First Independent Mena Newspaper
Morocco’s banking sector enters an AI-defined growth phase from a position of strength, according to the third edition of Boston Consulting Group’s Future of Finance 2026 report, which analyses the performance of nearly 1,500 financial institutions, including major African markets. In 2025, Moroccan banks recorded approximately 8 percent growth in their consolidated balance sheets, while […]
Morocco’s trade deficit widened 20.8% year-on-year to 160 billion dirhams ($17 billion) in the first five months of 2026 as rising imports outpaced export growth, but robust remittances from Moroccans living abroad and higher tourism receipts helped offset pressure on the country’s external accounts. Imports rose 11.8%, compared with export growth of 5.8% to 211 […]
Morocco’s National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF) has secured more than €580 million in international financing for its “Forests of Morocco 2020-2030” strategy, with some €175 million — approximately 40 percent of total commitments, equivalent to 1.9 billion dirhams — already disbursed. The figures were disclosed at a high-level review meeting in Rabat on […]
Morocco has taken a significant step toward ending the fiscal free-riding of global digital multinationals on its market. On 11 June 2026, the Direction générale des impôts (DGI) launched a dedicated platform for the taxation of digital services, accessible through the SIMPL tax portal. The measure follows the publication of decree no. 2-25-862 in December […]
Morocco has rapidly equipped millions of citizens with digital wallets but is struggling to convert infrastructure into daily payment behavior. According to an analysis by Aurora Strategy Consulting, the country counted 13.8 million open wallets at end-2024 and approximately 3.8 million active ones — an activity rate of 18 percent and an adult equipment rate […]
Bayern Munich has confirmed the signing of Morocco’s World Cup standout Ismael Saibari from Dutch champion PSV Eindhoven in a major $ 63 million summer deal. The 25-year-old forward, who is currently enjoying a sensational, ongoing standout campaign at the World Cup, joins the German giants on a long-term contract that runs until June 2031. […]
Senior US and Italian officials have held talks with Libyan stakeholders focused on accelerating efforts to unify Libya’s political, economic, and military institutions as part of a broader international stabilization agenda. US Presidential Adviser for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos met Italian Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser Fabrizio Saggio and Saddam Haftar to discuss […]
Tunisia recorded a significant increase in suspicious transaction reports (STRs) linked to money laundering and terrorist financing between 2020 and 2025, according to a strategic analysis bulletin from the Tunisian Financial Analysis Commission (CTAF). The data show that STRs rose from 446 in 2020 to 1,334 in 2025, representing an increase of 888 reports, or […]
The Mauritanian Government has decided to maintain the fuel oil subsidy at 70 MRO per litre, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, Abdallahi Ould Souleimane Ould Cheikh Sidiya, announced during a weekly press briefing. The subsidy is estimated to cost the State around 3.15 billion old ouguiyas per month, according to the minister. He […]
The National Assembly of Mauritania has adopted two bills amending the legal status of officers and non-officers in the national Army during a public sitting chaired by Mohamed Bemba Meguett. Defense Minister Hanena Ould Sidi said the reforms reflect major institutional and operational changes within the Armed Forces since the original laws were enacted. The […]