Dubai, UAE-- Morocco hopes to increase its exports by 12 percent this year, according to the kingdom's minister of industry and trade, Ryad Mezzour. In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), on the sidelines of the opening day of the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference hosted by the UAE in...

In late 2020, Morocco established diplomatic ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords brokered by the United States which saw similar moves by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. As part of the deal, Rabat received Washington's recognition of its claim to sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

Berrechid, Morocco -- Around this time every year, Moroccan wheat farmer Abderrahim Mohafid is usually preparing for his spring harvest, but this year his fields lay unusually bare. On the road leading up to his hamlet in Berrechid province, Morocco's historical breadbasket situated some 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) southeast of...

Manama, Bahrain – Morocco became the fifth country to join the UAE, Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain at the fourth meeting of the Higher Committee of the Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development which began on Thursday here. The Executive Committee of the now five country partnership held meetings with officials,...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources has signed four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt, Morocco, and Russia. One of the aims of these MoUs is to foster international cooperation in minerals between Saudi Arabia and these countries. According...

Rabat, Morocco - Two decades after a landmark but limited revision of Morocco's family law marked a breakthrough for women, activists hope new reforms will defy objections and provide greater equality. The reform of the legal code was ordered directly by King Mohammed VI, who is expected to have the final...

The launch comes a decade after the social benefits program was proposed, and as part of an overhaul of social services announced in 2020 by King Mohammed VI. Government aid so far has been indirect, with the state subsidizing some goods but not offering payments to low-income people.

MAKKAH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services of Beni Mellal Khenifra in Morocco signed a partnership agreement to strengthen economic and commercial cooperation. The agreement was signed on Sunday in the presence of the Assistant Consul General at...

The protesters were called to the streets by a disparate group of organizations backing the Palestinian cause, including left-wingers and members of the Islamist Justice and Charity movement. They marched along Mohammed V Avenue in the heart of the city, beneath banners declaring "stop the war of extermination in Gaza,...

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - Several Moroccan officials have been questioned as part of a high-profile investigation into alleged bribery by the north African state and Qatar at the European Parliament, Belgian prosecutors said on Saturday. The interviews in Morocco -- conducted by local authorities in the presence of Belgian investigators -- were...

Brhane said the World Bank integrated climate into all its work across the MENA region and is on track to align 100 percent of new operations with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Launched by the Islamic Culture Foundation in 2018, Bouregreg Med-O-Med school provides free training to dropouts and other marginalized youths threatened with unemployment. Every year, the school takes in up to 90 apprentices, "young people who come from complicated family situations... and from really precarious and difficult surrounding neighborhoods, said...

The fledgling rapprochement between the North African country and Israel had made steady progress since 2020 when the two governments normalized relations, but that has been thrown into reverse by the deadly conflict in the Palestinian territory. Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain all established diplomatic ties with Israel...

The MoU will enable UAE-based firm to enter Angolan market.

The Saudi bid comes one year after neighboring Qatar hosted the first World Cup in the Middle East, where the kingdom's national team scored a surprse group stage victory over eventual winners Argentina. It is set to take over from a tri-continental line-up for the 2030 event to be shared...

Berlin, Germany - Bayern Munich on Friday said defender Noussair Mazraoui would not be suspended, after a probe into the Moroccan player over his social media posts on the Israel-Hamas conflict. In the wake of the deadly attack on Israel by Hamas, Mazraoui had put up several pro-Palestinian posts, including one...

Marrakech, Morocco-- In spite of economic disruptions, policymakers in the GCC countries have successfully alleviated the economic ramifications of the challenges they have faced, according to Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). He added that the GCC nations experienced substantial growth in their gross domestic...

Marrakech, Morocco-- The UAE has allotted $200 million to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) to expand concessional financing for low-income countries. This aligns with the UAE’s unwavering efforts to realize the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG 1) – no poverty – alongside other challenges that the...

The IMF announced member nations agreed to increase their contributions to the global lender and give sub-Saharan Africa a third seat on its executive board at its first meetings on the continent since 1973. Spanish Economy Minister Nadia Calvino, who chairs the IMF Financial Committee, said there was an agreement...

MARRAKESH, MOROCCO - The CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, signed an additional US$20 million loan agreement with Central African Republic (CAR) Prime Minister Félix Moloua. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 2023 World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual...

Marrakesh, Morocco-- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) attaches great importance to finding solutions to economic problems such as the eradication of poverty and enhancing food security, according to the GCC Secretary General Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi. He made the remarks in connection with the participation of the council member states in...

Marrakesh, Morocco – Africa’s total exports will reach $952 billion by 2035 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), once fully implemented, has the potential to increase this figure by a further 29 percent, a Standard Chartered report has revealed.  This represents an annual growth rate of 3 percent...

Benguerir, Morocco - US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Tuesday she backed efforts to boost the lending firepower of the IMF and World Bank to combat poverty and climate change. Speaking on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank annual meetings in Morocco, Yellen said the global lending system had already...

MARRAKESH, MOROCCO - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast that the UAE's real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will grow by 3.4 percent in 2023 and 4 percent in 2024. The IMF's forecast is in line with that of the World Bank, which released a similar estimate two days ago. The...

The IMF kept its 2023 global growth forecast unchanged but warned that the economy is "limping along" as inflation remains high and the outlooks for China and Germany were downgraded. The IMF's updated World Economic Outlook still sees growth of 3.0 percent for this year but it cut its forecast...

Dubai, UAE - The majority of Arab youth are against the normalization of relations with Israel, with Palestinians and Iraqis being the most vehemently opposed, the 2023 Arab Youth Survey reveals. However, those from the UAE, Morocco and Egypt are supporting it.  What is more, the normalization is opposed by the...

WASHINGTON, US - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board approved a Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) for Morocco of about US$1.3 billion. The arrangement will support Morocco’s transition to a greener economy and help strengthen its preparedness and resilience against natural disasters, including from climate change, the Washington-based institution...

According to the country's economy minister, around 1.5 million acres of public land -- nearly the size of Kuwait -- have been set aside for green hydrogen and ammonia plants. Morocco is looking to become North Africa's top player in the emerging "green hydrogen" sector, with plans to export the...

After a number of deadlines passed without the hosts being revealed, a senior African Football Confederation (CAF) official told AFP "the two hosts will definitely be named on September 27". Committee members will vote after studying independent appraisals of each 2025 and 2027 candidate, but politics and a promise of...

YINCHUAN, CHINA - In the run-up to the sixth China-Arab States Expo, guests from countries and regions along the Belt and Road expressed their expectations for further cooperation with Beijing. On Tuesday, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region opened its third international friendship-cities forum in Yinchuan, the regional capital. Among...

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The Red Cross appealed on Tuesday for more than $100 million to provide desperately needed assistance in Morocco, days after a powerful earthquake killed nearly 2,900 people. "We are seeking 100 million Swiss francs (US$112 million) to be able to deliver on the most pressing needs at this...

The International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has warned that the next 24 to 48 hours will be critical for saving lives as the death toll keeps rising. At the same time, global aid and support has begun to pour into Morocco, led by the UAE, Qatar,...

PARIS, FRANCE - Rescuers in Morocco were scrambling on Sunday to reach people trapped under the rubble after a powerful earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people and decimated entire villages. Here's what we know so far:   Strongest-ever in Morocco A 6.8-magnitude quake, according to the US Geological Survey -...

Following the devastating earthquake in Morocco on Saturday that killed more than 2,000 people so far, the UAE, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Algeria and Israel along with several other countries offered condolences, support, and assistance. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan emphasized solidarity with Morocco and ordered critical relief...

ALGIERS, ALGERIA - Algeria will allow aircraft carrying humanitarian aid to quake-hit Morocco to pass through its airspace, the president's office announced on Saturday, suspending a two-year ban on flights to its regional rival. A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck a mountainous area southwest of the Moroccan tourist hotspot of Marrakesh late Friday,...

Following the devastating earthquake in Morocco on Saturday that killed more than 1,000 people so far, the UAE, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Algeria and Israel along with several other countries offered condolences, support, and assistance. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan emphasized solidarity with Morocco and ordered critical relief delivery.

A statement said he was "looking forward to conducting visits in the region and meetings, engaging all concerned ahead of the issuance of the report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council in October". The conflict dates back to 1975, when colonial occupier Spain withdrew from Western Sahara, sparking a 15-year war...

"The foreign minister and I agreed that we should work together to increase the number of direct flights, the tourism, the trade volume, the investment," Eli Cohen said during a ceremony to inaugurate Israel's new embassy. The embassy in the capital Manama will replace the first embassy Israel opened in...

With a prolonged internal conflict anticipated and both the military and economy showing signs of strain, Israel's regional standing is being affected, say experts.

Mixed Martial Arts became popular in the kingdom since 2014, when it hosted the regional Desert Force competition.

The monarch is credited with effectively maintaining stability in a volatile region -- in part through suppressing criticism -- as well as modernising the economy and pursuing assertive diplomacy. But his efforts have fallen short in addressing the profound inequalities that continue to plague Moroccan society.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - After being banned in several Arab countries, blockbuster film Barbie in Saudi Arabia is drawing huge crowds. The unexpected success of the film Barbie in Saudi Arabia has become a symbol of the dramatic societal changes taking place in the Middle East. Despite calls for its...

Many fans who had travelled to Doha to support the Atlas Lions last year found themselves deprived of free tickets promised to them by the Moroccan Football Federation. The tickets were sold on the black market at four or five times their face value, according to accounts gathered at the...

The Moroccan Association for Human Rights said proceedings were launched "on the basis of political opinions, investigations, press articles published on social networks, or because of participation in peaceful demonstrations". It said sentences handed down over the past two years ranged from a few months to six years in prison....

RABAT, MOROCCO -  Morocco's King Mohammed VI has expressed hope for a return to normality and reopening of borders with North African neighbor Algeria, which cut diplomatic ties nearly two years ago. "We pray to the Almighty for a return to normality and a reopening of the borders between our two...

On Saturday authorities said six migrants drowned off northern Morocco trying to reach Spain. Mohamed Zendour, of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), told AFP a boat went down near Dakhla, in the disputed Western Sahara, on Monday, resulting in the latest fatalities.

When Morocco's women take on two-times former champions Germany in Melbourne they will be the first Arab team to play at a Women's World Cup, months after the men's historic run to the semi-finals in Qatar. The country is still buzzing from what their men did at the Qatar World...

The Spanish islands have long been a draw for migrants seeking a better life in Europe, with many boats setting off from the coastline of Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania and Senegal. But the Atlantic route to the Canaries is particularly dangerous due to the strong currents, with migrants travelling in...

Avoided by western tourists, Iran is turning to wealthy Arab states and other nearby countries to bolster its sanctions-hit economy. It is also drawing visitors from Russia and China. Owing to the thaw in relations with Saudi Arabia, Iran is now interested in closer ties with the Arab world.

Dubai, UAE--Morocco said that Israel has recognized its sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara and is mulling opening a consulate there, according to media reports. A statement from Morocco's Royal Palace said Israel's position was expressed in a letter to King Mohammed VI from Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin...