Author: OBG Admin

Nhon Luc Ly-CEO-AIA Myanmar; Son Nguyen-Country President-Chubb Life Insurance Myanmar; Daw Zarchi Tin-CEO

Morocco uses targeted promotion to increase domestic tourism

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A key component of Vision 2020, the national tourism strategy that aims to attract 20m visitors by the end of the decade, domestic tourists are now seen as one of Morocco’s most reliable source markets in the face of volatile foreign arrivals and uncertainty associated with current regional instability. One testament to this is the Ministry of Tourism’s latest figures, which show Moroccan tourists spent 5.3m nights in the country’s classified accommodations in 2014, up from 2.27m in 2000. This makes them the largest source market by this measure, accounting for a 27% share; authorities hope to raise this to 40% by 2020. Promoting Domestic

Pham Hong Hai-CEO-HSBC Vietnam

Morocco sets up fund to support investment in tourism projects

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Under its national tourism development plan, Vision 2020, Morocco has set itself the ambitious goal of raising bed capacity in the hospitality sector to 375,000 beds by the end of the decade. As of 2014, classified hotel bed capacity stood at 216,386, up from 176,630 in 2010 and 95,180 in 2000, with Marrakech having the largest portion (30%), followed by Agadir (16%) and Casablanca (8%). Despite this progress, however, whether Morocco will be able to achieve its target by the deadline is debatable, as the sector has grappled in recent years with how to attract the funding needed for its development projects. Limiting Factors Part

Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Khalifa-CEO-Qatar Development Bank (QDB)

Agricultural production a source of growth in Morocco’s southern provinces

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Despite having different climate conditions from the rainy plains of the northern part of the kingdom, Morocco’s southern provinces have been able to establish a small but active agriculture sector that takes advantage of large aquifers and high temperatures. As a result, agriculture – and animal husbandry in particular – represents a growing proportion of the region’s economy and a key sector for jobs in the three southern regions. Expanding the sector’s income will require better agricultural practices, revamped infrastructure and comprehensive policies to manage essential water reservoirs. These issues are being addressed by public policy and private investment. Economic Weight The south’s agricultural sector

Mohammed El Etreby-Chairman-Banque Misr

Morocco adding value to sea resources

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With vast quantities of maritime resources in the waters along its coast, Morocco’s southern provinces have transformed the fisheries sector into one of the region’s most important sources of income. Continued growth, however, will depend on the local industry’s capacity to raise the number of value-added activities carried out locally on its annual catch. The southern provinces’ resources have given them a pivotal role in the development of Morocco’s fisheries industry. According to the National Federation of Seafood Processing and Development Industries (Federation des Industries de Transformation et de Valorisation des Produits de la Peche, FENIP), fishing and fish processing account for 3% of the

Mark Geilenkirchen-CEO-Port of Sohar

Morocco expanding tourism infrastructure in southern provinces

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With an unspoiled coastline, vast swathes of desert and a unique cultural heritage, Morocco’s three southern provinces have the right ingredients to support a sustainable tourism industry. Although the region lags behind others in terms of site development and accommodation, private and public initiatives are helping to open up new opportunities for niche products and increase visitor traffic. Up & Away Given the range of attractions and low development levels, the opportunities for growth in the tourism sector are significant. According to a 2013 report by Morocco’s Economic, Social and Environmental Council (Conseil Economique, Social et Environnemental, CESE), tourism accounted for just 0.31% of the

Ahmed Zaki Abdeen-Chairman-New Administrative Capital for Urban Development

Morocco improving transport links for efficiency

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With a vast area and distant urban centres, establishing adequate transport links to cover Morocco’s southern territories has been challenging. Great distances and relative remoteness have certainly impacted the business environment, raising business costs for local industries. This is, however, gradually changing. Investment Rising public investment in infrastructure has expanded the capacity for airports, roads and ports in the southern provinces. This is in large part due to high levels of state investment, but private capital – channelled into logistics areas and services – is also helping improve efficiency. “The region is far away and difficult to access, which makes it hard to attract investment,”

Nhon Luc Ly-CEO-AIA Myanmar; Son Nguyen-Country President-Chubb Life Insurance Myanmar; Daw Zarchi Tin-CEO

Morocco sets bold targets to boost renewable energy generation capacity

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To reduce dependency on international markets as well as emissions from energy production, Morocco has established a plan to make renewable sources a central part of its energy mix. By 2020, just under half of the country’s power is expected to be generated from renewable energy. There is a strong focus on developing wind and solar, which are predicted to have an installed capacity of 2000 MW each within five years. Morocco’s growing infrastructure for hydroelectric generation will also contribute. Strategy Many of the policies now being implemented were outlined in the 2009 National Energy Strategy, which emphasised foreign direct investment, efficiency in consumption and

Emmanuel Macron-President of France

Morocco develops wind and solar power for clean energy

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On a map of the world showing so-called insolation, or the amount of “solar irradiance” hitting the surface per sq metre, there are three notable patches of dark red. One lies in western Australia; another in the southwest US; and the third stretches from Algeria across North Africa all the way to Saudi Arabia. It is these areas that have the greatest potential for solar energy. These days, the swathe that covers the MENA region is of particular interest. It runs across countries that are fast-growing and in need of new sources of energy and exports. The available solar energy in these areas, which remains

Mohammed El Etreby-Chairman-Banque Misr

Morocco sets regulations for energy efficiency

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Alongside plans to diversify sources, Morocco’s energy strategy has also put a strong emphasis on improving efficient usage. A big step in this regard was the creation of the National Agency for the Development of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (Agence Nationale pour le Développement des Energies Renouvelables et de l’Efficacité Energétique, ADEREE), which is tasked with reaching renewable energy goals and fostering efficient consumption. Part of this has focused on the development of energy efficiency regulations for both businesses and domestic consumers. One specific goal is 25-30% savings in energy efficiency by 2030. To help the country reach this, ADEREE has finalised a study

Éric N’guessan-Managing Partner-EY Côte d’Ivoire

Morocco launches 4G services

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While the process has taken longer than expected in early 2015, after repeated delays, the National Agency for Telecommunications Regulations (Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Telecommunications, ANRT), Morocco’s telecommunications watchdog, allocated 4G broadband network licences to Morocco’s three operators. The process for the launching of the 4G licence auction has taken time to come to fruition, but it marks a new step forward for the sector, which has been stifled by price competition between operators. Above all, the new technology is expected to open new opportunities for revenue through more data services. As noted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance study, the introduction of