First Independent Mena Newspaper
Moroccan flag carrier Royal Air Maroc said it will resume direct flights linking Casablanca and Beijing starting 20 January 2025, and will launch Casablanca-Toronto route on 8 December this year. The airline will operate three flights weekly between Morocco and China, after nearly a five-year halt suspension due to the Covid 19 pandemic. RAM will […]
Political leaders from many African countries and representatives of relevant regional and international organizations will participate in this year’s Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that will be held in Beijing September 4-6, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has announced. Leaders of FOCAC’s African members and representatives from all around the continent reportedly plan […]
Fitch Ratings has lowered Kenya’s credit rating from “B” to “B-”, pointing to increased risks to the nation’s finances after the government retracted planned tax measures due to public protests. The Kenyan government, yielding to demonstrators, scrapped a tax proposal intended to generate an additional $2.7 billion in revenue, a move initially advised by the […]
The demand for reliable electric batteries is surging as technology develops towards more use of lithium iron phosphate cathode (LFP) instead of the rare and more expensive nickel-based cathodes. Morocco has 70% of the world’s proven phosphates reserves and has in recent months attracted investments by major Chinese EV battery producers. While cathodes make up […]
Newsweek has described Morocco’s strategy to enhance its high-speed rail network by 2040, as “ambitious”, noting that this strategy positions the Kingdom to extend its lead as Africa’s leader in rail. Morocco already has Africa’s only operational high-speed rail line and is intent on expanding and modernizing the network, the magazine stated, noting that this […]
A French-Moroccan consortium comprising Aegis (main contractor), Systra, and Novick has secured a contract to provide project management assistance to Morocco’s National Railway Office (ONCF) for the high-speed rail infrastructure between Kenitra and Marrakech. The consortium will support ONCF in constructing 430 kilometers of new high-speed lines, quadruple 130 kilometers of conventional lines around Casablanca, […]
The national authority for the regulation of cannabis-related activities (ANRAC) offered 3000 this year, for the production, processing, and import of cannabis-related products compared to just 609 last year. The number of farmers who received farming permits rose to 2600 in the provinces of Taounate, Chaouen, Al Hoceima, while 200 permits were delivered to activities […]
Morocco’s unemployment rate surged to 13.1% on the back of persisting drought in the first half this year, compared with 12.4% the same period last year. Youth unemployment, in particular, soared to 36%, with 19% reported among degree holders, the high commission for planning HCP said. The total number of the unemployed in Morocco grew […]
Sub-Saharan Africa offers opportunity for a $193-billion investment in renewable energy sector by 2031, including utility-scale wind, solar, storage and transmission projects, which may yield an internal rate of return of 15% to 21%, much higher than with similar projects in Europe and the United States, according to a new study. “Africa represents a significantly […]
The Moroccan government is preparing the 2025 appropriation bill based on a forecast of 4.6% growth rate, from an estimated 3.3% this year, the finance minister said. The government will press ahead with its social project, which includes generalization of safety nets and financial assistance to the needy, in addition to investing in infrastructure and […]