Universal Musical Group opens North Africa division in Morocco

Universal Musical Group, UMG, has launched its North Africa division in Morocco as part of the label strategic plan to foster talents in the region.

The standalone office is set in the kingdom’s business city of Casablanca and will be headed by Serena Safieddine, who will work alongside UMG’s existing regional headquarters in Dubai, and will report to Patrick Boulos, CEO, Universal Music MENA, Music Business Worldwide reports.

Safieddine’s office is tasked to establish creative and commercial partnerships and to ensure that local North African artists can reach global audiences. Likewise, it will promote traditional Arabic music and North-African hip-hop from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

“Our new team in Morocco will help accelerate growth, talent discovery and commercial opportunities for our artists and partners across the region and beyond. Within Morocco and their immediate neighbors, there is a wealth of untapped artist talent and we are excited to introduce these unique sounds to global audiences, platforms and partners,” Patrick Boulos said.

The Casablanca office expands global presence of the US-based company currently operating in 60 countries.

In addition to Casablanca, UMG has also started a division in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Adam Granite, EVP, Market Development, said the strategic expansion, seeks to “provide real support, infrastructure and people on the ground in each country, helping the entire regional music ecosystem grow, and giving local artists the best opportunity to reach new audiences around the world.”