MOROCCO

Khaled the “Moroccan” screamed the headline; the Algerian newspaper was referring to cheb Khaled, the Algerian-born international “pop rai” music star. The star of the worldwide hits “Didi” and “Aicha” has been getting a lot of grief from certain newspapers in his native Algeria for his presumed pro-Morocco statements regarding the Western Sahara conflict.

Ridicules as it sounds: In the last few months, the pro-Military press in Algeria has been commissioned to launch a ruthless campaign to smear the nationalism of Cheb Khaled. The anti-Morocco clan within the Algerian Military is furious at Khaled for his appearance at a music festival in the Moroccan city of Laâyoun in the Moroccan Sahara, or as the Algerian press like to call it, the occupied capital of the Western Sahara. The Algerian government views Cheb Khaled’s presence in Laayuon as an endorsement of Morocco’s territorial claim on the Sahara, and a rebuke to Algiers effort to convince the average Algerians and the international community that the world stands behind the Algerian position disputing Morocco’s claim.

The king of Rai sang in Laâyoun to please the millions of his Moroccan fans and not to play politics. Khaled, who has always been hugely popular in Morocco, has repeatedly stated his dislike of politics. Answering questions about the implication of his presence in Laayoun, the super star affirmed “I sing; I do not do politics.” However, the “Oujda clan” (the name given to a group of Algerian politicians and Army officials that are known of their fervent anti-Moroccan positions) will not have it; they launched a nasty media campaign attempting to portray cheb Khaled as a “sell out” who values his friendship with the Moroccan Monarch more than a sympathy for the plight of Saharawis wasting away in refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria.

Out of touch with the feelings of ordinary Algerians and Moroccans, the “Oujda clan” refuses to face a simple reality: People in the two countries, Morocco and Algeria, refuse to let the “Western Sahara” conflict hold their historic relationships hostage any longer.

Algerian Military Intelligence (SM) is greatly worried about the impact of Cheb Khaled , perceived pro-Morocco press declarations and his casual attitude towards the Moroccan position on the Sahara issue, on the Algerian public opinion. Khaled is revered in Algeria and has significant influence on the attitude of the average Algerians, especially the youth. Algerian intelligence services fret about a further negative shift of the Algerian public opinion toward the ever expansive anti “Oujda clan” attitude and the Bouteflika’s government continued decisions to squander billions of Algeria gas revenues on a desert adventure while millions of poor Algerians are facing an acute social malaise.

The SM, which has been feeling under siege in the aftermath of the recent Moroccan diplomatic successes, views Khaled’s manifestations as a threat to the long-term grip of the current Algerian government on its message of vilifying Morocco. The level of cruelty of the Algerian government campaign against a star that put Algerian music on the world map is a sign of desperation and high anxiety in al-Mouradia.

Moroccan would love to claim a star of the caliber of Cheb Khaled as a Moroccan; he is most definitely an honorary citizen of Morocco; but the truth is: Khaled is a true “Algerian Sharif”, unlike the elements who are questioning his nationalism.

By HASSAN MASIKY moroccoboard

Returning from a year's play in the UAE, Raja Casablanca striker Soufiane Alloudi vows to raise the level of play in the Moroccan Premier League.

Raja Casablanca striker Soufiane Alloudi, who was named Morocco's top male athlete in 2007, has come home. After spending a year in the United Arab Emirates, the footballer has returned to play in the Moroccan Premier League. The former Moroccan forward spoke to Magharebia about his time at Al Ain Emarati and his ambitions for his team.

Magharebia: Could you tell us a little about your experience with Al Ain?

Soufiane Alloudi: I learned a lot of things with the club in the United Arab Emirates, of course. Every experience is an asset and a bonus. I can honestly say I gained valuable experience at this club, which is highly professional in terms of technique, marketing and football tactics, especially the relationship between the players and the manager. I really loved playing for the team. I was with some great people and was well trained. The club is managed by a team of professionals who know exactly how a football team should be run. Basically, everything was geared towards getting players to give the best of themselves.

But I must also say that I still need the Moroccan league to raise my game, in particular by acquiring a new and more effective pace. At the same time, I really hope our league will move forward and develop. I want our league, like the European leagues, to achieve a better, exciting and convincing tactical standard. I think my return will not contribute a great deal to the national league, but the return of other international players like Amine Erbati, Bouchaib Lmabareki and Abdelhak El Arif will raise the standard of the league.

Magharebia: What's your view of Raja Casablanca following the departure of Mozer and the return of José Romao?

Alloudi: I think the players didn't have a great rapport with their manager, Carlos Mozer. In fact, the players and the manager weren't getting on. There were always problems, which were often useless. The team couldn't go on like that. In my view, harmony between the players and their manager is necessary and essential if we are to move forward.

Magharebia: Does that mean that José Romao is the right man for the job at the moment?

Alloudi: Definitely. As for myself, I have a very good relationship with all the staff at my club, Raja, and particularly with our Portuguese manager, José Romao, who is a friend to me and my team-mates. I think this manager has the respect of both the players and the management of the club. Everyone within a team has to get on, in my opinion. You have to have a rapport and friendship between the players and the manager so that both sides can discuss things.

Magharebia: Do you think RCA is ready for the challenges of the next few matches, especially against Arab and African sides?

Alloudi: I believe Raja Casablanca now has everything it needs to move forward, so I'm absolutely certain that our team will meet the challenges of these matches. We're not going to give up. The players want to win all these competitions, both national and Arab, for our wonderful fans who always support us and also for the image of this great Moroccan football club. In a nutshell, I can tell you and reassure all of Raja's fans that we're on course to do well in all of our competitions this year.

Magharebia: And what about the Moroccan national team?

Alloudi: First of all, I should point out that I've been out of the national team for a year because of my injury, but I always follow all their matches. In general, the problem that the national team has is that there is no consistency in terms of which players are selected. And that's no secret. All the matches for the combined World Cup and 2010 African Cup of Nations qualifiers were played by different line-ups. But it's acceptable for our national team to be lacking a certain consistency in terms of its players. All I can say is that the players all respect one another, and that's fundamentally important for any team. I hope their match against Cameroon in Fes will have a positive outcome and that it will help reconcile the fans and the team. We really need that to happen.

By Hassan Benmehdi for Magharebia in Casablanca

Atretis, a weaver of jacquard woven goods and jacquard velvets, offers fabrics in cotton, cotton blends, linen, linen blends, viscose and polyester. The company will be at Showtime in High Point Dec. 6-9.

In 2006, with the signing of the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement and the assistance of the American Chamber of Commerce in Casablanca, Atretis started planning its market expansion into the United States. It employed American expertise in fabric design and construction which assisted in developing an adapted and competitive product, specifically conceived for the U.S. market. Atretis’ U.S. operations are based in Miami through Globaxion, Inc., an American company representing Moroccan manufacturers in the U.S. The Miami office handles all aspects of Atretis’ U.S. operations including sales, logistics, customer service, as well as fulfillment. Atretis has also lined up an established and professional sales force that spans the entire country.

"We’ve decided to enter this market under no illusions, fully aware of the challenges the economic downturn has created," said Sami Samir, head of U.S. operations for Atretis. "Our strategy is that of long term. As the economic engines start to recover, it is our vision that we would have been established and have become an integral part of the fiber of this market."

Atretis was established in 1991 in Casablanca, Morocco, as an upholstery fabrics distributor; by 1994 it had already engaged in fabric manufacturing to meet its own demand. Atretis' market was mainly domestic and its exports focused on the Middles East and Europe. In 2005, Atretis obtained the ISO 9001 v 2000 Certification. The company currently employs about 98 employees.

From hfbusiness

Cameroon star Geremi says the squad are focussed on beating Morocco in Rabat on Saturday - a result which will take them to the World Cup in South Africa.

But he admits that the current generation harbour hopes of beating the Indomitable Lions' record at the tournament in Italia '90.

Then they were beaten by England after extra-time in the quarter finals in Naples.

"We are looking to try to do better than we did in '90," he told the BBC.

But Cameroon have to beat Morocco in Fez on Saturday to secure a place at the global showpiece.

The Indomitable Lions lead Group A by a point from Gabon, who play Togo in Lome.

Togo and Morocco are vying for the remaining Africa Cup of Nations spot from the group.

Cameroon have turned around their qualifying form after a defeat and a home draw in their first two games.

New coach Paul Le Guen, who replaced Otto Pfister in the job midway through the campaign, has brought a new professionalism to the squad, according to Geremi.

"We started very badly, and we know that is not good," he told the BBC's African sports programme Fast Track.

"The first thing [the coach brought with him] is professionalism.

"If things are working now it's because he brought us this kind of mentality.

"He is a top professional and a great manager."

The squad have been camping in Portugal ahead of the game on Saturday and will travel to Morocco on Friday.

From BBC

Ergun said that they aimed at increasing trade volume between Turkey and African countries up to 50 billion USD in the next few years.

Turkish Industry & Trade Minister Nihat Ergun said that they aimed at increasing trade volume between Turkey and African countries up to 50 billion USD in the next few years.

Speaking at the Turkey-Morocco Trade & Investment Forum hosted by the Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON) in Casablanca, Morocco, Ergun said, "Turkey has become one of the first 15 biggest economies of the world with a gross domestic product of 700 billion USD. Turkey's foreign trade volume exceeded 300 billion USD."

"Turkey's commercial relations with African countries are further improving. Our trade volume with African countries increased to 17 billion USD from 5 billion USD in the last few years. We target to increase it up to 50 billion USD in the coming years. Turkish and Moroccan businessmen should cooperate with each other to this end," he said.

From world bulletin

An international congress on Western Mediterranean under Ottoman ruling will be held on 12-14 November in Moroccon capital of Rabat.

The OIC Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA, Istanbul) and the Royal Institute for Research on the History of Morocco (IRRHM, Rabat) are jointly organising an International Congress on "The Maghreb and the Western Mediterranean during the Ottoman Period".

The congress aims to promote research on the history of the Maghreb and the Western Mediterranean region during the period of the Ottoman State by exploring the existing and new directions of research and offering scholars and specialists an opportunity to present their findings and share information, IRCICA said on website.

"The period will be covered comprehensively, to generate a forum of study and academic discussion on its various aspects. The Ottoman presence in part of the region under study had varying degrees and spheres of impacts on all of the region.

"Thus the theme will cover the relations between the Ottoman State and the Maghreb and Western Mediterranean region with regard to the effects of developments relating to the central state, the provinces, and the neighbouring countries, reciprocally; economic, social, cultural and educational developments, press and publications," IRCICA said.

An important aspect of the congress is that it will also address issues relating to historiography and the state of research on the history of the region during the Ottoman period.

The languages of the congress will be Arabic, Turkish, English and French. Simultaneous translation will be provided.

From worldbulletin

The Hand of Fatima

Augusta Palmer seeks to understand her father Robert, with the aid of a camera.

Directed by Augusta Palmer

At Anthology Film Archives, Nov. 13-19

The Hand of Fatima

fits squarely into the ever-expanding genre of films documenting a director’s journey into his or her familial past. The public recording of what, in theory, is an intensely private experience, these filmmakers must create enough emotional legibility for the outside viewer to connect with their subjective state, while maintaining that intensely personal quality that brings their film the sheen of authenticity. Play too much to the viewer, and they don’t buy the singularity of the filmmaker’s experience. Keep it too close to the chest, and the film becomes little more than a diary found on the street: conveying the idea of intimacy without providing the context that makes such individual reflections resonate beyond the first-person singular.

Augusta Palmer’s account of her fraught relationship with Robert Palmer, the famed rock critic and musician who was also her father, emanates a sincerity of purpose that’s difficult to critique. For all its earnestness, however, The Hand of Fatima feels a little too thematically diffuse to leave a distinct impression. We may follow along with Palmer on her trip to the Moroccan village of Jajouka, but how this journey alters her conception of her father, herself, or the entrancing local musicians that drew both father and daughter to this far-flung locale remains theoretically clear but at an emotional remove.

Popularized by Brian Jones’ trip to play with the village’s musicians in 1974, Jajouka became both holy-grail and homeland to Robert Palmer throughout the 1970s and '80s. He first traveled there on assignment for Rolling Stone, where he enthusiastically wrote of the almost otherworldly power that the indigenous music and rituals had upon him. Returning throughout the rest of his life, Palmer found spiritual sustenance in Jajouka, as well as a benevolent father figure in Jnuin, the village leader, who eventually accepted Robert as a member of the musical brotherhood.

Having established a delicate if limited relationship with Robert before his death in 1997, Augusta traveled to Jajouka in 2006 with both her young daughter and her father’s third wife (with whom she felt a special connection), hoping to understand his adopted spiritual mecca and, by extension, Robert himself. She eventually meets Jnuin’s son, Bachir Attar, and discovers more about her father’s time in Jajouka and the current state of the musical art form practiced in the village.

The music of Jajouka has an undeniably hypnotic pull, and Palmer lingers upon its history and practice when she travels to Morocco. It’s all interesting to a point, but The Hand of Fatima has trouble connecting the music to the man that purportedly lies at the film’s center. We understand Robert Palmer’s bond to Jajouka intellectually—fed by his earlier passion for American blues music and the filling of the paternal void left by his own taciturn father—without feeling it viscerally, an issue oddly exacerbated by Palmer’s decision to portray many of her father’s experiences via fun but distancing animated sequences. This proves especially disappointing given Palmer’s often clear-eyed account of her father’s life as a whole, which was marked by crippling drug addiction and fraught personal relationships as well as professional triumphs.

The same disconnect can be seen when Palmer attempts to communicate her own epiphanies while in Jajouka. It’s hard not to be moved by images of Augusta hugging her stepmother, tears streaming down her face, as they listen to the Master Musicians of Jajouka play the same music that so inspired her father. Too often, though, Palmer underlines connections between herself, her father, and Jajouka through voiceover: thoughtful and elegant in its own right, but often feeling like an inadequate substitute for eloquent visuals. If The Hand of Fatima’s on-the-fly aesthetic is perhaps unavoidable given the shooting circumstances, it also precludes the kind of assured poetic imagery that may have conveyed Palmer’s thematic links with greater subtlety and effectiveness.

In the end, it’s difficult to dislike a film like The Hand of Fatima, particularly when the experience of creating it seems to have done therapeutic wonders for its maker. It makes me wish I had been able to experience those breakthroughs along with Palmer, rather than watching them occur from a distance.

By Matt Connolly nypress

"This is Maroc", is a reportage documenting recently emerging trends of contemporary and eclectic Moroccan music. The exhibition will include photographs representing the spirit of present day Morocco as well portraying cultural aspects that are not readily associated with the tourist image shown in travel brochures. Yann Sivault and Nicolas Orsini during their trip in Morocco have not only collaborated on all visual imagery as well as film footage for the project, but have equally worked very closely with local musicians.

The exhibition will also feature a screening of different footage and interviews realised during the visit of different cities such as Rabat, Casablanca, Meknes, Marrakech and Esserouera. Yann and Nicolas are showing an exciting new face of current musical and cultural trends that are true eye-openers.

Red Gate Gallery is a non-for-profit organisation that is dedicated to the continuous exposure of contemporary and diverse Art forms. It encompasses artists’ studios, a large gallery space suitable for installations, film projections, music performances, live gigs and exhibitions. Red Gate is located within a busy environment between Brixton & Camberwell. The gallery hosts regular events, exploring strands of thought provoking art. Since 1998 it has hosted over 500 events and exhibitions.

From openpr

Three players have withdrawn from Morocco's squad for their final World Cup qualifier against Cameroon in Fes because of injury.

Midfielders Mbark Boussoufa from Belgium's Anderlecht and AJ Auxerre's Kamel Chafni plus defender Abdeslam Ouaddou have all pulled out of Saturday's match with valid medical certificates, coach Hassen Moumen told a news conference.

Their withdrawals further weaken a team already hit by the absence of Girondins Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh through suspension and the dropping of Nancy's Youssef Hadji.

Moumen named Mourad Aini of Raja Casablanca and Azzedine Hissa of HUS Agadir as cover.

Morocco, bottom of the group, must win the match to have any chance of qualifying for January's African Nations Cup finals in Angola in while leaders Cameroon need victory to ensure their progress to the 2010 World Cup finals.

From soccernet

Works of the 4th conference and the 5th meeting of the Association of Senates, Shoora Equivalent Councils in Africa and the Arab World (ASSECAA) were kicked off Thursday in the Moroccan city, Rabat.

Head of the Yemeni delegation to the conference and Chairman of the Shoura Council Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Ghani renewed in a statement to the Moroccan media concern of the Republic of Yemen of the Association as well as its goals it works to achieve at the political, economic and cultural levels.

He noted moves of the Political Committee of the ASSECAA which is assigned to resolve disputes during the past period, making clear the role done by the Association since its establishment in Yemen in strengthening cooperation ties between the Arab and African countries.

In his statement, Abdul-Ghani greeted the Moroccan King, Parliament and people for hosting the Association conference, praising the strong relations between the two Shoura Councils in Yemen and Morocco.

Moroccan King Mohamed VI delivered a speech in the conference emphasizing the role of the member councils in the ASSECAA in reinforcing democracy and the parliamentary diplomacy to serve relations among the Association member countries.

For his part, ASSECAA Secretary General Livinus I. Osuji presented report of the General Secretariat over its activities and role since holding the Association conference in Khartoum in 2008.

From Saba

A project to reduce water use at hotels and guest houses in Morocco has reportedly been a success.

The Moroccan National Tourist Office (MNTO) revealed that an initiative it is pursuing with the Travel Foundation has helped accommodation providers in Marrakech and Essaouira reduce their water consumption by up to 25% this year.

One year's worth of savings under the scheme is thought to be the equivalent of the annual water consumption of a village of 2,000 people.

Ali El Kasmi, director of the MNTO in London, said: 'Our vision of responsible and sustainable tourism goes beyond plans and strategies - it is reflected in the action taken by businesses and the results they get.

'Our partnership with the British Travel Foundation … has already achieved substantial water savings and these results will be important to guide future projects for this partnership in 2010 and beyond.'

So far, 46 hotels and 44 guest houses have been audited, some of which have implemented water-saving methods including regular checks for leaks and the use of flow reducers.

Opodo cheap flights, hotels and car hire - let the journey begin!

From opodo

Located at the crossroads of the African, European and Arab worlds, Morocco’s unique commingling of cultures and reputation for religious tolerance have enabled it to play the role of regional moderator. A world leader in phosphates production and an increasingly popular destination for offshoring, the kingdom is making inroads into global business thanks to its “advanced status” with the EU and a series of free trade agreements. Having long served as a model for education and environmentalism, Morocco is now looking to improve its domestic life by reducing poverty and diversifying the economy.

The following is a summary of report: ‘Morocco 2009’ published by Oxford Business Group:

Politics

The political system is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of government – as such, the king appoints the prime minister following elections. The largest parties are the centre-right Independence Party, the mainstream Islamic Justice and Development Party and the centre-left Socialist Union of People’s Forces, with a fourth, the recently formed Party for Authenticity and Modernity, gaining sizeable support in 2009. The government’s powers are circumscribed by the throne, and voter turnout remains low (37% of registered voters), although local elections held in June saw greater community participation. To counteract public corruption, King Mohammed VI outlined an extensive reform plan which targets better training of officials, ethics training, improved safeguards and accountability, and greater procedural transparency. A signee of the UN Convention Against Corruption, Morocco has also introduced reforms that have helped reduce money laundering and improve the public procurement process. With ties to Africa, the Middle East and Europe, the kingdom often plays the role of moderator in international discussions, including those pertaining to the Arab-Israeli conflict. While the US has been a historic political ally, the EU is Morocco’s biggest trade partner, accounting for three-fifths of trade. Diplomatic relations with Algeria have been strained by a territory dispute in the Western Sahara, with an Algerian-backed guerrilla group, the Polisario Front, seeking independence for the region. In response to rising levels of urban poverty, the government has staged a massive relocation and social support programme, Cities Without Slums, over the past six years. Progressive legislation has given women more freedom in marriage and public life, and the king has introduced multiple initiatives to bridge the gender gap in education. With up to 5m Moroccan workers in Europe, the country’s second-largest source of foreign revenue after exports is remittances from expatriates. Joint EU-Morocco efforts to stem illegal migration flow to Europe have reduced the number of migrants reaching Spain by as much as 60% in 2007.

His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, gives his viewpoint on the successes of the last decade and a vision for the next. This chapter also provides interviews with Miguel Sebastián Gascón, Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, and Hans-Gert Poettering, MEP and former President of the European Parliament.

Economy

The economy has remained insulated from the worst effects of the world crisis. Due in part to the rebounding of the agricultural sector, which had suffered from a 2007 drought, the economy expanded 5.6% in 2008, with 5.7% growth forecasted for 2009. Morocco’s economy is the 61st largest in the world, according to the IMF, though its per-capita GDP is low compared to similarly ranked nations. King Mohammed VI has recently launched two national economic strategies: Plan Maroc Vert and Plan Emergence. The first seeks to create 1.5m jobs in the agriculture sector, and add around €7.65bn to GDP through €10.8bn of investments by 2020, while the latter will establish new industrial zones and boost training to increase efficiency. Additionally, phosphates production, which accounted for more than a third of 2008 exports, is being restructured for greater value. A reliable European ally in fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, Morocco was granted an “advanced status” from the EU in 2008, shoring up bilateral trade relations with Europe. The official unemployment rate reached a 10-year low of 8% -- the rate in cities was 12.6%, while in rural areas it was just 3%. Inflation remains low at 3.9% in 2008 as the government maintains a restrictive currency regime. The government’s budget surplus increased to 0.4% of GDP in 2008, up from 0.2% the previous year, despite privatisation revenue dropping to zero. As commodity prices surged, the government spent an all-time high on subsidies in 2008, which it slashed at the start of 2009 to offset lower tax revenues. In 2008, foreign direct investment (FDI) declined for the first time since 2004, retreating 29% in 2008 to Dh27.1bn (€2.4bn), and the balance of payments’ current account posted a deficit for the first time in eight years on the back of the spiralling trade deficit and a decline in remittances and tourism revenue. Morocco’s Customs Department has embarked on a series of reforms to improve its efficiency, such as a €9m automated clearance system enabling a number of procedures to be completed electronically. The country fell eight places on Transparency International’s 2008 Corruption Perception Index to 80th out of 180 nations, indicating an outstanding problem the government must address in order to attract investors.

This chapter provides interviews with Salaheddine Mezouar, Minister of Economy and Finance; Abdellatif Maâzouz, Minister of Foreign Trade; Faouzi Chaabi, Administrator of Ynna Holding; and Donald Kaberuka, President of African Development Bank.

Banking

Morocco’s banks have been largely unaffected by the credit crisis due to their limited connection to global financial markets. The number of people with a bank account increased from 25% in 2007 to 29% in 2008, while deposits rose by 11.1% to a record Dh572.3bn (€51.5bn), 20% of which belong to Moroccan nationals living abroad. Remittances from expatriates, however, have fallen in 2009, with transfers from the 3.1m-strong community retreating 14% to Dh14.6bn (€1.31bn) through April. Rapid expansion of banks’ distribution networks may have come at the cost of security – in May 2009, the Ministry of Interior ordered 270 banks to increase their security measures to reduce the number of bank robberies in the country. Private banks are increasingly moving towards universal banking, buying companies in all segments of the financial industry. While GDP advanced 5.6% in 2008, outstanding loans jumped 23% to a record Dh519.3bn (€46.74bn) as more people bought and furnished property. As the rest of the world saw lending dry up, Moroccan banks issued more loans, showing 2.6% growth in the first five months of 2009. From a high of 19.4% in 2004, non-performing loans in 2008 fell to 6% of outstanding loans, with overall provisions standing at a five-year high of 75.3% by December. Due to limited exposure to toxic assets combined with an increase in deposits and viable loans, overall earnings increased, with some banks posting a 30% gain in profit. New bond issues in 2008 jumped 20% to €585m, with banks raising most of the funds. After dropping eight places on the Corruption Perception Index in 2008, the government targeted reducing financial crime, establishing a unit in December to crack down on money laundering. At its peak in 2007, the banks’ minimum reserve requirement was 16.5%. To fight liquidity, the bank reserve ratio was cut from 15% to 12% in December 2008, then reduced further to 10% in June 2009, which was partially offset by a solvency ratio increase to 10%. Despite fiscal and regulatory barriers to entry, Middle Eastern investors have demonstrated interest in Islamic banking in Morocco.

This chapter provides interviews with Pierre-Louis Boissière, Chairman of the Executive Board, Crédit du Maroc; Anass Alami, Director-General of Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion; and Mohamed Damak, Associate at Standard & Poor’s Financial Services. Abdellatif Jouahri, Governor of Bank Al Maghrib, offers his viewpoint on development prospects and challenges ahead.

Capital Markets

The financial crisis did not cause much of a slump on the Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE), with the Morocco All Share Index falling less than 14% in 2008 (compared to the Saudi Tadawul All Share Index’s drop of 57% and Egypt’s CASE 30’s 34% slide). Trading around 80 companies, the stock exchange is the sixth largest in the Arab world and the 3rd ranked in Africa. At the end of July 2009, market capitalisation stood at €48bn. The capital markets regulator lifted restrictions on buyback rules in 2008, curbing market correction. Of the five IPOs that took place in 2008, all were oversubscribed by more than four times, mostly by retail investors betting on the past history of post-IPO rallies. However, 4 of the 5 companies that went public in 2008 saw their shares fall below IPO price. The government has initiated fiscal incentives to increase IPOs and to attract listings by foreign companies, though market conditions remain unfavourable. As a result, some companies are turning to the fixed-income securities market for financing. Banks accounted for a great deal of the bourse’s growth, as the central bank raised the solvency ratio to 10% from 8%, requiring banks to increase their tier 1 capital. Monetary authorities have recently initiated reforms to allow institutional investors to buy some financial instruments on international markets. In 2008, the holdings of foreign institutional investors totalled €13.4bn, some 27.5% of the market. With exports to Africa standing at less than 6%, the CSE is looking to increase the flow of goods and services between countries by encouraging dual listings.

This chapter provides interviews with Karim Hajji, CEO of Casablanca Stock Exchange, and Younes Benjelloun, Partner & Board Member of CFG Group.

Insurance

The insurance sector, contributing 3% to GDP, continues to be a regional leader, ranking second continentally. The largest market segment is non-life, taking a 66.7% share with €1.18bn in total premiums for 2008, up 11.5% from 2007. Within that, automobile is the largest, bringing in 30.3% of total insurance revenue in 2008. However, life is the fastest-growing segment, with a 12.3% increase in 2008 with Dh5.8bn (€522m). The growth has been driven by bancassurance, which now holds 50% of the life insurance market. As the result of numerous mergers, four insurance companies now hold a 69.5% combined market share, and the process of consolidation continues among the 16 total players. Breaking the Moroccan Mutual Agriculture Insurance Agency’s monopoly on coverage, sector leader Wafa Insurance entered the agricultural insurance market in 2009, a vote of confidence for the Plan Maroc Vert scheme for agricultural development. Other niches are being explored, including micro-insurance targeting the low-income population. Comprehensive restructuring of Morocco’s pension fund system will begin in 2010. Companies are competing to add new products to the automobile segment, with segment leader CNIA SAADA Assurance opening Check Auto Express (CAE), a fast-track motor indemnity centre, in February 2009.

This chapter provides a roundtable with Said Ahmidouch, General Director of Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale; Khalid Cheddadi, CEO of Caisse Interprofessionnelle Marocaine des Retraites; and Mohamed Bendriss Benahmed, Director of Caisse Marocaine des Retraites.

Tourism

Tourism has seen solid growth in recent years, rising from 4.4m visitors in 2001 to 7.4m in 2007. The government had targeted 10m tourists by 2010, a figure that looks increasingly difficult in the current financial climate. Tourist volume grew 6% in 2008, stopping short of the 8m mark. However, hotel nights and tourist income showed small drops, indicating that that while visitors are still travelling to Morocco, they are taking shorter breaks and spending less. A 10% drop in receipts is expected for 2009. The percentage of Moroccan nationals living abroad who come back to travel comprises a significant portion of the total visitors. To counteract flagging tourism volume, the government launched CAP 2009, a plan to better promote Morocco globally as a tourism destination and to increase tourism in untapped markets, including Russia and China. Additionally, the creation of resorts and leisure facilities tailored to locals is aimed at increasing domestic travel to 2m trips per year. Medical tourism is also getting a boost from the construction of a Dh1.8bn (€162m) health and wellbeing complex. Six integrated resorts costing €4.05bn are being built in accordance with Plan Azur, a national tourism strategy -- the first of these, Saidia, was inaugurated in June. Total investment in tourism is expected to reach €7.2bn over the next five years, mainly from the banking and financial sectors. Tourism authorities are cracking down on unregulated businesses operating in the sector, while the government signed an agreement with the National Hotel Industry to ensure that job offers will be made available to the best students in hotel training programmes.

This chapter provides an interview with Othman Cherif Alami, President of the National Tourism Federation.

Environment

While Morocco is already a model of water management in the MENA region, upgrades to its water system under the National Wastewater Management Programme should further improve wastewater treatment and maximise efficient water usage. Authorities are promoting better water rationalisation in agriculture, which uses 80% of water resources, by replacing existing irrigation systems with micro- irrigation and drip networks. A net energy importer, Morocco launched the National Renewable Energy and Efficiency Plan in February 2008 to develop alternative energy to meet 15% of its domestic needs and increase the use of energy-saving methods. It is expected to create more than 40,000 jobs and stimulate over €4.5bn in investment by 2020. The National Plan for the Development of Solar Thermal Energy, formulated in 2001, aims to install 440,000 solar-powered water heaters by 2012, of which 235,000 are completed. In May 2009, the World Bank approved a €121m loan to help finance the implementation of the kingdom’s solid-waste management programme, which targets a 90% waste disposal rate for urban areas by 2021. The government is taking measures to mitigate the harmful effects of tourism on Morocco’s natural resources, while increasing incentives for a growing niche of ecotourism projects. As of January 2008, hotels with good environmental practices will receive a Green Key label as part of a programme by the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment. Under a ten-year plan for the protection of natural resources, 40,000 to 50,000 ha of forests are replanted annually with indigenous trees.

This chapter provides an interview with Said Mouline, Director-General, Center for Development of Renewable Energies (Centre de Développement des Energies Renouvelables).

Transport

A five-year transport sector strategy was unveiled in 2008. With a €11bn budget for infrastructure works, the government will focus on large-scale public projects. Increased tourism -- the country saw nearly 8m visitors in 2008, and is hoping for 10m for 2010 -- has necessitated the expansion of airport capacity, with a target of 30m by 2010. Casablanca Mohammed V, Morocco’s principal airport, is undergoing a €46m terminal upgrade, while Marrakech and Oujda airports will also receive new terminals. Casablanca is slated to become the world’s first “green airport” by 2010, with wind power generating 90% of its energy needs. In April 2009, the African Development Bank provided Morocco a €240m loan to upgrade airport infrastructure. International passenger traffic almost doubled between 2003 and 2008 as new airlines entered the sector and flight routes were added as part of an “open-skies” agreement with the EU. In the low-cost sector, European giants RyanAir and easyJet now compete with the national carrier Royal Air Maroc, along with Jet4you and newcomer Air Arabia Maroc. Africa’s fourth-largest port, Casablanca Port is being expanded to accommodate growing container traffic, with the construction of Tanger-Med, set to be one of the world’s largest ports, also helping to improve Morocco’s maritime connectivity. Freight turnover is expected to triple by 2015 through the development of railway infrastructure, such as a 43-km line linking Tanger-Med to the national rail network, inaugurated in June 2009. The €1.8bn contract for a national high-speed train network was awarded in April 2009 to a joint venture between Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer France (SNCF) International and Inexia. The train will operate at about 200 km per hour, reducing travel time between Casablanca and Tangier from five hours and 45 minutes to two hours and 10 minutes. A comprehensive expansion and diversification of Morocco’s national road networks is underway, with a 510-km Mediterranean Expressway on the Algerian border due for completion in 2011. Casablanca Transport Company, created in 2008 to manage the city’s public transport infrastructure, began construction on a tramway network in February 2009.

This chapter provides interviews with Driss Benhima, Chairman and CEO of Royal Air Maroc (RAM), and Mohammed Abdeljalil, President of Marsa Maroc.

Construction & Real Estate

Following the global construction slowdown, Morocco is moving government-backed social housing projects to the front of the queue as demand for high-end projects decreases. Most sector indicators, from cement sales to FDI, dropped while completion times were extended in the case of many large projects. Six large resorts worth Dh50bn (€4.5bn) are still in the works, part of the national tourism strategy Plan Azur. Infrastructure projects are also underway, including construction on two dam projects, two tramway systems and road work in rural areas. The south of the country, which has unrealized economic potential, has received particular attention recently, with €635m spent on development over the past four years. The New Cities programme, which envisions the creation of 15 new cities to decongest Morocco’s main urban centres, began with the construction of the 1300-ha city of Chrafate, due for completion in 2020. International funding from Japan and Saudi Arabia is helping Morocco to realize its infrastructure projects.

Following the international trend, Morocco’s real estate sector suffered in 2008 as the housing bubble burst. In previous years, the luxury market had expanded greatly, driven in part by foreign demand, but high-end property fell 10-15% in price in 2008. Demand for low- and medium-income housing continues to be strong, with an estimated deficit of 610,000 units. The government is working to reduce the housing shortage to 27% by 2012, with social housing accounting for 129,000 out of a total of 300,000 units built in 2008. The New City programme will also provide a glut of housing, with 1700 homes built in the new city of Tamesna by April 2009. Moreover, citizens are receiving government aid in the form of loans to help with the purchase of homes. Some tourist-related real estate projects under the Plan Azur are on hold due to the departure of foreign developers, but the first of Morocco’s seaside resorts, Saïdia, celebrated its opening on June 2009. While high-end office complexes abound, many major cities are facing a shortage of affordable office space.

This chapter provides interviews with Hamza Kabbaj, Director of Société Générale des Travaux du Maroc, and Karim Belmaachi, Managing Director of Alliances Développement Immobilier.

Agriculture

An economic pillar, the agriculture sector employs 40% of the population and accounts for between 19% and 21% of GDP, though productivity is always at the mercy of climactic fluctuations. The outlook for 2009’s harvest looks optimistic, with the High Planning Commission predicting 6.7% sector growth, up from 5.8% in 2008. The Green Morocco Plan (Plan Maroc Vert), launched in April 2008, outlined a national strategy for long-term agriculture development, which includes boosting sector GDP contribution to up to Dh100bn (€9bn) annually from Dh38bn (€3.42bn) in 2008. Additionally, it targets modernizing production and boosting quality to make Moroccan goods attractive in global markets. Fruit and vegetables production, accounting for 30% of total agricultural employment, has doubled over the last decade to 7.2m tonnes in 2008. Due to fluctuations in production and poor marketing, Moroccan olives are losing out to more competitive producers such as Tunisia on global markets as well as domestically. With about 3000 km of coastline, Morocco is the continent’s top fish producer and 25th in the world. It remains the world’s largest sardine exporter, with sardines accounting for 90% of canned goods exports. While most of its fish is exported to the EU, the fishing industry is looking to penetrate new markets in North America and the Middle East and is showcasing at international trade fairs.

This chapter provides interviews with Abed Yacoubi Soussane, President of Mutuelle Agricole

Marocaine d’Assurances/Mutuelle Centrale Marocaine d’Assurances (MAMDA/MCMA), and Aziz Akhannouch, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Telecoms & IT

The government has launched several initiatives in recent years to develop its ICT industry. The 2005 Plan Emergence, designed to increase exports across sectors, led to the creation of Casanearshore and Rabat Technopolis offshoring centres, with three more tech-focused centres in the pipeline. A new four-year Impact Plan aims to further boost offshoring potential, as well as support small and medium-sized business (SME) computerisation, e-government and broadband access and promote entrepreneurship in new and niche ICT areas, ultimately bringing sector revenue to $1.7bn by 2013. A Dh100m (€9m) fund has been established to provide loans to SMEs with innovative IT projects, while the government is taking action to computerise its activities, now allowing people to pay local taxes online. Around 40 government services should be online by 2013. A low internet penetration rate (21%) presents a challenge for the development of e-commerce. 3G technology, introduced to the market in 2007, shot up 527.5% in 2008 to reach 268,131 subscribers, now accounting for 35.4% of Internet connections. In 2009, IT research and consulting firm Gartner placed Morocco in its top 30 destinations for offshoring. To address a shortage of skilled workers in the offshoring sector, which is projected to create 100,000 jobs by 2015, the government aims to train 22,000 graduates by the end of 2009.

The telecoms market generated more than $3.75bn in turnover in 2008, or 7% of GDP. The state’s monopoly on telecommunications ended in 2000 when the first private operator, Meditel, was granted a mobile licence, though partially state-owned Maroc Telecom remains the sector leader with a 64.36% mobile market share. The third operator, Wana, holding only 1.91% of the mobile market, was granted a 2G mobile licence by the telecoms regulator in February 2009 to increase competition. The mobile penetration rate rose from 65.7% at the end of 2007 to 74% at the end of 2008. Prepaid cards dominate the mobile market with a share of 95.96%. Prepaid subscriptions grew 13.86% in 2008, while postpaid increased 15.25%. Fixed lines also enjoyed a renaissance in 2008, growing 24.96%, which necessitated the addition of an extra digit to existing phone numbers. With Spain’s Telefonica, its former investor, Meditel launched Africa Gate, a 2520-km fibre-optic network that links Morocco and Spain, in September 2008. Maroc Telecom is hoping to become more of a regional player, with ambitious plans to expand into Mali and set up a fibre-optic cable link with West Africa. Due to a multilingual workforce and low costs, Morocco’s call centres are increasingly attractive to European companies.

This chapter provides an interview with Mohamed Lasry, General Director of Casanearshore.

Industry & Retail

Though parts of the Moroccan industrial sector performed well in 2008, especially on the local market, several indicators point towards a slowdown. Textiles production saw a 3.3% drop, leather fell by 12.5%, and metal products by 40.9%, mostly as a result of a decrease in international demand. The textile sector shed nearly 50,000 jobs in 2008 as sales fell by 10.5%, while phosphates sales plummeted 59.5% in February 2009, partly due to the product’s increased price. However, as the world’s largest phosphates exporter, Morocco is expecting a rebound and moving forward with production expansion. The auto industry also received a drop in international orders, although the local car market grew by 17% in 2008. Nissan withdrew from the joint construction of a factory with Renault in February 2009. However, Morocco remains an attractive destination for low-cost carmakers on account of its competitive pricing. Pharmaceuticals sold well domestically, with average expenditure per person rising from €26 in 2007 to €30.60 in 2008. On the back of a construction boom in recent years, cement companies saw a sharp decrease in sales in 2008, though the local market grew 9.9%. Several new steel factories will open in the near future, creating a surplus of production capacity which should force producers to widen their export market. Despite a free trade agreement that went into effect in 2006, Morocco’s exports to the US have been limited (reaching €1.68bn in 2008) due to an unfavourable dirham/dollar exchange rate, the inadequate capacities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and a lack of visibility. To help develop export activities, the Ministry of Foreign Trade has formulated the Maroc Export Plus plan for 2009, which involves the promotion of Moroccan products worldwide under the “Made in Morocco” label. Trade relationships with Brazil and Canada have been bolstered, while the second National Pactfor Industrial Emergence aims to attract more FDI, support SMEs and improve the business climate. A consortium of Moroccan banks will grant the National Ports Agency a Dh1.2bn (€108m) loan to develop ports through infrastructure upgrades and studies to improve information systems and port security.

Retail sales have been less affected by the financial crisis, with only some non-food products, including clothing and household goods, posting slight declines. Among foreign brands, US marks are gaining ground due to a recent free trade agreement. While designer fashion is popular -- European fashion houses Missoni, Roberto Cavalli and Louis Vuitton all opened stores in Morocco in 2009 – counterfeit goods are as well, with 53% of women surveyed admitting to buying them. The electronics sector saw a 14% sales increase over 2007, though growth has slowed in recent years. Though the approximately 400,000 small grocers in the country still account for 91% of the total market, the supermarket segment has expanded in the past year to include French hypermarket chain Carrefour and Turkish discount store BIM. When Morocco Mall opens in Casablanca in 2010, it will be North Africa’s largest mall with 15m visitors per year forecast. Franchising grew by 8.2% in 2008 -- almost 80% of these franchises are foreign, and of these some 44% are French.

This chapter provides interviews with Ahmed Reda Chami, Minister of Industry, Trade and New Technologies; and Dr Farid Bennis, Honorary President of the Industrial Pharmacists National Order of Morocco and Vice President of the Moroccan Pharmaceutical Industry Association.

Media & Advertising

With no new TV licenses granted by the Higher Council for Audiovisual Communication due to fears of sector destabilisation, the TV landscape remains dominated by Arab satellite channels, which have a penetration rate of 66.2%. In comparison, 56.9% of the population watches local channels and 6.6% view French channels. State broadcaster Société Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Television has plans to launch an Amazigh (Berber) television station for the 25-40% of the population speaking the language. After a call for applicants, four private regional radio licences were granted by the Council in February 2009, which will further contribute to the sector’s diversity following its 2007 liberalisation. Eco Medias, in cooperation with the Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme in Paris, recently opened a journalism school in Morocco. Press freedom, however, remains a challenge – three Moroccan newspapers were fined in June 2009 for criticising Libya’s Colonel Muammar Al Qaddafi. A new press distributor, Al Wassit, entered the market in 2009, joining Sapress and Sochepress, which has a 40% market share. While internet subscribers remain low, an estimated 21% of the population accesses the internet regularly at internet cafes and via other means. Google, YouTube and Yahoo, social networking sites Facebook and Skyrock, and online Arabic-language forum Star Times are the most visited sites by Internet users.

Insulated from the global downturn, the advertising sector is expected to see 5-7% growth in 2009, although the markets most affected by the crisis have scaled back on advertising. Morocco’s advertising spending per capita is higher than its neighbours at $17.70, but much lower than Europe. Total advertisement spending reached Dh4.2bn (€378m) in 2008, with the three telecoms companies (Maroc Telecom, Meditel and Wana) as the biggest spenders. The four main advertising media are TV (with a 47% market share), press (22%), outdoor (20.2%) and radio (11%), which is set to gain a bigger share with the advent of four new stations. Internet advertising has been slow to take hold, earning €3.15m in 2008. In 2009, the public TV and radio provider introduced a new pricing system for advertisers based on blocks of time, with different fees in place depending on the time of day. Marocmétrie, new audience measurement system, allows advertisers to gain detailed information about ad impact by recording the television viewing habits of households across Morocco.

This chapter provides an interview with Khalid Belyazid, Managing Director of Eco Medias.

Health & Education

In 2008, the Moroccan government launched a five-year plan to upgrade the health system, aimed at making treatment accessible to the least privileged sections of the population while rationalising the overall costs of care and medicines. This involves greatly increasing the role of the private sector, which has hitherto been targeted at wealthy patients, and allowing the public sector to access its facilities and equipment. Training programs under the 2008-2012 plan aim to increase the number of doctors, which currently stands one per every 1800 inhabitants, to European standards, adding 3300 doctors a year by 2020. Efforts are being directed at increasing special services, including cancer treatment centres, and the public sector will receive its first organ bank under the five-year plan. The national health insurance programme, the Assurance Maladie Obligatoire (AMO), will be expanded to cover 80% of the population by 2012 (as opposed to 34% now), with 100% of low-income citizens covered under the Régime d’Assistance Médicale (RAMED). Morocco’s health sector is also receiving help in the form of international funding. The EU is planning to give the kingdom €86m for segments of the population not covered by insurance, part of an overall €317m to support sector specific programmes such as education and investment.

The education sector continues to undergo reforms dictated by the National Charter, published in 1999.

However, some of its key targets, including ensuring that a larger number of children complete the basic nine-year compulsory cycle, remain unmet. As a result, a three-year, Dh3bn (€270m) emergency plan was initiated to boost enrolment and matriculation figures and improve teaching standards and management of the sector. Within two years, overall school enrolment is set to increase by 4% from its current level of around 6.5m students. The Ministry of Education dedicated Dh1.5bn (€135m) to the creation of preschools, ensuring that all Moroccan children have access to them by 2015. Spending on education has accounted for more than 5% of GDP every year for the past two decades. The amount earmarked for the sector in 2009, some €4.3bn, is a 23% increase over 2008. Developing infrastructure is also a concern of policymakers -- the national Génie programme aims to increase the use of modern technology in the education system.

This chapter provides a viewpoint by Ron Bruder, Founder & CEO of the Education For Employment Foundation, on youth unemployment.

The Business Guide

In conjunction with KPMG, OBG explores the taxation and accountancy systems, examining the environment for investors. OBG also introduces the reader to the different aspects of the legal system in Tunisia in partnership with Kettani Law Firm. The legal coverage provides a viewpoint from Rita Kettani, a partner at Kettani Law Firm, on the open skies treaty with the EU.

The Guide

This section provides information on hotels, government and other listings, alongside useful tips for visitors on topics like currency, visas, language, communications, dress, business hours and electricity.

Global Arab Network

Morocco is currently aiming to create an environment which will facilitate stronger agricultural trade with the UK.

For the first time this year the Moroccan fruit and vegetable products were showcased in London at the ‘World Fruit and Vegetable Show’ which took place at the ExCel Centre on 21-22 October.

The country’s presence at this international event was organised by Maroc Export, the

Moroccan Centre for Export Promotion, in partnership with the Moroccan Embassy in London.

Moroccan exporters are presently seeking to establish contacts with British buyers, with a view to building long-term trading relationships.

With the quality and diversity of its agricultural products, Morocco has an important part to play in developing the exportation of its natural produce to the UK. In 2008, the value of Morocco’s exports to the UK was measured at MAD5,220,652, representing 3% of total export value and making the country Morocco’s seventh biggest customer, according to the Moroccan Exchange Office.

A forum on Moroccan agriculture held at the conference was addressed HRH Princess Lalla Joumala Alaoui, Ambassador for H M the King of Morocco in London; Mr Aziz Akhennouch, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Ahmed El Hajjaji, Director of the Agricultural Development Agency and Mr Saâd Benabdallah, Managing Director of Maroc Export.

H R H Princess Lalla Joumala Alaoui told the meeting: “Under the guidance of H M King Mohammed VI, Morocco has embarked on a path of major development of its economy. The agricultural sector is by far one of the most important ones.”

The Ambassador said that the country had always put agriculture at the forefront of its national economic policy and that the sector was now contributing some 17 percent of GDP.

Encouraging world classification

Morocco is classed as:

-2nd worldwide exporter of citrus fruits

-6th worldwide exporter of oranges

-2nd worldwide exporter of clementines after Spain

-10th worldwide exporter of tomatoes and unchallenged product leader in terms of Moroccan truck farming

-2nd worldwide exporter of French beans

-11th worldwide exporter of strawberries, of which several varieties are known for their precocity (Chandler, Gariguette, Douglas, Osso Grande and Selva)

-12th worldwide exporter of melons.

Essential contribution to the economy

-The fresh fruit and vegetable sector represents 20% of industrial exports

-Share of GDP: 16 to 20% depending on the year

-72 % of citrus fruit exports are intended for the European Union, as well as almost all early fruit and vegetable produce.

-Truck farming exports: 53 % intended for Russia, 34 % intended for the EU.

-Organic produce: Morocco’s organic produce is concentrated in the Souss region.

Europe is the main importer, in particular France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Moroccan agriculture boasts the most important region in terms of arable and

irrigated lands. Its temperate and semi-arid climates, combined with a very long growing season, allows Morocco to produce a wide variety of fruit and vegetable produce.

The long growing season enables Morocco to have a vast agricultural system and a high level of agricultural production.

Morocco's top five export categories, which make up one fourth of all Moroccan exports, include: fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh and prepared fish, olive oils, spices, nuts and dried fruits, pre-prepared dishes (made from fruit and vegetables).

The country boasts an advantageous infrastructure, social and economic environment. Its transportation and communication systems, along with its low cost labour force, offer significant comparative advantages for Moroccan agribusiness. Indeed, the excellent roads, ports, railways and airports serve both industry and tourists.

A special programme exists to make state owned agricultural land available to private entrepreneurs with the goal of ensuring crop supply locally, and growing export potential.

In addition, government subsidiaries are made available for certain sub-sectors, including cereals, fruit and vegetables.

In addition, Morocco's agricultural system is extremely open to innovation and has the capacity to effectively adopt new methods or practices.

Close links with Europe and the Middle East

- Strong partnership between Morocco and the European Union – the country has been in the food processing and agricultural sectors for many years now.

- A number of free trade agreements exist with the following partners: European Union, USA, Turkey and Arab countries (Tunisia, Jordan, and Egypt). These agreements ensure duty-free access to the above markets for various food products.

- Several large multinationals are present in Morocco today, including Nestlé, Kraft Foods, Coca Cola, Danone.

Green Plan

Morocco recently adopted a “Green Plan” as a new national strategy designed to implement an ambitious agricultural development policy. The aim is to make Morocco’s agricultural products internationally competitive.

The Green Plan is based on two pillars:

Pillar 1: Drive for an agricultural system that offers both added-value and high productivity:

• 10 billion dirhams investment for aggregation projects

• A global outlook

• Accelerated land management

• Plan for 2015:

- 400 000 operators targeted

- 110 - 115 billion dirhams investment

- 700 - 900 projects

Pillar 2: Supporting smallholders

• Wave of social investment

• Targeting investors

• Efficient water use

• Modernisation of distribution

• Plan for 2015:

- 600 - 800 000 operators targeted

- 15 - 20 billion dirhams investment

- 300 - 400 projects
By David Morgan Global Arab Network

Morocco's wide-reaching agricultural reform drive has been extended to the fishing industry. At the end of September, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Maritime Fishing unveiled Plan Halieutis, a series of development projects and targets for the fishing sector's expansion and modernisation.

Long an economic pillar for Morocco, the fishing industry is a leading foreign exchange earner, accounting for 56% of agricultural and 16% of total exports. Plan Halieutis aims to increase exports from DH8.3bn (€729m) in 2007 to DH21.9bn (€1.9bn) by 2020. In the same time period, the sector's contribution to GDP is expected to rise from DH16.2bn (€1.4bn) to DH23.9bn (€2bn). Direct jobs in the fishing industry, a key employer, are also anticipated to nearly double, rising from 61,650 to 115,000.

Under Plan Halieutis, the government will invest DH9bn (€790m) to create "industry clusters" in Tangier as well as the southern ports of Agadir and Laayoune-Dakhla. Speaking at the launch of the plan in Agadir, the agriculture minister, Aziz Akhannouch, noted that the three clusters were bringing about "a new orientation in the sector, which spurs the development of the regions managing the clusters, reinforces the competitiveness of Morocco at the international level, and fosters new work habits".

A vital component of the reform strategy is developing aquaculture to solve the problem of overfishing. Until now, aquaculture has been limited – in 2008 output was 4800 tonnes, generating DH24m (€2.1m) in revenue. Plan Halieutis paves the way for the creation of a National Agency for the Development of Aquaculture, a seafood promotion centre, and a fisheries employment observatory. In 2010 an aquaculture facility will be launched at Ras El Ma to produce 40,000 crayfish a year.

Within the framework of Plan Halieutis, the construction of a DH6.6bn (€580bn) fisheries zone, Heliopolis, began at the beginning of October. Capable of processing 500,000 tonnes of fish, the complex will create 20,000 direct jobs in the fishing industry.

Morocco has initiated a number of sector reforms in recent years, including the Plan Azur for tourism and the emergency plan for education. With the Plan Maroc Vert, a long-term development strategy put into effect in April 2008, the government sought to turn the agricultural sector into a motor of economic growth. Though the fishing industry was not included in Plan Vert, the National Fisheries Agency (Office National des Pêches) has been conducting a modernisation campaign since 2008, constructing wholesale fish markets and upgrading facilities, while expanding production further south, including the stretch of coast between Tan-Tan and Dakhla.

Athough the country has 3000 km of coastline, fishing production has traditionally been concentrated on the northern ports. "With fishing resources in the north suffering from over-exploitation, the main reserves are now located in the south, particularly for blue fish such as sardine and octopus," Najib Chaoui, the director of the National Fish Processing Industry Federation (Fédération Nationale des Industries de Transformation et de Valorisation des Produits de la Pêche), told OBG.

The continent's top fish producer, Morocco saw a 15% increase in yield between 2007 and 2008, reaching 943,000m tonnes. Output value amounted to Dh4.5bn (€395m) in 2008, a 22% annual increase. According to Majid El Ghaïb, the general director of the National Fisheries Agency, "This increase can mainly be attributed to the modernisation of the fishing fleet, as well as the hike in sardine production at the ports of Laayoune and Tan-Tan, and growth in octopus production at the ports of Laayoune and Dakhla." Depletion of tuna reserves (163 tonnes were caught in 2008 compared to 740 tonnes in 2006) led the industry to diversify to include high-value fish, such as octopus and shrimp.

While neighbouring Senegal and Mauritania are competitors in fresh fish exports, Morocco dominates in the canned fish segment, with sardines comprising 90% of canned exports. The EU is the country's top market, receiving 73% of production, though North America and the Middle East are also being targeted. As Morocco currently exports 90% of its production, Plan Halieutis also seeks to increase domestic fish consumption from 10 kg per person per year to 16 kg.

In addition to boosting production, the new plan envisages several regulatory changes, such as clarifying the fishing industry's legal framework. Five new regulatory bodies will be established, including the National Committee for Fisheries to monitor and set policies for fisheries and the Fishing Adjustment and Modernisation Fund to restructure Morocco's fishing fleet.

Global Arab Network

Hassan Moumen has revealed that he is certain his new look squad can get a good result in Fez on Saturday...

Moroccan national team coach Hassan Moumen has told liondelatlas.net that he is feeling confident ahead of his side’s final World Cup qualifier against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, even though he is relying on a team that is missing no less than 14 players who he has overlooked for the match.

“We acknowledge the absence of 14 senior players but we’ll do everything in our ability to win this match with the players we’ve called up, I think that the seniors here and the 12 locals will do everything possible to win even though the challenge will be a bit difficult,” he said.

Meanwhile, the tactician also indicated that he had spoken to a few players from the team that failed miserably in its task of qualifying for the World Cup. Now they have to at least make it to the African Cup of Nations in Angola.

“I spoke to Taarabt, Baha, Dirar, and Benatia who are all young but are still the ones in the group who have been with us the longest. They’re all motivated and will have it in their heart to get a good result,” he explained.

Rami Ayari, Goal

Rabat - Never in its history of World and African cup of nations qualifiers has the Moroccan squad been in such a difficult situation. Having been eliminated from the World Cup, the Atlas Lions cling to a faint hope of qualifying for the African Cup.

The Lions have been the weakest link in their group. They close the rear with 3 points from five games: 2 defeats against Gabon (at home 1-2) and away (1-3), and three ties with Togo (0-0, 1-1), and Cameroon (0-0). The last game provided a good opportunity for Morocco to win, in view of the poor performance of Cameroon, but the Lions missed it again.

These qualifiers are then the worst in the country's football history since 1962. One would find it hard to explain why a squad, only recently a runner-up of the 2004 African cup of nations in Tunisia, slips in such a downward trajectory, being unable to score a single win.

However, the squad is clinging to a glimmer of hope, which can only be achieved if they defeat Cameroon and wait for Togo to lose before Gabon, which is a difficult equation, all the more so because the squad is suffering from the absence of the majority of key players for injury or for the accumulation of yellow cards.

Moreover, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, in shape, are set on grabbing the points of the game to qualify for 2010 South Africa.

The two teams met eight times. The Indomitable Lions won in four games, with the other four ending in a tie. History is then in favour of Cameroon, so will the Atlas Lions tip the balance in their favour or are they raising their hopes too high?

From map

Aghbalou N'kerdous (Errachidia) - HM King Mohammed VI launched Thursday, in the commune of Aghbalou N'Kerdous (southeastern city of Errachidia), the construction works of a dam for a sum of 350 million dirhams (45.7 Million dollars).

The project is meant to provide drinking water to the local population, irrigate the region's lands and contribute to the safeguard of the palm-grove of Tinjdad.

The dam, whose storage capacity will amount to 14 million m3, will rev up arboriculture, greenhouse cultivation and fodder. The stored water and its rational management will spur economic and social development of the region, while improving the farmers' output.

The sovereign also enquired about a project aiming to enhance drinking water in the rural communities neighboring the Timkit dam.

This project, valued at 180 million dirhams, provides for building a water treatment facility and four pumping stations.

From map