The current king, Mohammed VI, came to power in 1999 and is the third monarch to rule Morocco since it gained its independence from France in 1956. King Mohammed VI instituted a number of liberalising reforms when he succeeded his father, King Hassan II, who ruled from 1961. He put in place further reforms in 2011 against a backdrop of regional unrest and domestic political protest. The country ha
Growth in the construction sector is principally influenced by government investment and the implementation of infrastructure, energy and residential housing projects. Indeed, about 80% of turnover from the sector comes from public projects. After delays in public infrastructure projects in 2017, 2019 is looking bright for public investment in mega-projects. Meanwhile, the slew of foreign investment…
Bench Events, the organiser of the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF), which is the premier hotel investment conference on the continent, is launching a sister event, named the Forum de l’Investissement Hôtelier Africain (FIHA), to focus specifically on North and West Africa. Proceedings will be bilingual, with presentations and panel discussions led in French with simultaneous translation into…
Morocco’s economy is diversified, particularly relative to many other countries in the MENA region. Both the agricultural and the tourism sectors are major contributors to economy, with the former generating 40% of the employment and the latter accounting for roughly 8% of GDP. Manufacturing industries, including textiles, automotive and aeronautics, are also highly developed. In addition, the k
Interview:Tarafa Marouane Which infrastructure projects are set to support growth in the Moroccan economy in 2018? TARAFA MAROUANE: The port of Nador will provide an opportunity for economic growth in Morocco’s Northern region, particularly in the Rif area. What could really boost the economy is highway infrastructure for the central region. The kingdom’s highway infrastructure primarily…
Interview:Selma Belkhayat What trends are you seeing in terms of demand in the Moroccan retail real estate sector? SELMA BELKHAYAT: We are seeing a growing mall culture among consumers. This development has led to a more structured organisation of the retail market, which consisted formerly of street retail dispersed across various neighbourhoods. Increasingly, brands have been concentrating…
Supported by housing demand and infrastructure plans, Morocco’s construction companies have been able to maintain steady performances despite the negative effects of a host of local and international factors. The economic downturn in Europe and regional instability have dampened investment flows to the sector in recent years, while lower levels of credit to the real estate industry from banks have…
Although the impact of the 2008 global financial crisis can still be felt in Morocco’s real estate sector, signs of recovery are being seen in certain segments. While high-end housing and luxury developments took a hit, prices for quality developments have remained steady, as foreigners, domestic consumers and Moroccans living abroad continue to look to real estate as a secure investment…
Supported by housing demand and infrastructure plans, Morocco’s construction companies have been able to maintain steady performances despite the negative effects of a host of local and international factors. The economic downturn in Europe and regional instability have dampened investment flows to the sector in recent years, while lower levels of credit to the real estate industry from banks…
Interview:Abdelaziz El Mallah To what extent can integrated engineering solutions be of benefit to Morocco? ABDELAZIZ EL MALLAH: Thanks to massive government expenditure, private sector and foreign direct investment, Morocco has gone through a spectacular development of infrastructure and industrial base over the past 15 years. For a long time, the country had the practice of reserving a cut…
