led to an increase in educational projects targeted at other women across the region. For Touria Bouabid, Human Rights Education Program Coordinator at Amnesty International Morocco who organizes the trainings, working directly with professionals is an essential aspect to counter a situation that remains critical for many women.

Gender-based violence remains largely prevalent in society despite the Constitution guaranteeing equality between men and women. According to a national survey conducted in 2011, 62.8% of Moroccan women had reported suffering from an act of violence within the 12 previous months.

Despite judicial reforms - including the removal from the Penal Code of a provision that had formerly allowed men who raped underage girls to escape prosecution by marrying their victim – discriminatory laws on inheritance and the criminalization of consensual sex between unmarried people still exist, and there is no legal framework to protect women from domestic violence.

To assist professionals in their work, Amnesty Morocco’s training for professionals focuses on legal knowledge of international norms to provide a deeper understanding of the legislation associated with women’s rights. “The professionals we train will be able to work with women using a rights-based approach,” says Touria. “We also want them to be able to defend the idea that Morocco has signed international conventions on the protection of women’s rights, which means that it needs to take all necessary measures to make sure these conventions are implemented across the country,” she says.

Moroccan women have the right to live a decent life just like men, without being raped, or suffering violence that prevents them from being fully involved in the country’s political, economic and social life. We ought to work towards this end and change this reality; by doing so, we’ll secure freedom and dignity for every woman, and build a healthier society
Amina Azatraoui, women's rights activist

Training local women’s rights defenders and legal actors has proven helpful to reinforce their professional work, but also contributes to reaching a larger number of women from different social backgrounds. “Most of the women these professionals work with on a daily basis are illiterate, with no access to information or resources to understand their basic rights. It can also be very challenging to explain in popular Moroccan Arabic what international law is, or what their rights as women are.” “For instance, I’ve met 16 year olds, forcibly married, abused every day – both physically and sexually - by their husbands, but who didn’t know this was not normal,” Touria says.

Several participants have since built on their own projects to pass their knowledge to other women and tackle societal attitudes and stereotyped images.
Amina Azatraoui is one of the women’s rights activists who participated in the training. Every day, at the University of Meknes where she teaches, Amina sees the impact gender inequalities have on the lives of many of her students: “I heard stories involving students, particularly young women, victims of sexual harassment or physical violence from relatives, sometimes even from the teaching staff.”

“To address this issue, we first set up a counselling centre for young women to speak up about their vulnerability to violence, and seek psychological support or medical assistance. We’re now also able to offer sensitization workshops where students learn how to identify discrimination and defend their rights.”

The workshops she set up enable young people to learn to identify and open up about the discrimination they experience. Every two months, students aged from 15 to 20 years old get together and take part in debates and participatory activities to share and discuss the challenges they face. During these sessions, young women also learn how to protect themselves against physical and sexual violence, or how to speak out about an assault in front of the authorities or in court.

According to Amina, working with young people and giving students the opportunity to discuss freely issues such as sexuality and reproductive rights already represents a step towards equality: “I hope to change mentalities of both men and women that perceive women as inferior.”
“Moroccan women have the right to live a decent life just like men, without being raped, or suffering violence that prevents them from being fully involved in the country’s political, economic and social life. We ought to work towards this end and change this reality; by doing so, we’ll secure freedom and dignity for every woman, and build a healthier society,” she says
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/education/2016/01/professionals-are-taking-a-stand-to-stop-violence-and-discrimination-against-women-in-morocco/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can't Beat Sexism with Racism
01/14/2016  Hasna El Maroudi

He who wants change in the Arab world, has to give feminists their space.

The other day I came by a picture on my Facebook timeline of the capital of Morroco, Rabat. The picture dated from the mid-seventies showed a man and a woman holding hands while strolling down the street that is now known as Avenue Mohammed V. He wore a nice suit and she wore a colorful dress. The image was so familiar that I had to take a second look, to make sure that I wasn't looking at a photo of my parents.

Last summer I went through all of their photo albums. What I came by surprised me. It was like I landed in a fantasy world, a world where my parents played a special part as über-moroccan-hipsters, in contrast to strict religious people that they have become now.

My father was a handsome man. He wore big nerdy glasses, with a dark frame. Just as black as his big mustache, or so I suspect they were. The pictures are after all in black and white As a young man he used to work in several pubs, or as he likes to call them with a chic tone-in-voice: 'cabarets'. His stories are so very rich. He can tell beautifully about growing up in Morocco under French occupation, but also about the liberation and the relief that was felt when Morocco finally gained full autonomy and control over its own territory. Though he says to have been 'clueless' when I point out their prevailing permissiveness back in the days, under the French occupation, his dastardly smile reveals he did though enjoy himself.

My old man has always loved his three-piece suits. One day, when he is gone, I will tell my daughter about how granddad used to iron his shirts every Sunday afternoon. Like he had to go to his fancy job at a big bank or insurance company, instead of going to his job at the factory like many foreign workers. 'People take you seriously when you look good and kept' is one of his sayings -- one I would use against him in my twenties to persuade him into letting me study Fashion Design at the Art Academy --. In her younger years my mother never wore a headscarf, or long, over-the-knee skirts, but flared pants and blouses with those huge pointy collars -- okay, I won't use this against her --. As my mom approached the marital age of 16, one man after the other came by to ask for her hand in marriage, but she declined. My grandpa mercilessly sent each and every one of them back on his track. My mom would later in life, in all freedom, decide whom and when to marry.

What happened in the years between the permissiveness and today's conservatism? I won't claim to have all the answers, though I do have my own theories. Under French occupation the French tried to portray the West as ideal -- with its' corresponding 'free' way of life, including for instance the semi-liberal sexual morality and the use of alcohol. Even before shedding the French occupation the country had to find a new common denominator to fight the French and to ensure the country would still be united after the battle. In comes the common denominator 'Arab nationalism', with its strict Islamic teachings. Please note: the Arab nationalism didn't always arise from the people, but it was mainly dictated from above. King Mohammed V and his son, the future King Hassan II ruled and dictated with the Quran in one hand and the stick in the other.

The country now struggles with a mix of conservatism and western temptation, with the subordination of women -- in every field, be it public or private -- as a result. Men are in charge. Streets are dominated by men; the woman who dares to partake in public life always has to be on her guard.
When we vacay in Morocco, I always need a couple of days to acclimatize. I need some space to get used to the hissing on the street. Even while running errands at the local grocery shop -- merely 50 meters from my parents' house -- I'm greeted by the unpleasant sound. I know of Moroccan-Dutch women who wear fake wedding rings just to avoid men ruining their shopping spree at the souk, turning what should have been a fun afternoon into a crash course on how-to-dodge-an-assault.

Unfortunately women in Morocco aren't autonomous, they are a possession. Only she who is already under the authority of another man, is -- more or less - free. It's disgusting and nauseating. There have been many times I had to flee into a store, to escape the hands of perpetrators, wishing and hoping for the store owner not to be a pervert. I break up in cold sweat just thinking about that time a blonde girlfriend and I got lost in the alleys of Marrakesh, trying to get rid of the umpteenth assaulter. However it's a small part of men that is guilty of harassing women. These men can act freely because nobody stops them or tells them their behavior is unacceptable.

Mona Eltahawy, feminist and author of 'Headscarves and Hymns', writes about why the Middle East needs a sexual revolution. She had been traumatized into feminism, by her experience of how men interact with women in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Feminism has become a necessity for women in the Arab world to survive. Something must change, and only feminists can make it happen.

In her article 'Why do they hate us?' Eltahawy writes: "There is no sugarcoating it. They don't hate us because of our freedoms [...] We have no freedoms because they hate us [...] Name me an Arab country, and I'll recite a litany of abuses fueled by a toxic mix of culture and religion that few seem willing or able to disentangle lest they blaspheme or offend [...]Yet it's the men who can't control themselves on the streets, where from Morocco to Yemen, sexual harassment is endemic and it's for the men's sake that so many women are encouraged to cover up."

It's not the first time I describe the scenes on the street of Morocco, nor is it the first time I write about the dire situation of women in Morocco and other Arab or Arabized countries. And I'm far from the first to do so. Mona Eltahawy, Nawal El Saadawi, or Fatima Mernissi -- who passed away last November -- paved the way. For years they have fought for equality for women in the Islamic world.

The emancipation of women -- and men -- in the Islamic world is a delicate subject we shouldn't handle toilless. The debate on the emancipation of women in the Islamic world has been hijacked by the right wing. Whoever claims that there's something fundamentally wrong with how women are portrayed in the Arab world, is easily annexed by the far right, and used as an example to underline their racist arguments. Whether you like it or not, that is why many women choose to keep their lips sealed. Even after the events in Cologne on New Years Eve. Conservatives may say they disapprove of the way Islam treats women, by making it all about ethnicity or religion, they are making room for the conservatives on the other side. Hate can't be beaten by hate. You can't beat conservatism with conservatism. Sexism can't be beaten with racism. If we want the Arab world to change, we must give feminists their space.
This article appeared in Dutch on Joop.nl and was translated by Jamila El Maroudi
Follow Hasna El Maroudi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hasnaelmaroudi
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hasna-el-maroudi/you-cant-beat-sexism-with-racism_b_8976384.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco's last storytellers: Al-Halqa in Marrakesh
By Melanie Christina Mohr

The art of storytelling has always been part of Arab culture. Yet it is a tradition with an uncertain future. Filmmaker Thomas Ladenburger's exploration of the world of Moroccan storytellers provides a fascinating insight into the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Ever since he was ten years old, Abderrahim El Makkouri has spent much of his time on Djemaa el Fna square, the pulsating, vibrant centre of magical downtown Marrakesh. He tells his stories to the halqa – the listeners who gather round to hear tales passed down by generations of storytellers, stories that bring together and perpetuate the traditions and the magic of Morocco.

In May 2001, UNESCO honoured this cultural tradition and helped consolidate its preservation when it proclaimed the creative activity on Djemaa el Fna as a "masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity". The lack of institutional structures, however, means that such traditional art forms in Morocco, as in many other countries, are in a rather precarious situation.

"Young artists are no longer willing to settle for just a few dirhams," explains Abderrahim El Makkouri. "Like everywhere else, life in Morocco is changing fast. Everything has changed. In my day, we were satisfied with simple meals – what's wrong with lentils anyway?" He laughs. "The young ones nowadays just want to spend all their time loafing around in restaurants. And if this country doesn't come to its senses soon and give active support to storytelling, there will soon be no more Moroccan storytellers on Djemaa el Fna square."

"This is not about storytelling for tourists. Most of them don't speak Arabic in any case." The storytellers of Djemaa el Fna often rattle off their tales at tremendous pace, but it is always in Moroccan dialect, intended for a local audience that is willing to gather night after night in the illuminated square, eagerly awaiting the next installment of the previous day's story.

In the halqa circle
Filmmaker Thomas Ladenburger travelled to Morocco in 2000. His interest in the diversity and richness of Arab literature had been aroused during an earlier project and with it his fascination with the storytellers. Over the following one and a half years he accompanied storytellers such as Abderrahim El Makkouri, one of the last of his breed. The resulting film transports its audiences into the intimate world of a family relationship, between El Makkouri and his son, linked by the storyteller's art and the family narrative, the inheritance to be passed on from father to son.

The filming took some time. Thomas Ladenburger quickly realised that it would require patience and the trust of the halaiqis if he was to bring the world of the halqa of Djemaa el Fna to a larger audience.

Tradition swathed in the magic of Morocco: ever since he was ten years old, Abderrahim El Makkouri has spent much of his time on Djemaa el Fna square, the pulsating, vibrant centre of magical downtown Marrakesh

"I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity," says Ladenburger. "Luckily, I had a sound man from Casablanca, an amazing guy, who not only did the recording, but was also able to translate. We were a small team, just three of us in all. Later, I began filming others along with the storytellers, trying to capture the diversity of the performers in the square, their vitality and the passion of their performances.

For Thomas Ladenburger, the Jemaa el Fna is the ″essence of Moroccan culture″: ″when you plunge into a halqa, you will emerge at an entirely different point in the country. Each halqa relates to a particular saint, and each of these saints is represented by a marabout (a Muslim religious teacher from the mystic tradition), somewhere in Morocco. There are very strong links, therefore, between the different parts of Morocco and the various halqas on the Djemaa el Fna – I found this interesting and it inspired many of the portraits in the film."

One of these fascinating portraits tells the story of a halaiqi who earns his living dancing in women's clothes to the sound of the violins.

The virtual halqa
In addition to the impressive documentary film "Al Halqa - the Last Moroccan Storytellers" and a successful exhibition last autumn at the Ethnological Museum Dahlem in Berlin, Thomas Ladenburger has also created a virtual museum as an attempt "to create, or preserve a collective memory and invite people to tell their own stories and share them with others on the Internet."

With the help of stunning photographs and a rich repertoire of well-chosen audio and film material on the history of the square, the filmmaker has succeeded in opening a virtual door on the Moroccan art of Djemaa el Fna to a wide audience.

Look here: this is Moroccan culture!″
It was important to Ladenburger that his film should highlight the significance of both the art and the artists. "People need to understand that storytelling is an important part of cultural heritage," Ladenburger argues. "While I was filming, I became aware that storytelling was not being given recognition as an art form by the majority of the Moroccan population. Not at a higher level at least. The intention behind my project was to provide a context, for the halaiqis in general, and the storytellers in particular, and to emphasise the value of what they do."

Storytelling is not just telling stories. It is an art, one that requires practice, perseverance and passion. "The first stories I heard were told to me by my grandmother," Abderrahim El Makkouri recalls. "My daily route to school as a child took me across Djemaa el Fna square. I got to know the storytellers and learned other stories, stories about love and adventure and magic that were longer than those my grandmother had told me. I was fascinated and decided I had to learn the stories of the oldest storytellers on the square. My head was filled with stories when I was young. I wasn't interested in money. More than anything else, I wanted to make a name for myself on the Djemaa el Fna and to hold my own against the long-established halaiqis. I remember travelling all the way to Fez to listen to a storyteller and learn his story by heart, because I had heard that it was a story that no one could resist. That was the lucky break; it gave me my place on Djemaa el Fna square and it turned me into a storyteller."
Melanie Christina Mohr © Qantara.de 2016 Translated from the German by Ron Walker
https://en.qantara.de/content/al-halqa-in-marrakesh-moroccos-last-storytellers
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco Year in Review 2015.

A strong agriculture harvest put Morocco on course to post healthy growth in 2015, while structural reforms, together with strategic diversification plans targeting key sectors and regions, are also beginning to yield results. Ratings agency Fitch described 2015 as a year marked by exceptionally strong agricultural output, with Morocco set to post GDP growth of 4.6%, up from 2.7% in 2014 when a poor harvest and low external demand took their toll on the economy.
In the year ahead the government will be looking to strengthen the GDP contributions of key sectors, including agriculture and industry, through a combination of targeted support programmes for local producers and financial incentives for investors.

Economic forecast
Economic expansion is expected to ease to 3% in 2016, according to the IMF, with non-agricultural activities set to make a slow recovery on the back of a gradual revival in EU markets, which account for nearly 60% of Morocco's foreign exchange earnings. Economic reforms, including the removal of key subsidies, are expected to spur growth, in line with the national drive to reduce the budget deficit.

In December the government moved to fully liberalise gas and diesel prices as part of its plans to cut spending on subsidies from a budgeted Dh23bn (€2.1bn) in 2015 to Dh15.5bn (€1.4bn) in 2016. Thanks in large part to lower subsidy spending and a more modest energy import bill, Morocco's fiscal deficit is expected to decline from 4.3% of GDP in 2015 to 3.5% in 2016, according to government estimates.

Planting the seeds
A record harvest helped make 2015 an exceptional year for Morocco's agricultural sector, which accounts for around 15-20% of GDP and provides direct employment for over 4m workers. The country's cereal harvest hit a record 11m tonnes over the year. The government is looking to build on sector growth with the introduction of a five-year plan aimed at supporting producers and boosting employment. The Dh174bn (€16.1bn) Green Morocco Plan seeks to modernise the sector and make it more internationally competitive, while also offering targeted support to smallholders as part of a drive to foster more inclusive growth in rural areas. Through the plan the government hopes to create 1.15m jobs in the sector by 2020 and triple the income of 3m rural residents.

Support for industry
To create a more sustainable engine for long-term growth, Morocco is working to increase the industrial sector's contribution to GDP from 14% in 2014 to 23% by 2020. This effort is also beginning to yield results, bolstered by tax incentives and upgraded infrastructure in key industrial zones.

In June France's automaker PSA Peugeot Citroën announced plans to open a €557m plant at the Atlantic Free Zone in Kenitra, which will manufacture compact sedans and town cars for the Middle East and African markets.

The aerospace industry, another key element of the kingdom's expanding industrial sector, is also building momentum, with French aviation leader Thalès announcing plans in late 2015 to build a new plant in Casablanca's Nouaceur Aerospace City. December also saw Stelia Aerospace, a subsidiary of France's Airbus that specialises in structures and components for commercial aircraft, inaugurate a Dh410m (€38.1m) facility in Nouaceur, the company's second in the kingdom.

Regional drive
Decentralisation efforts, another pillar of Morocco's long-term growth drive, also gained pace in 2015. The country is looking to transfer key powers and resources to local officials, paving the way for the regions to have greater control of their economic development.

The east of the country is set to benefit from a new deepwater port, earmarked for construction some 30 km from the city of Nador. The Nador West Med facility, expected to come on-line in 2019 or 2020, will include terminals for container trans-shipment and coal and hydrocarbons, with part of the financing to be provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (€200m), the African Development Bank (€111.5m) and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (€175m).

Sweeping plans to develop the greater Casablanca area also began to take shape in 2015, following the launch in late 2013 of a six-year initiative aimed at attracting new investment to Morocco's largest city. The 2015-20 Casablanca strategic development plan will see the roll out of a wide range of integrated projects, valued at Dh33.6bn (€3.1bn), ranging from transport infrastructure to leisure facilities.

Mixed year for energy
Morocco, a net energy importer, has benefitted from the drop in hydrocarbons prices, although the year did bring challenges for the domestic energy industry, led by the closure of the country's Mohammedia refinery, operated by the Société Anonyme Marocaine de l'Industrie du Raffinage. The closure of the facility ­- which is the country's sole refinery, capable of processing 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) - was the result of an outstanding Dh13bn (€1.2bn) tax claim according to local press reports. This left Morocco fully reliant on refined imports to satisfy its 300,000 bpd of domestic petroleum consumption in the last quarter of the year. As of early January, the refinery remained closed.

The renewables segment, however, witnessed more positive developments over the course of 2015, led by development of the Noor I solar plant.
The facility, which will rank as Africa's largest solar plant, is being created as part of Morocco's ambitious National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Plan, introduced in 2008. The kingdom now aims to satisfy 52% of electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030, reducing the country's dependence on energy imports.
http://www.zawya.com/story/Morocco_Year_In_Review_2015-ZAWYA20160114104036/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Political Marketing in Morocco.
Wednesday 13 January 2016 -morocco world news. By Abdelouahad Shaki Rabat

Political marketing in Morocco may be considered by some as an illusion and by others as non-fit to the electoral context of Morocco; it has an electoral or propaganda aspect. Some political parties resort to marketing labeled with religious discourse or populist practices or submission to elected elite. It is a tactical political marketing and not a strategic one, not resulting from an ideology but rather submitting to what the interest and the context entail. For this reason, some political parties resort to practices that target the heart, mind or desires of citizens.

The PJD endeavors to create political practices that differ from its counterparts in the field of political marketing. Nevertheless, this remains limited. It markets itself all over the year. Candidates market their profiles for years through solidarity activities.

The PAM and PJD are the two parties who endeavor to realize the objectives of the political marketing in different ways. Of course our Moroccan political context is fertile for competition among political parties. However, sometimes political marketing influences practices; it may be operated at the expense of others’ product. Nevertheless, the political marketing attains its edge either during elections where the need to market the product is dominant, or in parliamentary elections where politicians are longing for marketing the model. What happens in Morocco is that political marketing is based on personalization to achieve political objectives; rarely do we find political marketing based on the institution. So long as we rely on personalized political marketing, we’ll never achieve political marketing for the party, but first and foremost for the person. Political marketing is comprised of promotion and price which fluctuates from stage to stage. Besides, political marketing is mostly requested during elections. Political marketing stresses on specific issues and every political party is associated to a specific personality. Relying on these factors, we can’t speak of a professionalized political marketing in Morocco, what prevails rather is political propaganda.

The PJD was keen to adopt Moroccan political marketing and not the international one. It markets itself up close and at a distance. In spite of its being at the head of the government, the PJD remains isolated from the other parties. The PJD leaders manage the party through implementing political communication tools framed by an outright market oriented strategy. The party gauges its achievement through analyzing and researching to detect its strength and weaknesses. The party’s political marketing strategy targets citizens; that’s why the program endeavors to respond to citizens’ expectations. They assess the outcome of this program, detect its deficiencies and they check what was really realized and what was not attained.

The PJD acclimatizes with a changing environment, namely the political market place; it changes its political communication to achieve its long term objectives. The moot point in PJD’s strength is its development of its communication electronic fleet. Its members focus a great deal on NTIC to communicate with voters (communication marketing). Besides the PJD’s electronic website, to “market” its practices, the PJD relies on direct communication with citizens by the means of constituencies’ communication offices and the PJD’s parliamentary team office and through the parliamentary group website.

Concerning the opposition research, the PJD stresses on the importance of the opposition because it opposes the performances of the government and of the presidents of the constituencies. These performances are analyzed and commented upon in an objective way. The positive aspects are acknowledged and the negative ones are to ponder on to be amended.

The party of Justice and Development adopts other marketing tools such as segmentation and market research so as to assess its weaknesses and strengths and set programs accordingly. They target, identify, study and analyze constituencies to provide citizens with sufficient data and gauge their degree of satisfaction.

Political marketing implementation in the party’s practices is badly needed to market its activities. It deploys efforts to have the abilities to catch up with established democracies performance: Political marketing in the PJD is developing even if it has not yet achieved the expected target. The PJD is aware of this deficiency. In practice, it managed a little bit to adopt political marketing in different layers targeted by the party’s discourse and publicity. It took into account the urban citizens where levels of literacy are high. It targeted also youths through media channels, websites, Facebook, electronic radio pjd.FM, pjd TV etc…
The party of Justice and Development, aware of the importance of this process, targets to develop its communication potential to fathom citizens’ needs so as to meet their expectations through marketing public matters management, orienting the general environment and handling the party’s internal management.
Political Marketing in Morocco is different from the American and British model. In fact, all components of the coalition government are struggling to market gubernatorial achievements from a partisan standpoint and not as a product of the coalition.

There are efforts on the part of the PJD to practice and realize the concept of political marketing but it remains an electoral Marketing that focuses on the personalities of the leaders to market their practices for the benefit of the party via adopting interactive techniques and methods of communication.
The Charismatic PJD leader is one of those who master the metaphorical language through employing free terms that are adequate for all times and places, like “crocodiles?“and “fairies?“.

For the PJD, the aim of implementing marketing is to inform citizens about what it has achieved and about the offer promised for the future. The party has not mapped out any framework to market itself. But there is an advertising strategic plan. They market their product as it is. Concerning embellishing and trimming, the PJD does not care about a seducing packaging for its product. The shortage of political marketing implementation represents an impediment for the party to exhibit its achievements. The party has distorted conceptions about political marketing orientation that need a tweak.
Abdelouahad Shaki, PhD student, Northwest University, New york, USA
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/01/177310/political-marketing-in-morocco-2/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco And The Arab Spring: A Crisis Averted? – Analysis Morocco's King Mohammed VI.
By Malik Ibrahim January 13, 2016

On December 17, 2010, a provincial official in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia confiscated a merchant’s street cart and sparked one of the most tumultuous eras the Arab world has ever seen. Five years later, the official whose treatment of street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi pushed him to self-immolation has expressed regret, both for her own actions and their catastrophic results for Libya, Egypt, and nations further afield.

Of the Arab Spring countries, only Tunisia has seen a relatively successful transition to democracy. Many of the region’s other political, economic, and cultural centers have transformed into warzones, witnessing a total breakdown of state structures. While Syria, Libya, and Yemen are now entirely failed states, Egypt and Iraq both face strident Islamist insurgencies. Yet more countries, particularly Lebanon, risk being engulfed by wider regional conflicts. Flying under the radar, a few Arab countries have managed to avert a spiraling cycle of protests and state overreaction by answering grassroots action with significant reforms. One of these countries, Morocco, bears closer scrutiny as an example of an Arab monarchy which made key concessions early and preserved its own legitimacy in the process.

In terms of his initial response to the Arab Spring, known in its Moroccan incarnation as the 20 February Movement, Mohammed VI set himself apart from other Arab rulers with a measured approach to demonstrations. Instead of lethal force, Morocco’s shrewd ruler soon offered a new constitution that included greater popular sovereignty (such as prime ministers always being chosen from the largest party) and addressed at least some other key demands.

The minimal repression faced by Moroccan demonstrators stands in stark contrast to other countries and even to Morocco’s own history. Under Mohammed’s father, Hassan II, demonstrations in Casablanca in 1965 were met with violence that allegedly included interior minister Mohammed Oufkir personally spraying protesters with machine gun fire. In the same year that Mohammed VI proposed a constitutional monarchy, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak unleased pro-government forces in the now-infamous “Battle of the Camel” and the late Colonel Muammar Gaddafi promised he would find civilians in Benghazi “in their closets” (a threat so ominous it prompted a U.N. Security Council resolution almost immediately). Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, meanwhile, pursued a conscious policy of sectarian warfare that has left more than half of his own country’s population either internally or externally displaced. In Morocco, the first of the few deaths linked to protests did not come until over three months after the demonstrations began. The Alaouite dynasty, for its part, studiously avoided the more violent examples of other states in responding to civic demands.

After proposing Morocco’s new constitution in June 2011, Mohammed VI’s political maneuverings compare favorably with the failed transitions seen elsewhere in the region. Leveraging his own personal popularity by encouraging the Moroccan people to embrace the proposed changes, the new constitution passed with 98.5% of the vote the following month. When Abdelilah Benkirane and Morocco’s Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) won parliamentary elections in November 2011, the king allowed them to form a government (though not without exercising considerable influence over the formation of the new cabinet).

Instead of the antagonistic relationship that played out between Islamist governments and entrenched factions elsewhere in the Arab world, Morocco’s monarchy has taken pains to avoid accusations of interference while Benkirane’s government has focused “cooperation rather than confrontation,” building up a popular support base with its reputation for clean governance. While many in Morocco and abroad point to the lack of major reforms since 2011 as evidence that real change is yet to come, the PJD’s ability to remain in power and even make gains after four years singles it out as the most successful Islamist party in any of the Arab Spring countries.

While major political reforms only came about after the 2011 protests, Mohammed VI and his ministers had been more diligent about improving economic prospects and generating new opportunities for Moroccan youth. Like other Arab Spring countries, Morocco faces economic issues (like high unemployment) which fed discontent across the region in the years running up to this decade’s revolts.

Since taking the throne in 1999, Mohammed has set himself up as “guardian of the poor” for his efforts to reduce poverty. His reign has seen per capita income rise by 60% since 1999 and the emergence of a burgeoning middle class, although unemployment remains close to 10% and istwice as high among young people. Mohammed VI’s advisors, particularly his American-educated personal secretary Mounir Majidi, have worked since the start of his tenure to leverage the king’s financial clout as a vehicle for economic expansion. As President of SIGER, the firm that manages the monarchy’s business interests and controls Morocco’s National Investment Company (SNI), Majidi turned what was a holding company into an investment portfolio which aims to expand promising industries into “national champions” of a growing economy. The kingdom’s recent embrace of solar power to reduce its dependence on imported fuel has attracted hundreds of millions in international financing, serving as a leading example of prudent investment decisions.

While the new constitution was an important step forward for Morocco, more needs to be done to ensure the frustration behind 2011’s street protests does not explode into wider conflict. Nearly five years after those demonstrations, neither the palace nor the elected government have pushed forward with a fundamental restructuring of the balance of power within the state. While greater commitments to human rights norms and official accountability were made, activists point out they have yet to be put into practice. Nevertheless, Morocco’s limited steps forward are a far cry from the implosion of other states in the region, and today’s Moroccan public may well fear instability and violence abroad far more than at home.
*Malik Ibrahim is a risk analyst currently based in France working for several consultancies on issues relating to political and security risk, primarily in the MENA region.
http://www.eurasiareview.com/13012016-morocco-and-the-arab-spring-a-crisis-averted-analysis/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Norwegian Woman Finds Her Moroccan Biological Father Through Facebook.
Tuesday 12 January 2016 - Iliana Hagenah Washington D.C.

A few days ago, 25-year old Norwegian woman, Therese Ødegaard, announced she had found her Moroccan biological father through Facebook. Ødegaard was able to get in contact with her father by gathering information from Canadian charities, Safaa, and past coworkers of her father’s who provided her with information to help find him on Facebook.

On January 1, she was beginning her search for her biological father with few facts about him. Ødegaard told MWN that she knew his name, but was unsure of the spelling. She added that her parents met in Norway in 1989, when her father was probably was 25 years old. She had no further information on whether he was still alive. “My mother and father met in Oslo. As we know he was on a vacation in Norway at that time (1989). Noreddine At that time might have been around 25 years old, he met my mother (Kathrine) in Oslo, they took the train together to Trondheim. After this, they met again and he was living with my mother in her apartment in Oslo. They split after a short relationship,” she said.

According to Ødegaard, her mother never informed her father that she was pregnant when their relationship ended in 1989. “After they split, my mother found out she was pregnant, but he never got informed,” she told Morocco World News.

With the help of charities and organizations in Canada, a Moroccan named Mehdi Mehdioui found out about the case through a friend and able to help Ødegaard get in contact with an ex colleague of her father’s who lives in Canada. The former colleague reportedly saw her uncle in a chance encounter in Rabat when visiting Morocco in 2013. She then contacted her uncle, who informed Ødegaard that her father, who she confirmed to be Noreddine Boulamfa, was living in Tunisia.

Ødegaard was then able to find her father on Facebook and arranged a Skype meeting with him. She found out he is now married to a Tunisian woman and has kids. “I am glad to announce everyone that I managed to put The Norwegian girl Therese who was looking for her father she never met with her Moroccan father Noreddine who is happily married and lives in Tunisia now,” Mehdi Mehdioui, the person who helped Therese find her father, told MWN via email.

“My special thanks to everyone who contributed directly in this research. From Norway to Canada, From Morocco to Tunisia and elsewhere in the world. Therese was crying, shaking, but jubilating with joy. She spoke to her father on skype and feels like a little angel now,” he added.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/01/177271/norwegian-woman-finds-her-moroccan-biological-father-through-facebook/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco: Berbers celebrate Amazigh new year.

The Berber community in Morocco are celebrating Amazigh New Year which showcases their food, local music and dance.“People are celebrating by preparing couscous. They used to put couscous on top of tents in the middle Atlas. If the grains of couscous are dispersed, they say that some devout people eat it and the year will be good,” Benaceur Azaday, an academic said.

Contrary to the Christian and Islamic calendar, the Amazigh feast has no religious connotation . Considered as the first inhabitants of Morocco, they have a rich cultural and artistic heritage which they are proud of. We are happy with what we achieved for the Amazighs but we are asking for more. we want our language to benefit from the same rights Arabic has because it is an official language and we also insist that the 13th of January be made a national public holiday
The berbers sing and dance “Ahwach” and “Ahidous” to celebrate the New Year. They consider this art left to them by ancestors as god sent. They feel it is important to preserve it.

“The Amazighen s are considered as people of co-habitation, solidarity and fraternity. They are always optimistic, including in their weddings. They have plenty of traditions and customs. For example, on this occasion, they gather between friends and families and the bride joins her groom. They paint her with henna and there is a confirmation of the union,” tribesman Haddou Ouzhour said.

The Berbers in recent years have succeeded to have their language and culture recognised in the new constitution but they are pushing for the new year event to be made a public holiday. “We are happy with what we achieved for the Amazighs but we are asking for more. We want our language to benefit from the same rights Arabic has because it is an official language and we also insist that the 13th of January be made a national public holiday”. The chairman of the addour association said.

According to some berbers, the Amazigh culture and language were marginalised and reduced to mere folklore in the past in North Africa. The situation is becoming different. In the early 2000s, a Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture was set up in Rabat and Tamazight instruction was introduced in primary schools. Also, an Amazigh television channel was launched in 2006.

The berber community was particularly pleased with the recognition of their culture and language in the 2011 Moroccan Constitution. Now, they are urging for the Amazigh new year to be made a national public holiday. More festivities are planned over the next few days in various parts of Morocco where there is a concentration of Berbers.
http://www.africanews.com/2016/01/11/morocco-berbers-celebrate-amazigh-new-year/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Best places to shop in Marrakesh, Morocco: From souks to luxury shops
By Nina Karnikowski Jan. 10, 2016,

How to effortlessly make your through Marrakesh's myriad alleyways in the souk district and contemporary boutiques. :

http://www.theguardian.com.au/story/3652435/best-places-to-shop-in-marrakesh-morocco-from-souks-to-luxury-shops/?cs=34
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco, Among World’s Five Most Hopeful Nations: Survey
Monday 11 January 2016 -Iliana Hagenah Washington D.C.

Morocco was named among the most hopeful nations according to a recent survey conducted by the WIN/Gallup International Association that interviewed people from 68 countries. For the survey, titled the “Happiness International Index”, more than 66,040 people from 68 countries were polled. People were asked to answer the following question: “In general, do you personally feel very happy, happy, neither happy nor unhappy, unhappy or very unhappy about your life?”
Jean-Marc Leger, President of WIN/Gallup International Association, said: “2015 has been a tumultuous year for many across the globe, despite that the world remains largely a happy place.”

To rank hope globally, the poll divided the countries into three economic tiers and found that economic wealth did not correlate to economic optimism and hope.
The WIN/Gallup International grouped the world into three tiers: Prosperous (the G7); Emerging (G20 excluding the original G7) and Aspiring (all others) nations.

Despite the disparity in income levels across these three tiers, the study found that the level of net happiness was high across all three. While the Prosperous countries have 42 percent happiness, the Emerging countries are happier with 59 percent happiness and Aspiring countries have 54 percent. The findings on hope and economic optimism showed that Emerging countries had the most hope, while Prosperous countries had very low findings of hope.
Prosperous nations display the least hope and economic optimism with 6 percent and 16 percent, respectively.

Emerging nations are very hopeful about the future and far more optimistic about the economic outlook at 50 percent and 36 percent. The Aspiring nations sit between the two with 29 percent hope and 16 percent economic optimism. Bangladesh was considered the most hopeful, followed by China, Nigeria, Fiji, then Morocco. “India, while among the top five most hopeful last year, dropped from the list this year.

Morocco, Nigeria, and Fiji remain among the top five most hopeful countries for both 2015 and 2016.” Hope in Morocco remains strong compared to other countries although it has dissipated. Last year, over 75 percent of Moroccans believed that 2015 would be a better year than 2014. This year, 57 percent of Moroccans believe 2016 will be better.

As Morocco currently has a budget deficit, the government is balancing out its budget with cuts and reforms that have caused major protests. Pension and teacher trainee reforms have recently caused protests against the government that may have created less hope among citizens. According to a recent study, the economist predicted Morocco would still have a deficit in 2016, though there will be GDP growth. This means budget cuts and reforms may improve, but not dramatically. More than half of Moroccan are still hopeful change may come, however.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/01/177209/morocco-among-worlds-five-most-hopeful-nations-survey/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Where to Visit in Casablanca: With sleek shops and bustling beachfront cafés joining Art Deco villas and old-world markets, Casablanca is emerging as a glamorous travel spot with something for everyone   
Liza Foreman Posted January 11, 2016

In Casablanca, one can still feel like an explorer. Often overlooked by tourists despite being Morocco’s most populous city, it is a place of surprises that rewards wandering—and even getting lost. Its leafy boulevards are lined with ornate colonial-era buildings, and its flea markets are filled with treasures plucked from old villas. “Casablanca was the most creative of all the cities of France’s empire,” notes eminent historian Jean-Louis Cohen, coauthor of the book Casablanca: Colonial Myths and Architectural Ventures. “It’s laid out according to an imaginative plan, with beautiful parks and striking architecture, from late Art Nouveau and Art Deco to radically modern.”

And slowly, many of these once-neglected confections are being reclaimed and refurbished. The landmark 1934 Shell building, on the central boulevard Mohammed V, has been converted into the sleek Imperial Casablanca Hotel & Spa. Historic villas are being reborn as galleries and restaurants, and a restoration of the old medina has begun. Casamémoire, Morocco’s main preservation organization, which leads architectural tours, is spearheading efforts to have parts of Casablanca designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

But Morocco’s economic capital is also very much of the present, with the future squarely in its sights. A $730 million overhaul of the old port, which also involves the creation of a 2.3-mile tourist path connecting many of the city’s major buildings, will be finished by 2020. Along the Corniche—the beach promenade—the 1993 Hassan II Mosque, designed by French architect Michel Pinseau, stands as a breathtaking beacon. Gleaming shopping centers and luxury condos are springing up everywhere, including on the site of the airport depicted in the film Casablanca. (Though the Bogart-Bergman classic was shot on Hollywood backlots, its noirish romance does linger in certain quarters here.) Given the coastal setting, the influx of glittering towers raises the question, Could this be a new Miami with a Moroccan twist?

“This city is one of those rare jewels, a place with endless interwoven layers,” says London-born, Casablanca-based writer Tahir Shah over a meal at Relais de Paris, celebrated for its classic European cuisine. “There’s been a huge push by His Majesty King Mohammed VI to make it a real cultural and economic destination.” Indeed, the fall 2015 opening of the Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca, set in the multiuse Norman Foster–designed Anfa Place, is another sign of the city’s rising profile and its rapidly improving hotel options. The Imperial debuted in 2013, joining the fantastical Hôtel & Spa Le Doge, a six-year-old boutique property in a restored villa. And the Lincoln, a 1917 Moorish-Deco landmark that had long been empty and crumbling, is being rebuilt as a five-star property.
Just down the Corniche from the Four Seasons is the seafood restaurant Cabestan Ocean View, a standby from 1927 that’s a favorite of both American garden designer Madison Cox, who lives in Tangier, and Paris-based actor Gad Elmaleh, who grew up in Casablanca. In­-siders here generally suggest going to this kind of tried-and-true place. Art-book publisher Malika Slaoui, for example, recommends Sqala Café Maure, offering tagines and grillades in a renovated fortress, and the old-school French spot Le Rouget de l’Isle.

Yet some new arrivals are also winning a devoted following. One of Cabestan’s owners, Nicolas Perez, opened the neighboring Umayya Restaurant Oriental in November, serving Moroccan, Iranian, and Lebanese dishes. And according to Elmaleh, the current It place is Iloli, a Japanese restaurant with French and Moroccan influences.

If Casablanca has a center, it might be the Marché Central, the outdoor market in the heart of the Art Deco district. Here, antiques dealers jostle with food stalls, among the latter Chez Malika and Chez Zoubida, both favored by Elmaleh for their fresh crab and Oualidia oysters. Shah always heads for the antiques shop Mon Grenier, which owner Abdellatif Bellamine keeps piled high with offbeat finds. For vintage pieces, Shah also likes to trawl the retro-furniture stands at Soco de Moina, the flea market in the city’s Hay Hassani neighborhood.

La Galerie de l’Aimance, meanwhile, is a chic new store in the old medina. “It carries beautiful clothing and jewelry, as well as linens and decorative goods inspired by Moroccan arts and crafts,” Elmaleh says. Elsewhere in the city, Fenyadi is another top pick for high-end artisanal wares, from ceramics to metalwork, while Cox shops La Maison de Blanc for luxurious linens. “They’ve been selling to the Royal Palace since the 1950s,” he notes. At Oasis Art Deco, owner Reda Mohammed Sabah carves exquisite wood designs, which he ships worldwide.

Anyone interested in Moroccan craft and design should also visit the Musée de la Fondation Abderrahman Slaoui, which features everything from 19th-century gold jewelry to vintage travel posters. Opened in 2012, the museum is part of a thriving arts scene that includes La Fabrique Culturelle des Anciens Abattoirs de Casablanca, a slaughterhouse turned cultural center, and Galerie Shart, which specializes in rising Moroccan talent. The city’s contemporary-arts center, Villa des Arts, is set in a majestic 1930s mansion renovated by architect and Casamémoire president Rachid Andaloussi—a quintessential project for a man who has both the past and the future on his mind. Over coffee at the popular Paul café, in the airy 1947 Villa Zevaco, Andaloussi describes plans to rescue more buildings. “There are many efforts to develop tourism in the city,” he says. “But it’s just as important to emphasize our heritage. Casablanca tells the story of modernity.”
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/where-to-visit-in-casablanca
#############################################################

These postings are provided without permission of the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the identified copyright owner.  The poster does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the message, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.


Return to Friends of Morocco Home Page

About Membership Volunteer Newsletters Souk Links