First Independent Mena Newspaper
TotalEnergies has decided to transfer its French-speaking customer service operations from Belgium to Morocco by end of 2025 within the frame of its delocalisation strategy to keep up with growing global business competition. The giant energy company has also informed the Liège-based call centre Ikanbi, Belgium, that it will not renew its contract set to […]
Morocco’s cereal imports declined by 11 percent during the first seven months of 2025, dropping to 5.847 million tons from 6.57 million tons in the corresponding period of 2024, according to data released by the National Federation of Cereal and Legume Traders. The reduction reflects strategic inventory management amid abundant global supplies, though structural dependency […]
Morocco’s centuries-old rotating savings system, known locally as “daret” or tontine, is undergoing a digital transformation aimed at addressing the financial exclusion affecting 53 percent of the country’s adult population. The new mobile application, developed by former French banking executives Nabil Chakir and Mourad Chokeir, seeks to modernize this informal financial practice while preserving its […]
With the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) set to expire in September, Kenya has launched last-minute negotiations with the United States to secure a bilateral trade agreement that could reshape its economic future. A high-level Kenyan delegation, led by Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui, held talks in Washington with U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson […]
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a $200 million loan to support Morocco’s resilience efforts to mitigate the social and economic impacts of climate change. The loan is part of a co-financing programme with the World Bank, which has already committed $350 million. The funding will enable Morocco cut greenhouse emissions, carry out […]
Marrakech has reinforced its position as Morocco’s premier tourist destination, recording 5,058,516 overnight stays in classified tourist accommodation establishments during the first half of 2025, representing a 6% increase from 4,762,507 stays in the same period last year, according to the Tourism Observatory. The city’s occupancy rate reached 71% compared to 68% the previous year, […]
Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture has completed a nationwide livestock census revealing a total of 32,832,573 head of cattle across the kingdom. The census was conducted between June 26 and August 11, 2025, as part of royal directives to reconstruct national herds following years of drought. The census documented 23,158,248 sheep (including 16,348,449 females), 7,474,172 goats […]
By shifting its Africa policy from humanitarian aid to commercial diplomacy, the Trump administration has signaled a dramatic reorientation of US engagement in the Sahel. Centered on trade, security cooperation, and access to strategic minerals, this pivot marks a departure from decades of aid-focused partnerships and reflects broader geopolitical recalibrations in a region increasingly courted […]
The World Trade Organization has highlighted Morocco’s significant contributions to the multilateral trading system in two major reports published this month, recognizing the kingdom’s active participation and positive influence since the historic 1994 Marrakech Agreement that established the organization. Morocco’s 2024 trade policy review earned praise from the WTO for the country’s dynamic engagement in […]
Africa’s digital content creation market has reached $5.1 billion in valuation as of March 2025, with projections indicating expansion to nearly $30 billion by 2032, representing a 28.7% annual growth rate that positions the continent as a major player in the global creator economy. The continent now represents over 17% of global internet users, with […]