First Independent Mena Newspaper
China’s Global Security Initiative (GSI), launched in 2022 by President Xi Jinping, is increasingly shaping Africa’s security architecture, drawing both support and scrutiny across the continent. According to a new analysis by the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the GSI is rapidly reshaping security partnerships across Africa, embedding Chinese norms into military, policing, and […]
Saudi energy giant ACWA Power has been awarded two major solar projects in Morocco, NOOR Midelt 2 and NOOR Midelt 3, following an international tender by the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN). The twin projects represent a significant expansion of Morocco’s renewable energy infrastructure as the kingdom pursues its ambitious 2030 climate targets. Each […]
Morocco was recognized as the African nation with the most attractive mining sector in 2024 and the 18th globally, according to Fraser Institute. The Canadian think tank’s Annual Survey of Mining Companies, released in July 2025, evaluated 82 jurisdictions based on their geological potential and policy environment. Morocco scored 89.9 out of 100, placing it […]
Morocco has secured a pivotal role in the future of electric aviation as British pioneer Vertical Aerospace announced a long-term partnership with Spanish Aciturri Aerostructures, which operates a sophisticated facility in Nouaceur near Casablanca, to manufacture the complete airframe for its VX4 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The agreement positions Morocco’s aerospace industry […]
Morocco’s economic landscape presents a complex picture of sectoral divergence, with traditional powerhouses facing headwinds while emerging industries demonstrate robust growth, according to latest statistics from the Office des Changes and OECD analysis. The contrasting performance across key export sectors highlights both structural challenges and opportunities in the kingdom’s industrial transformation. The automotive sector, historically […]
A surge in cocoa smuggling across West Africa is undermining the economies of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the world’s top cocoa producers, amid record global prices exceeding $10,000 per ton. The illicit trade, driven by price disparities and weak enforcement, is costing both countries hundreds of millions in lost revenue and threatening the stability of […]
Chinese company Kuntai has said it will invest $13.7 million in a car carpet plant in Morocco which has become a major global player in the automotive industry. The new production site comes to enhance further Morocco’s automotive industrial eco-system. Its main target is the European market. The facility will also promote research, development, production, […]
African nations are racing against time to renegotiate trade terms with the United States, as sweeping tariffs — initially set to begin 1 August — now loom for 7 August following a last-minute executive order by President Donald Trump. Trump’s latest executive order slaps a uniform 15% tariff on most African exports — threatening industries […]
Morocco’s unemployment rate declined marginally to 12.8% in the second quarter of 2025, down 0.3 percentage points from 13.1% in the same period last year, according to the High Commission for Planning (HCP). While the improvement breaks recent upward trends, it masks deepening structural vulnerabilities in the labor market, particularly affecting youth, women, and rural […]
Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has raised the red flag following revelations of $2.1 billion in suspicious cryptocurrency transactions across West Africa in 2024, according to a study by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA). SEC Director-General, Emomotimi Agama, speaking at the recent West Africa Compliance Summit in Cape […]