First Independent Mena Newspaper
South African car exports to the United States have plummeted dramatically, falling over 70% in the first quarter of 2025, and tumbling further to 80% in April and 85% in May, 2025, following the imposition of steep tariffs by US President Donald J. Trump. The automotive industry, which relies heavily on the US market under […]
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 […]
Morocco has solidified its position as a key trade partner for Spain, emerging as the third-largest supplier of agricultural and fisheries products to the Iberian nation after France and the Netherlands, according to official data released by Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food. The figures, published in the 2024 Foreign Trade Report, reveal that […]
Morocco’s OCP Group has commissioned the country’s longest water pipeline, a 203-kilometer engineering marvel transporting desalinated water from the Atlantic coast to inland phosphate mining operations, achieving complete water autonomy two years ahead of schedule. The Jorf Lasfar-Khouribga pipeline, operated by OCP Green Water, represents a MAD 5 billion ($556 million) investment addressing Morocco’s persistent […]
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 […]
Morocco has positioned itself as the driving force behind Africa’s energy transformation, combining strategic investments, institutional innovation, and regional partnerships to address the continent’s energy paradox, according to a new analysis by global energy expert Mehmet Öğütçü. Despite Africa possessing over 60 percent of global solar potential and vast critical mineral reserves, more than 590 […]
Morocco will import up to 20% of its annual soft wheat needs from the United States for the first time, according to Moulay Abdelkader Alaoui, president of the National Federation of Milling (FNM). This strategic shift comes amid a global drop in wheat prices, driven by expectations of record harvests worldwide, Alaoui told Medias24. The […]
Mauritania’s economic growth is projected to decelerate to 4.0% in 2025, down from 5.2% in 2024 and 6.5% in 2023, according to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest Article IV consultation. The slowdown is attributed primarily to a contraction in the extractive sector, which has been a key driver of recent growth. While the economy […]
The upcoming meeting of the Morocco-EU joint Parliamentary Committee is scheduled in Rabat by the end of October. The announcement was made by the Committee co-chairs, Lahcen Haddad and Ruggero Razza, following videoconference talks. In a joint press release, the Committee’s Co-Chairs underlined the timeliness of the planned meeting as it would follow shortly after […]