First Independent Mena Newspaper
Morocco’s culture ministry has reinforced its legal arsenal to combat the illicit appropriation and trafficking of its cultural heritage, with the signing of a new partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The agreement aims to better protect the country’s rich traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, and artifacts from misappropriation, particularly in the fashion and […]
A groundbreaking genetic study has revealed that ancient Moroccan populations played a foundational role in the emergence of Ancient Egypt’s early civilization. Published in Nature, the study presents the first fully sequenced genome of an individual from Egypt’s Old Kingdom (circa 2855–2570 BCE), showing that the majority of his ancestry traces back to Neolithic North […]
An Algerian appeals court has upheld a five-year prison sentence against renowned French Algerian author Boualem Sansal, intensifying concerns over freedom of expression in the North African country. The ruling also includes a fine of 500,000 Algerian dinars (approximately $3,850). Sansal, 80, was convicted of “undermining national unity” under Article 87 bis of the Algerian […]
The Moroccan Atlantic city of Essaouira will host the 2026 Annual Conference of the Creative Cities Network of the UNESCO, becoming thus the first city in Africa and the Arab world to host the Network’s annual conference. The UNESCO said in a press release that this decision to hold the Annual Conference’s 18th session in […]
The 2025 Antiquity Prize, established by the prestigious archaeological journal Antiquity, has been awarded to the study of the Oued Beht site in Morocco. The archaeological fieldwork carried out in Morocco has uncovered a hitherto unknown early farming society from a poorly understood period of north-west African prehistory, revealing for the first time the importance […]
The book “Matières à rêver”, dedicated to the textile, clothing, and leather industries in Morocco, was released last week at the UNESCO Office for the Maghreb in Rabat. This richly illustrated documentary work features 70 original photographs that offer a unique immersion into one of the country’s most dynamic sectors, UNESCO noted in a press […]
The International University of Rabat (UIR) maintains for the 3rd consecutive year its 1st position at the national level in the prestigious International Times High Education (THE) Impact Rankings, out of 14 Moroccan universities which appear in the ranking issued this week. The International THE Impact Rankings measures the commitment of universities to achieving the […]
After nearly two decades of dormancy, Egypt and Mauritania have reactivated on May 27 their bilateral cooperation mechanism through the revival of the Joint Committee, signaling a strategic commitment to developmental diplomacy and South-South collaboration. The second session of the Committee, held in Nouakchott, underscored a shared ambition to recalibrate bilateral ties in line with […]
Nearly 17,000 Brazilian tourists visited Morocco during the first four months of this year, said Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT), noting that this number represents a 48 % increase compared to same period of last year. In April, Brazilian tourist arrival spiked by 41% to reach 4,870 tourists against 3,465 in April 2024. Yet, inbound […]
Princess Lalla Hasnaa, President of the Royal Theater of Rabat Foundation, accompanied by Brigitte Macron, and Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Al Thani, chaired, on Thursday at the Royal Theater in Rabat, the Foundation’s first Board of Directors. The Board of Directors, which includes eminent figures from different backgrounds, will elaborate the strategic framework of […]