First Independent Mena Newspaper
The initial public offering (IPO) of Vicenne, a leading Moroccan medical equipment company, broke a new record on the Casablanca Stock Exchange with an IPO that was oversubscribed 64 times. The offering attracted over 32 billion dirhams in demand by investors for shares worth just 500 million dirhams, resulting in an unprecedented oversubscription. Vicenne offered […]
Morocco’s microfinance sector faces significant transformation as proposed regulations dramatically increase lending limits and introduce new deposit frameworks, positioning microfinance institutions as crucial intermediaries for small business financing. The draft decree, implementing Law 50-20 on microfinance, establishes differentiated credit ceilings based on institutional structure and client profiles. For associative microfinance institutions serving low-income populations, limits […]
The Mohammed VI Investment Fund has officially designated 14 management companies to oversee thematic and sectoral investment funds aimed at supporting Moroccan startups and innovation-driven enterprises. This announcement follows a highly competitive call for expressions of interest launched on April 15, 2024, which attracted 47 applications from both domestic and international firms. The selection process […]
Morocco’s dirham appreciated 1.3 percent against the U.S. dollar while weakening 0.7 percent versus the euro between May and June 2025, according to Bank Al-Maghrib’s latest monthly economic review, reflecting broader currency market dynamics and the euro’s strength. The central bank attributed these movements partly to the euro’s 2.1 percent appreciation against the dollar during […]
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has approved nearly $297 million to fund major development projects in Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, and Mauritania. The funds aim to boost job creation, strengthen public services, and drive inclusive growth. The approval came during the IsDB’s 361st Board of Directors meeting held at the beginning of this week. The financing […]
The Algerian regime has been listed by the EU Parliament among high-risk countries for money laundering and terrorism financing. The move is expected to have serious economic repercussions for the country, viewed as a “rogue state”. The European lawmakers have approved lately a European Commission resolution adding Algeria to the EU’s list of high-risk countries […]
President Donald Trump has slapped the Algerian and Tunisian regimes with higher tariffs reaching respectively at least 30% and 25% and warned them that any reprisals would draw tougher counter-measures. In separate letters sent to Presidents Abdelmajid Tebboune of Algeria and Kais Saied of Tunisia, Trump notified them that the new higher tariffs take effect […]
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has temporarily raised the daily cash withdrawal limit for individuals and businesses at bank branches from EGP 250,000 to EGP 500,000. This exceptional measure is intended to cushion the impact of ongoing telecommunications disruptions that have affected regular banking operations across the country. The CBE stated that the adjustment […]
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has temporarily raised the daily cash withdrawal limit for individuals and businesses at bank branches from EGP 250,000 to EGP 500,000. This exceptional measure is intended to cushion the impact of ongoing telecommunications disruptions that have affected regular banking operations across the country. The CBE stated that the adjustment […]
The World Bank has urged Mauritania to adopt decisive reforms to safeguard macroeconomic stability and promote more inclusive and sustainable economic growth. In a statement shared on social media, the Bank stressed the critical need for economic diversification, highlighting the overreliance on the mining sector as a major vulnerability. It recommended that revenues from mining […]