First Independent Mena Newspaper
A hotel that makes guests feel like “royalty,” thus CNN described Marrakech luxury hotel Royal Mansour after it won the title of the “world’s most welcoming hotel for 2024.” Thanks to its authentic Moroccan architecture and outstanding services, the hotel outperformed the Art of Hospitality Award by The World’s 50 Best Hotels ahead of the […]
The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation 2024 has been awarded to Kenyan Esther Kimani for her innovative early detection system for crop pests and diseases. This breakthrough will help small-scale farmers improve yields and protect their crops. Awarded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the prestigious “Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation” recognizes innovative engineering solutions […]
U.S. Forbes magazine has lauded the decision of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to pardon 4,831 people convicted, prosecuted, or wanted in cases related to cannabis cultivation, saying the move is an important step toward strengthening Morocco’s position in the global legal cannabis market. The royal pardon was made on the occasion of the 71st […]
The Egyptian Government has secured an €8 million agreement with the European Union (EU) through the EU Tigara program to enhance trade, industry, and market access. According to the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the initiative aims to strengthen Egypt’s enterprise growth and trade mechanisms, while boosting the involvement of small and medium-sized Egyptian […]
In a significant shift from decades-long practice, Ghana’s cocoa regulator, Cocobod, has announced it won’t be seeking its usual syndicated loan for the upcoming 2024/25 cocoa season. This marks the first time in over 30 years that the world’s second-largest cocoa producer has opted for self-financing. The decision, revealed by Cocobod’s Chief Executive Joseph Boahen […]
South Africa’s official unemployment rate rose to 33.5% in the first half this year as the economic outlook worsens. The country, once Africa’s largest economy, has failed to curb inequalities amid widespread criminality and infrastructure bottlenecks. Unemployment in South Africa is now one of the highest globally and has exceeded Covid-19 levels, when a lockdown […]
In 2023, banking intermediation was at the heart of Mauritanian banks’ operations, as they leveraged their deposit-taking and lending activities to support growth. According to the Central Bank of Mauritania’s 2023 annual report, this activity accounted for 65.1% of the banking sector’s total consolidated assets. Customer deposits at the 17 banks operating in the country […]
Morocco has decided to speed up desalination projects to meet growing demand for drinking water and irrigation amidst a persistent drought. By 2030, 50 pc of the country’s drinking water will be supplied by desalination plants. Several foreign investors have shown interest in Morocco’s ambitious projects, including U.S. Company “Energy Recovery” which has signed lately […]
Discussions among the BRICS member countries continue over the formation of a united currency that would facilitate trade between BRICS nations and decrease reliance on the ‘greenback’, though whether this ambitious plan succeeds is far from certain, many analysts say. In May, BRICS member countries India and Nigeria announced they had officially signed an agreement […]
Morocco’s electric vehicle battery ecosystem is gaining momentum with the announcement of a new $363.5 million investment to be injected by China’s BTR New Material Group in its second plant to be built in Mohammed VI Tangier Tech City. In its latest press release, the Shenzhen-based firm said its 2nd factory in Morocco will produce […]