First Independent Mena Newspaper
A recent report by Sputnik Africa claiming that the use of the Russian ruble for trade between Russia and Africa has more than doubled since 2022 is challenged by other sources that report a sharp dip in the share of ruble payments from 23.7% in mid-2022 to 12.7% in mid-2023. Russian ruble usage in international […]
France’s Société General plans to sell majority stakes in its Morocco banking activity to Saham, Moroccan media reported. Saham, owned by former industry minister Moulay Hafid Alamy, had reached a deal to buy 57% stake in the French subsidiary bank, Le360 said in an exclusive. The transaction to buy the fourth largest universal bank in […]
The “Just Transition” project aimed at supporting Morocco’s efforts to implement its climate policy was launched on Wednesday in Rabat, by the European Union and Morocco. The project, worth over €10 million (approximately 109 million dirhams), is co-financed by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU). Entitled “Just […]
Only days after the announced $35 billion deal with the UAE for the development of Ras al-Hekma on its Mediterranean coast, Egypt is reportedly also targeting investors from Qatar and Saudi Arabia offering them prime Red Sea coastal land in Ras al-Ghamila in South Sinai for sale as part of Cairo’s attempt to inject cash […]
Nigeria has introduced a compulsory yearly levy for companies hiring foreign workers, charging $15,000 for directors and $10,000 for other employees. The aim is to prompt foreign companies to hire more Nigerians. Diplomatic mission staff and government officials are exempt. President Bola Tinubu has cautioned against misusing the levy to deter investors. He stressed the […]
Junta leaders in the coup-hit West African countries have recently made headlines when they pushed for the ditching of the West African franc (CFA), a colonial-era legacy, though the desire to change the currency seems to not be uniform yet among the three juntas. Since the coup in Niger in July last year, fissures within […]
A parametric insurance pool, facilitated by reinsurance broker Gallagher Re, paid out $275 million to Morocco’s Solidarity Fund against Catastrophic Events (FSEC), responding to the 7-magnitude earthquake that rattled Al-Haouz region on September 8, 2023, Middle East Insurance Review reported earlier this month. The insurance broker confirmed last year that it was in touch with […]
EBRD’s Head for Morocco Antoine Sallé de Chou announced on Thursday at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Salé that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has facilitated investments exceeding €400 million in Morocco’s water sector. These investments primarily address issues pertaining to water supply and demand management, Sallé de Chou told […]
Spain is planning to invest 45 billion euros in Morocco by 2050 in various projects, said Spanish Prime minister Pedro Sanchez at a press conference held Wednesday in Rabat at the end of his working visit to the North African Kingdom. “Spain is a key partner for Morocco with €45 billion investment planned by 2050”, […]
Niger failed to make a debt payment of 13.4 billion CFA francs ($22 million) last week, the West African debt management agency said on Monday (19 February), bringing the total default to $519 million since a coup in July 2023 and its subsequent suspension from regional financial markets. The West African Economic Monetary Union (WAEMU) […]