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| Articles about Morocco |
| Morocco - tourist numbers up 11% | | 2008-07-04 20:51:00 | | Some 2.5 million tourists visited Morocco during the first five months of 2008, which represents an 11% increase compared to the same period in 2007, according to the latest figures of the National Tourism Observatory. French tourists topped the list with 927,000, followed by Spaniards (587,000), Britons (141,000), Italians (116,000), Belgians (113,000), Germans (97,000) and the Dutch (75,000). Despite a rise in tourist arrivals, overnight stays in rated hotels fell by 4%, standing at 6.7 million. The drop is ascribed to the uneven performance of the different tourist destinations of the kingdom.One statistic that the figures released do not show is the upsurge in interest in Morocco being shown by Americans. A couple of years ago the figures on The View from Fez revealed a lot of UK visitors. That has now slowed down (possibly because of the damage done by lack of direct flights to Fez) and been replaced by a large upsurge in interest from America. As the chart above shows, 24% o | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | World Touring Car Championship for Morocco in 09 | | 2008-07-04 01:27:00 | | The World Touring Car Championship will expand into its fourth continent in 2009 after confirming that Morocco will stage a street race in the city of Marrakech.The first time the country has hosted an international car race since the 1958 Morocco Grand Prix at Casablanca, the arrival of Marrakech marks the first time the WTCC has ventured into Africa too.A temporary street circuit will be erected in the centre of the ‘red city' for an event to be provisionally held on May 3rd 2009.Speaking at the launch of the event, President of the Marrakech Grand Prix, as it will be dubbed, Ali Horma, was delighted to be inviting motorsport back to the country after a 50 year absence.“This will be everybody's grand prix. We all have to work together to prove the world that Morocco can build a street circuit and organise a motorsport event according to the FIA standards. And to do this we need to mobilise all our resources. This event will have an unprecedented impact on Moroccan economy and tou | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Morocco swelters in heat wave. | | 2008-07-01 16:38:00 | | In the last few days Morocco was blasted by a searing heat wave which lasted all weekend and extended into Monday and Tuesday. Just as an example; at Safi, Monday's high reached 45 degrees Celsius (110 degrees F). Located on the coast, Safi is typically moderated by breezes off the Atlantic Ocean. However, winds the past few days have been from the east to northeast, preventing the ocean breeze from developing. To put these temperatures in comparison to normal, the average daily high at the end of June is 26 degrees C. Temperatures will soar above 37 degrees again before some cooler weather returns by the end of the week.This week in Fez expect 38 today and tops of around 37 for the remainder of the week. Night temperatures are dropping to between 16 and 17 degrees C.We suggest you go take a long cool shower under the starsTags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
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| Who was the first surfer in Morocco? | | 2008-06-30 19:20:00 | | Michael Scott Moore, a blogger in Berlin, is after information about the first person to ride a wave in Morocco. The author, Michael is a novelist and journalist from California, living for complicated reasons in Berlin. He’s also a surfer, an American, and a German (with two passports). Here is what Michael has to say:The last push for an elusive surf-book fact has started: I’m looking for the name of a U.S. serviceman who first paddled a surfboard out in Morocco in the 1950s. The session happened, according to legend, at Mehdiya Plage, and the guy in question was stationed at Port Lyautey. He would have been the first person ever to surf Morocco, period. If anyone has any information post your story over here.Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Interfaith Dialogue - Saudis 1 Morocco 14 | | 2008-06-27 07:03:00 | | Writing for the BBC, Magdi Abdelhadi has an important story that shows how far ahead of the rest of the Islamic world Morocco really is. While when Saudi Arabia held its first ever conference on interfaith dialogue, Morocco was hosting its 14th festival of World Sacred Music. Here is Madgdi Abdelhadi's story courtesy of the BBCArtists from all over the world converged on its ancient city of Fez, to the east of the capital Rabat. While the Saudi gathering was made up of only Muslim clerics discussing a framework for future dialogue with Christianity and Judaism, Morocco has for years been opening its arms to musicians from all over the world.The aim of the Fez festival is to promote better understanding between cultures and faiths through exposure to some of the most sublime expressions of faith - sacred music.The difference between the Saudi and Moroccan approaches to dialogue between faiths could not have been more stark, a reminder that notions of the Muslim or the Arab world are i | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Myths and Mistakes - Morocco that isn't! | | 2008-06-27 03:19:00 | | One of the truly sad things about geography is that you can't just change it to suit yourself. However, when it comes to Morocco, it hasn't stopped a lot of otherwise intelligent people doing so. For example take the wonderful book by the reputable publishers Thames and Hudson, called The Flavours of Arabia. Now this is no cheap paperback but a high priced coffee-table delight. Except for one glaring mistake. The subtitle of the book is "cookery and food in the Middle East". Fine except the cover photograph shows a friend of ours standing in his shop in front of a photograph of the late King, Hassan II. Yes, in Morocco. Now last time I looked Morocco was not in the Middle East. Mind you that hasn't stopped historians, geographers and cookery books for lumping it in with the UAE and Lebanon.Then there is the climate. Morocco is in Africa, right? And as everyone seems to think, it is always hot. Talking with the company who runs the biggest and best accommodation service for Fez ( fes ri | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
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| Travel Writing about Morocco - #20 | | 2008-06-21 17:43:00 | | The upsurge in interest in Morocco among Americans is continuing. Despite the weak US dollar, the number of visitors is up and the hits on The View from Fez coming from the United States is growing daily. Also on the increase is the number of stories in the US media and the quality of the writing, while not outstanding, is at least conveying useful information.Jude Townend, writing in the Orange County Register, has this to say...Morocco is probably best-known to American travelers for cities like Fez, Casablanca and Marrakech. But this country in the northwest corner of Africa is actually a place of dramatic variety. On a two-week or even one-week visit, it's feasible to fit in a trip to a major city or two, in addition to exploring rural areas.You might explore undulating desert dunes, the magnificent Atlas Mountains, or a tranquil beach like those found near Agadir. Or visit the Volubilis Roman ruins near Meknes, the dinosaur footprints near Azilal, or eerily quiet Berber villages a | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Human Rights in Morocco | | 2008-06-20 17:20:00 | | Since King Mohammed VI acceded to the throne in 1999, Morocco has made important progress in promoting democracy and respect for human rights - Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. In its annual report 2007 about the situation of human rights in the world, issued on Thursday in Geneva, the observatory, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), underlined that "the reform of the Family Code (moudawana) in 2004 was one of the reforms undertaken by Morocco." "The introduction of legislative reforms and the establishment of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission (Instance équité et reconciliation - IER) in January 2004 have also been marks of the profound change the country has experienced in recent years," said the report. The document recalled that the goal of this commission was to provide a global policy for the issue of the serious human rights violations committed between | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Child Labour - Morocco takes more action. | | 2008-06-18 19:49:00 | | According to Employment and Vocational Training Minister, Jamal Rhmani, some 3,367 children were removed from the job market, while some 13,126 others were taken care of in 2007. Speaking at the House of Advisors' question time, Mr. Rhmani said government programmes, carried out in conjunction with the international programme for the Elimination of Child labour, have also supported income-generating activities for the families of these children, whose number reached 600 in 2007. Legislative and awareness-raising measures, in addition to field programs have helped Morocco achieve progress in fighting the phenomenon of child labour, he said. According to official figures, the number of working children under 15 in Morocco is estimated at around 177,000.Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Casablanca Morocco Offers Modern Hip Adventure | | 2008-06-17 00:00:00 | | Casablanca is a famous classic movie if ever there was one set in the exotic Casablanca, Morocco of the 1930’s. Casablanca is a movie that expresses the irony and pain of life, but more importantly, it expresses the joys that life can bring.
With an unlikely and almost unwilling hero played by Humphrey Bogart, and a [...] | | By: Resources Zone | | |
| | AQIM Promises Revenge for Attack on Muslim Woman in Morocco | | 2008-06-10 11:14:20 | | The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a statement dated June 4 from Shaykh Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud, the top commander of Al-Qaida’s Committee in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), titled, “Here We Come, O’ Sister!” In his statement, Wadoud swore revenge on the governments of North Africa for a violent confrontation between local security forces and a Muslim woman in Morocco. According to Wadoud, “We have witnessed images published on several jihadi Internet websites...(read more) | | By: An American Warning | | |
| | Morocco News Roundup & Medina Gossip #3505 | | 2008-06-05 02:18:00 | | Yves Saint Laurent's ashes to be buried in MarrakechYves Saint Laurent, one of the legendary names of the world of fashion, died Sunday evening in Paris at the age of 71. His connections with Morocco were so strong that his ashes will be kept in a tomb in the Majorelle botanical gardens, a property he acquired in Marrakech in the 1980’s.Yves Saint Laurent first visited Marrakech in 1967 and several years later he and his businessman friend, Pierre Bergé, bought the house of gardens which once belonged to the painter Jacques Majorelle . In March 2000, they decided to restore the garden and four years later started an association to save protect and beautify the Majorelle gardens “"l’Association pour la sauvegarde et le rayonnement du jardin Majorelle". Yves Saint Laurent’s last visit to Marrakech was in November 2006 when he spent his summer vacations in Tanger situated in the north of Morocco, where he owned another property. 500k-year-old human fossil disco | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Daylight Saving in Morocco on June 1 | | 2008-05-29 01:54:00 | | A reminder to all our readers that on June 1 Morocco will switch to daylight saving and you will need to switch your clocks forward one hour. This will effect all train, bus and airline timetables so be aware!Morocco is to save energy by adjusting its clock during summer so it will be one hour ahead of GMT between 1 June and 27 September, according to Communication Minister and Government Spokesman, Khalid Naciri. "This measure will allow us to save energy and to align the time zone with Morocco’s regional and international partners including the EU countries".According to Public Sector Modernisation, Minister Mohammed Abbou,"The Ministry of Energy and Mining compiled a study on the efficiency of using energy, based on the currently adopted time. The study concluded that should the clock be set one hour ahead during summer, Morocco's consumption of energy will drop by 1%,"In the 1980s, Morocco used to adjust its clock during the summer time, but later cancelled the process.Tags: Moro | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Morocco... not the middle east. | | 2008-05-28 03:44:00 | | High and dry in dusty MoroccoAt just 20-years-old Australian director/producer Kane Christopher (pictured above) is an award winner who is quickly turning heads in the motion picture industry across the globe.He’s now covered five of the seven continents for his work, recently returning from an exotic shoot of a new music video which took him to Morocco in North-West Africa.He directed the video for Mountains guitarist, Phil Stormer.“(Phil’s) beautiful and emotive music influenced me to take this video to Morocco. I wanted to shine a positive light on these middle-eastern countries,” said Kane.Oops! Did I read that right? Middle eastern... mmm, maybe they don't teach geography in Australian schools. Mind you, the rest of his sentiments were fine....“It’s so cliche for us to put a negative spin on Arab nations. One thing I have learned in my travels is . . . the simple things in life are often the best . . . and the people in these nations are a testimony to that. I wanted | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Jews celebrate in Morocco | | 2008-05-27 05:19:00 | | Jewish pilgrims from around the world gathered in several Moroccan cities to celebrate the Hiloula of rabbis, a religious and charitable custom, based on the Sephardic tradition of making auction bids for ornate candles believed to help strengthen the soul.In the coastal city of Essaouira (442km south of Rabat), hundreds gathered on Friday to celebrate the hiloula of rabbi Nessim Ben Nessim. A reception ceremony was organized on Sunday, last day of the festival, attended by the King’s advisor, André Azoulay, himself a Moroccan Jew.During this ceremony the pilgrims underlined the strong bonds uniting them to Morocco which they described as a country of openness and tolerance and their attachment to the Alaouite throne (dynasty of king Mohammed VI). In the city of Settat (160 south of Rabat), members of the Jewish community celebrated the hiloula in the mausoleum of rabbi Abraham Aouriour. The festival opened on Thursday and was marked by the organization on Sunday of a recepti | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | TITUS BURCKHARDT AND MOROCCO – A LOVE STORY | | 2008-05-17 04:03:00 | | A report on the lecture given in London by Dr Jean-Louis Michon for The Temenos Academy. By our "Up North Correspondent" Aurora BorealisThere’s an irresistible attraction around anything with the word Fez in it if you happen to live in zipped up Anglo lands, where talking to someone you don’t know in a checkout queue is seen as a massive invasion of privacy. So it was that I found myself at the Art Workers Guild in Bloomsbury (where else?) listening to Dr Michon – an 84 year old Frenchman talking about a deceased Swiss German who shared his interest in all things Islamic; and especially in the city of Fez.Jean-Louis and Titus Burkhardt were friends and colleagues for many years. They both had extremely well educated intellectual credentials, they both found their spiritual niche in Islam and they were both Sufi initiates.They both loved Fez with an enduring passion. So much so that in1972 Titus Burckhardt and Jean-Louis Michon were invited by UNESCO, on behalf of the Morocca | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Travel Writing about Morocco #19 | | 2008-05-12 10:07:00 | | Continuing our series on travel writing about Morocco, we turn our attention to the Guardian website where Doug McKinlay limps along with a piece about Moulay Idriss (pictured above and below).Unfortunately along with interviewing the mayor he takes a quite swipe at writers of travel guides. His lack of collegial appreciation of his fellow scribes is only surpassed by his rather lazy and inaccurate shot at Lonely Planet...Publishers and websites are only now waking up to Moulay Idriss's open-door policy. The latest edition of Lonely Planet's Morocco states: 'The embargo on non-Muslims staying overnight has only recently been lifted.' But it goes on to recommend two restaurants that are now closed and gives no advice on accommodation. From a strictly selfish perspective, I'm happy the guidebook writers have it wrong.Well, Dougie boy, actually no. He should have kept reading his Lonely Planet because the accommodation is listed. He should also appreciate that there is a lead time in boo | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Scorpion stings in Morocco | | 2008-05-10 12:01:00 | | Recently we published a story on snakebites in Morocco and had several emails asking about scorpions and whether they were a problem. The answer is a big YES.According to figures from the Moroccan Centre national antipoison et de pharmacovigilance (CAPM) (poisons and drug monitoring center) scorpion stings kill about 100 under 15s every year, in a total of some 30,000 cases of scorpion poisoning documented yearly in Morocco. There is a particular danger between July and August each year. It should also be noted that over 60 percent of stings are at night.To stem this scourge, a nationwide campaign themed "Together Save our Children from Death from Scorpion Stings," was launched on Friday in the city of Essaouira. It is aiming at reducing the mortality rateby 30%.Initiated by the CAPM, the campaign will be carried out under the aegis of the Health Ministry, in collaboration with the Province of Essaouira, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Research and the Protection of Argan Trees, and NGO | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Morocco decides to switch to daylight saving. | | 2008-05-09 14:18:00 | | Want to save time and energy? Then Morocco is the place. Morocco is to save energy by adjusting its clock during summer so it will be one hour ahead of GMT between 1 June and 27 September, according to Communication Minister and Government Spokesman, Khalid Naciri. "This measure will allow us to save energy and to align the time zone with Morocco’s regional and international partners including the EU countries".In the 1980s, Morocco used to adjust its clock during the summer time, but later cancelled the process.Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Morocco under high alert after a probable dry run | | 2008-05-06 10:46:12 | | A few weeks ago, Algeria warned its Tunisian and Moroccan neighbors of a possible mega terror attack prepared by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Interestingly the newsletter The Croissant (subscriptions available for a small fee) reported a few days ago that an Algerian, aboard a powerful 4X4, sped on the esplanade of the Mosque of Hassan II in Casablanca. He managed to overcome all obstacles limiting traffic, causing a real panic. The Moroccan security forces thought it was a suicide attack. This...(read more) | | By: An American Warning | | |
| | World's oldest Jewels - discovered in Morocco | | 2008-05-06 02:11:00 | | Photo credit: Ian Cartwright, Institute of Archaeology, Oxford University "The beads themselves comprise 12 Nassarius shells - Nassarius are molluscs found in warm seas and coral reefs in America, Asia and the Pacific - which had holes in them and appeared to have been suspended or hung. They were covered in red ochre."Grotte des PigeonsAbdeljalil Bouzouggar, from the Moroccan Institut National des Sciences de l'Archéologie et du Patrimoine. (Institute of Archaeology), and colleagues found the shells in the Grotte des Pigeons, a limestone cave in eastern Morocco, alongside burnt stone remains in well-layered soil. An Institute of Archaeology team from Oxford University has been working with their Moroccan colleagues on the site for some time. The beads are thought to be 84,000 to 86,000 years old.The twenty handmade beads, discovered at the Grotte des Pigeons, in the region of Taforalt, and are thought to be the world's oldest jewels although similar beads have been f | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | New British Ambassador appointed to Morocco. | | 2008-05-02 14:50:00 | | According to news from the British Foreign Office, Morocco has a new Ambassador for Great Britain.The new ambassador is Timothy Morris and he will also act as and Britain's non-resident Ambassador to The Islamic Republic of Mauritania in succession to Mr Charles Gray CMG who will become Her Majesty's Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps in September 2008. Mr Morris will take up his appointment during August 2008.Welcome aboard Tim!For those who want the details our Foreign Affairs reporter lists the following information:Full Name: Timothy Colin MorrisMarried to: Patricia Tena Children: Three sons 2005 - 2008 FCO, Head of International Organisations Department2003 - 2005 Lisbon, Deputy Head of Mission1998 - 2002 Tokyo, Counsellor, Trade and Investment1996 - 1998 FCO, Deputy Head, United Nations Department1991 - 1996 Madrid, First Secretary and Head of Political Section1989 - 1991 DTI, Head, Exports to Japan Unit1987 - 1989 FCO, Southern African Department1984 - 1987 Tokyo, Seco | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Air Arabia to fly from Morocco | | 2008-05-01 02:27:00 | | Budget carrier Air Arabia will open a hub in Morocco in the later half of this year in order to connect to European destinations. This will be its third hub. Its base is in Sharjah and this year launched its second hub in Kathmandu, Nepal, in a joint venture with Yeti Airlines.According to Adel Ali, CEO of Air Arabia, "We do not have an exact date yet but we are looking at starting operations from our Morocco hub sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. The whole objective is to connect to Europe, North Africa and more Middle East destinations via Morocco."For its hub in Rabat, Air Arabia has entered into a joint venture with Morocco's leading private carrier, Regional Air Lines and Bahrain-based investment bank, Ithmaar Bank.Air Arabia originally intended to launch the Morocco hub before the Kathmandu hub, but as Morocco is going to be much larger hub, it took time. "Establishing a hub in Kathmandu, on the other hand, was a much quicker process," Ali said."Considering Morocco expe | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Tennis in Morocco - New Zealand stumbles. | | 2008-04-28 15:49:00 | | For the Kiwi expats who wanted good news about New Zealand No 1 Marina Erakovic - there is none. She was eliminated in the first round of the WTA grand prix women's tennis tournament in Fez today. Erakovic tells us her serve let her down in the second and third sets. Her opponent started to play better and got some of her serves back and played well, she reflected.Tennis is not big with the locals in fact The View from Fez couldn't find one person who knew the event was happening.Anyway, here are the gory details of Marina's exit.She was beaten 2-6 6-3 6-2 in the first round by 98th ranked Romanian Sorana Cirstea.She will now focus on the doubles and is seeded fourth with partner Russian Alina Jidkova.The Aucklander has one more WTA clay court tournament in Istanbul next month prior to her French Open debut at Roland Garros.Meanwhile, New Zealand's Davis Cup player Rubin Statham has jumped 104 places in the latest men's rankings following his semifinal effort at an ATP C | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Morocco withdraws Ukrainian sunflower oil from market | | 2008-04-28 10:41:00 | | Morocco will withdraw a batch of Ukrainian sunflower oil from its market as part of the country's precaution measures following the discovery of batches of contaminated sunflower oil imported from this country in several European Union (EU) countries, the agriculture and fisheries Ministry said. The announcement followed the discovery on April 23, of batches of this oil in five EU member-countries, namely, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The ministry also reported, in a press release, that the Moroccan batch of the Ukrainian sunflower oil had been imported to Morocco in 2008, noting that controls revealed that the oil concerned represents no risk for health, but the government nevertheless decided to withdraw it from the market and to subject all sunflower oils to new quality controls.The five EU countries are removing contaminated Ukrainian sunflower oil from shop shelves even though they agree that it doesn't pose a serious risk to human health, the | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Snake bites in Morocco. | | 2008-04-27 07:57:00 | | Vipera lebetinaSnake bites are responsible for a high mortality rate in Africa where the overall mortality of bites is around 4%.. Problems for the early care of the victims are many due to lack of medical services with serum in isolated locations..In the Morocco bites are often caused by the lebetin viper (Vipera lebetina) or the horned viper or sand viper (Cerastes cerastes).Vipera lebetina.A very corpulent viper, well camouflaged and often just laying on the ground near or even in small water pits, waiting for birds to approach. When passing the snake, it usually doesn't move, what makes it easily overseen by hikers.Identification:This matt greyish to dun-brown coloured snake is very corpulent and can reach the thickness of an arm. Adults usually reach a length of approx. 130 cm, rarely up to 160 cm. Like all vipers it has keeled scales on the body where they are larger than on the head. Three very small black spots on the head are typical for this species.Cerastes cerastesThe aver | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | 13th Chellah Jazz festival organized in Morocco | | 2008-04-24 09:16:00 | | The 13th Chellah Jazz festival in Rabat is being organized, between 12-16 June, by the European Commission Delegation to Morocco and the embassies and cultural institutes of EU member states, in partnership with the country’s Ministry of Culture.For the 13th year, the historic site of Chellah will play home to a musical dialogue among cultures, as a number of European and Arab musicians are taking part in this event.We have not had a chance to translate the following information, but will do so soon, inshallah.Le festival Jazz au Chellah aura lieu du 12 au 16 juin sur le magnifique site qui lui a donné son nom. Depuis sa création, le Festival de Jazz au Chellah, qui en est sa 13ème année, s’impose comme un événement incontournable de la scène culturelle de la capitale et du Maroc tout entier. Organisé depuis 1996 conjointement par la Délégation de la Commission européenne au Maroc et les ambassades et instituts culturels des États membres de l’Union européenne, en pa | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Morocco to serve the worlds biggest buffet??? | | 2008-04-18 10:03:00 | | Some 5,000 visitors are expected in Rabat to sample a vast number of different dishes to be served on a 300-m buffet - possibly the world's largest! Themed "together to bring our peoples closer through our cultures", this event will gather the most popular dishes of some twenty countries in a "festival of taste and fondness of good food" is also meant to bring peoples closer through presenting their cultures (gastronomy, folklore and musical heritage) and offers the opportunity to participants to share the friendship. In addition to world dishes, this event will also feature artistic events (paintings, sculpture and traditional arts) of the participating countries, as musical and dancing bands will come from the four corners of the world to perform in the Moroccan capital.Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | 5000 Bustards released in Morocco | | 2008-04-05 11:54:00 | | The Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis undulata, is a large bird in the bustard family and is widely prized in Arabia and Pakistan for its meat; widespread hunting has almost put it on the endangered list. Now the bird is making a come back in Morocco - thanks to the UAE.General Shaikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has participated in the release of more than 5,000 houbaras in an area of about 300km inside the eastern desert of Morocco.General Shaikh Mohammad said: "This release of the houbaras in North Africa was necessary to meet the continuous decline of houbara numbers due to the destruction of their wintering and breeding habitat, over-trapping and over-hunting in addition to illegal trade, all of which require insistent steps to restore a healthy houbara population in the wild."The released houbaras had been bred in captivity at the Emirates Centre for Wildlife Propagation (ECWP) in Missour, Morocco.This rel | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Can DNA & cloning return Morocco's lions to the wild? | | 2008-03-29 04:51:00 | | "The last known Barbary Lion in the wild was shot in 1942 on the northern side of the Tizi-n-Tichka pass in the Atlas Mountains, near the road between Marrakech and Ouarzazat, two of major tourists destinations in Morocco today."Two medieval skulls found in the Tower of London belonged to a kind of lion that boasted a giant dark mane, according to a genetic study that sheds new light on one of the world's oldest zoos. Infamous as a place of torture and executions, and home to the Crown Jewels, the Tower was also home to lions, which were charismatic symbols of monarchy.Now researchers have used DNA evidence to analyse two members of the royal menagerie, the oldest being late 13th to late 14th century (1280-1385) and 'youngest' 15th century (1420-1480), the only medieval big cat remains found in England.They conclude that they were male Barbary lions, a species that hails from north Africa, where no natural lion population remains today. Lion manes can vary from light blond to black and | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Low Prices Morocco | | 2008-03-25 20:12:15 | | Morocco is the staggering beautiful country. It with its raisin and coloring. Although it borders on Tunisia, in it there is nothing general from this country. Morocco - other country.
In Morocco official language - Arab. In the mountain regions local dialects are used. As the second basic language most frequently is used French. Further follow [...] | | By: voyage echoes in the wind | | |
| | morocco desert edge mountain gorge | | 2008-03-25 20:09:48 | | Atlantic Ocean in the West, the Mediterranean on the north, excellent gold beaches. Four banks of mountains with the waterfalls and eternal of snow at the apexes, centenary cedar scaffolding in foot, extensive plains, covered with tangerine and orange trees, the rivers, which flow along the very edge of desert and on the gorges of [...] | | By: voyage echoes in the wind | | |
| | The importance of the Belliraj network dismantled in Morocco | | 2008-03-17 13:15:29 | | One month after the spectacular dismantling of what is called the"Belliraj" network in Morocco, the details and implications of this event are coming out little by little. The Croissant has compiled a full dossier, drawing on fifty open source articles. The full dossier is available to subscribers . Here is an excerpt: About 35 suspects were arrested on February 18. They lived in Morocco: Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, Marrakech, Kenitra, Tangiers, Nador, Oujda. There are also Moroccans living in Belgium;...(read more) | | By: An American Warning | | |
| | An amazing house in Morocco | | 2008-03-16 14:31:00 | | There are scores of stories about expats buying and restoring houses in Morocco. The most ambitious ones to date have been in Fez where the focus on traditional craftsmanship has been generally superb.However today we have a story about a couple who went deep into the countryside and built a house from scratch. Not a modern bricks and mortar construction, but traditional adobe. And it is stunning!"Près du Puits" is French for "Near the Well"... That well is somewhere near Fez, Morocco, and a French couple Fred and Maria have built their adobe house with its water.Frédéric CalmèsFred will be remembered by regular readers of The View from Fez as the extremely talented musician who performs with the Hamadcha Sufi Brotherhood.In their blog they have begun to post photographs, recipes, and stories about their life in the country. It is certainly worth a visit. You will find it here: Près du PuitsTags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | The latest airline news from Morocco. | | 2008-03-13 03:12:00 | | Morocco gets a new Boeing 737-800 aircraftMorocco’s Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has taken delivery of a new generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the second such aircraft the state-owned airline has received this year. The acquisition of the aircraft is part of the RAM’s programme to "beef up and modernise its fleet.",In 2007, RAM took delivery of two new generation Boeing 737 and another one in February 2008. It also plans to receive another Boeing 737-800 in October 2008. The airline said the purchases showed its determination to consolidate its policy to expand and modernise its fleet to support the development and diversification of its international network. In November 2005, RAM and manufacturer Boeing signed a contract for the acquisition of five latest long-haul planes for a total cost of US$ 650 million. Jet4you to serve 8 weekly flights between Morocco, BelgiumLow-cost airline company Jet4you will serve eight weekly flights as of May 24 between Morocco and Belgium, Chairman Jawad | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Morocco for dummies? | | 2008-03-12 12:49:00 | | You can imagine the excitement in The View from Fez office when Tigga discovered this little gem: People who purchase property for sale in Morocco will be able to enjoy low living costs, new research has revealed. According to a study by Teletext Holidays, food and drink in the north African country costs much less than in most of Europe. Figures showed that on average, a pint of beer can be purchased for just 51p, while a three-course meal is priced at just over £10. By contrast, a beverage in Spain would cost £1.56 on average and a meal would set people back about £17.50. This may be one reason for the growing popularity of Morocco among holidaymakers and second home buyers. Commenting on the findings, Ash Makkar of Teletext Holidays said: "Interest in countries such as Morocco has grown significantly." He added that this showed that people were becoming more adventurous when choosing where to go on holiday. Official figures recently revealed that during 2007, Morocco attracted | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Fim Festival in Morocco - in Tetouan! | | 2008-03-06 19:55:00 | | Tetouan hosts the 14th Mediterranean Film FestivalFrom 29 March to 4 April, Tetouan will host the 14th Tetouan International Mediterranean Film Festival which, since its inception in 1985, has continued to actively promote Mediterranean cinema. The creation of the Tetouan International Mediterranean Film Festival Foundation in 2006, headed by the Minister for Communications, was aimed precisely at ensuring the continuation of the festival.In 7 days of screenings at 5 different venues, almost 100 films from Mediterranean countries will be shown, together with 10 feature films, 15 short films and 10 documentaries which will be in competition. More than 10 countries will be represented, 200 special guests are invited and 50,000 spectators are expected.This year, the Festival will have a special focus on Tunisian cinema and the 3 Continents Festival of Nantes. They will be the special guests of honour, with a retrospective that will look at films produced over the last 20 years.Festival ev | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | "Prince of Persia" to be filmed in Morocco | | 2008-03-06 19:47:00 | | British film director Mike Newell (pictured above) will shoot his next film 'Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time' in Morocco, Morocco's Dune Films company said Wednesday.Based on a popular video game, the preparation for the film is well under way. The script has been worked on for over 18 months and we understand that scouting and casting will begin on March 17.Newell has directed a string of hits, including 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire', 'Donnie Brasco' and 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'.Go here to see a movie update: Prince of PersiaTags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Morocco enjoying Viet Nam’s coffee | | 2008-03-03 06:24:00 | | Viet Nam ’s coffee exports to Morocco have increased in recent years, according to the Viet Nam Coffee Association (VCA).
In 2007, Viet Nam exported 10,494 tonnes of coffee to Morocco for 18.8 million USD. This represents roughly 30 percent of the country’s total imported coffee.
Coffee is currently a leading Vietnamese export to Morocco , accounting for 41 percent of the country’s total | | By: Vietnam Business Finance News | | |
| | Morocco did not ban YouTube | | 2008-02-27 16:43:00 | | Recently the respected website Global Voices ran this story:Yesterday, May 25, 2007, it has been reported by numerous Moroccan blogger that Morocco has blocked access to YouTube video sharing website. There have been many ongoing speculations that the ban followed the broadcasting of material critical of the country's king and pro-Western Sahara. This is the third major sites blocked by the Moroccan filtering regime after Google Earth and Livejournal.However, it turns out not to be true.Technical research has shown that the problem started in Pakistan where the authorities decided to block YouTube by creating a false path - a Cul de sac - that would divert potential visitors. The block was intended to cover only Pakistan but extended to about two-thirds of the global Internet population.The outage followed a letter sent Friday evening by the Pakistani Telecommunications Authority (PTA) to Internet service providers, ordering them to prevent people in Pakistan from visiting YouTube. The | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Vietnam's coffee exports to Morocco up sharply | | 2008-02-13 04:55:00 | | Vietnam's exports of coffee to Morocco has increased sharply in recent years. Last year, Vietnam exported nearly 10,500 tonnes of green coffee worth around US $19 million to Morocco, up 91% against the previous year and accounted for 30% of Morocco's total robusta coffee imports.Currently, coffee tops the list of export products to Morocco in terms of value, accounting for 41% of Vietnam's export turnover to the country.Morocco is among the biggest importers of green coffee (coffee seeds that have not been roasted and ground) in the world. The country imports an average 28,000 tonnes of green coffee a year. Eighty percent of this is robusta and 20% is arabica coffee. | | By: Vietnam Business Finance News | | |
| | Flights to Morocco - Easy-Jet update | | 2008-02-02 18:16:00 | | It has just been announced that low-cost airline Easy-Jet has a low fair between Tangiers and Madrid. The cost? Fifty (50) euros. Six times a week (on Mondays and Fridays) the service will only be for the duration of the summer. Easy-Jet became popular when it began the first cheap flights from London to Marrakech soon after the implementation of the "Open Sky" agreement between Morocco and the EU in 2006.According to a company spokesperson Easy-Jet also plans to launch new links for Casablanca and Marrakech, and said that it would start a daily Paris (Charles de Gaulle)-Marrakech flight beginning 15 February and the launch of the links between Lyon and Marrakech and Lyon-Casablanca from early next May.Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Road trip in south Morocco | | 2008-02-01 11:26:00 | | Although city-sightseeing and beach holidays for winter sun are very popular in Morocco, the best way to experience the country is in your own car.The area around Marrakech gives travellers a myriad of choices, from coastline driving to adventures in the remote desert, or hair-rising mountain driving in the High Atlas mountains.The P31 highway runs from Marrakech all the way to the impassable border with Algeria, through unbelievably varied landscape.The route takes around eight hours one way, which is a perfect itinerary for a five to ten-day holiday. No 4WD is required until Zagora but check your tyres before setting off into the mountains.An incredible array of colours and shapes inhabit this part of the country. You will pass quiet Berber villages perched on mountainsides, surrounded by nothing but snow and 4,000m peaks.There are also infinite lengths of golden stony desert, known as hammada, and cute little oases with palm trees loaded with dates.The drive is tough; it requires pa | | By: Most Popular Tourist Places | | |
| | Ghosn on Middle East tour: Electric cars in Israel, factory in Morocco | | 2008-01-22 15:01:56 | | Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Government/Legal, Green, Plants/Manufacturing, Nissan, Renault
Renault-Nissan president Carlos Ghosn is arguably one of the most effective automotive industry executives, and having just embarked upon a tour of the Middle East, may prove to be more effective than the endless stream of government and military envoys parading in and out of sand-swept capitals.
Ghosn flew [...] | | By: Car O Focus | | |
| | Construction and renovation deaths in Morocco | | 2008-01-17 20:16:00 | | In her book, A House in Fez, Suzanna Clarke makes mention of the dangers of ceilings collapsing during renovation and points out that this is often because of rotten beams giving way under the weight of rubble packed in the ceilings ( a traditional building practise).However, the latest tragedy took place in a new two-storey residential building under construction in the Hay Oulad Waj district of Khenitra (40km North of Rabat) The collapse on Wednesday killed eighteen people and left at least twenty-six people injured. There may be more bodies under the rubble.Morocco's Interior Minister, Chakib Benmoussa, who led a government delegation to the site of the tragedy said investigations into the cause of the incident had already began and that punishment awaits any official who might be responsible for the fatal collapse.Rescue workers hunt through the rubble (Photo AFP)Rescue workers have since began searching for survivors, but the government authorities said they could not establis | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Ignorance slams Morocco | | 2008-01-15 01:52:00 | | In a postscript to our last story about the Metal Concert, check out the comments below the following story ( see link below). You have to wonder which rock some of these ignorant people crawled out from under. Thankfully some Moroccans (and others) have posted positive comments.Check it out here: DUDE MOROCCO SUCKSTags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Heavy Metal to rock Morocco in February | | 2008-01-13 14:49:00 | | If Metal Rock is your thing then head to Sidi Kacem on February 23. The Sidi Rock festival is follow up to a 2005 initiative by BERBER Badr - a collaboration between the bands: Anaconda, Black Wolves, Imperium, Metal Inc. and Mercy Killing.The event in 2005 was described as only being moderately successful, but this has not stopped Maison d’Art animé, Badr and CHBIHI Amine getting together a second edition of the festival to showcase young talent and feed an audience they describe as "a public thirsty for creativity and originality."The organisers say that "despite the many obstacles and drawbacks that represents such a consecration, organizers have taken action to advance the Moroccan Rock/Metal scene offering a chance for young people to develop this kind of music."The event will take place in the province of Sidi Kacem on February 23, 2008 in Dar Echabab; Listed to perform are eight groups from different Moroccan regions: DESPOTISM (Casablanca), ATMOSPHEAR (Rabat), DAMNED CREATION (Sidi Kassem), KREMATORIUM (Kenitra), FLOOD OF HATE (Kenitra), EPHEMERAL PROMISE (Rabat), SAKADOYA (Settat) and HAMMER HEAD (Kenitra).Rabat's Ephemeral Promise.As their press release says: "All hope and expect a support, be it local authorities or organims and media, in order to devote them a humble place in the Moroccan music scene.We invite you to come and live for many memorable moments that will forever mark our history."Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Jordan's Royals to Visit Morocco | | 2008-01-10 16:25:00 | | Queen Rania - photo Sandy McCutcheonAccording to a report from Jordan's royal court, Jordan's King Abdullah II and Queen Rania will pay a three-day state visit to Morocco scheduled to begin on Sunday. King Abdullah is scheduled to have talks with King Mohammed VI on Arab and regional issues, including the latest developments in the Middle East and efforts being exerted to achieve progress in the Arab-Israeli peace process, the statement said. The two countries plan to sign a number of agreements for boosting bilateral cooperation, it added.The previous visit was for last year's Fez Sacred Music FestivalTags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Flights to Morocco from London | | 2008-01-05 15:48:00 | | We decided to check up on the latest prices for flights from London and although it is good to see our Royal Air Maroc offering less expensive flights they are still expensive. Hopefully the increase in competition will bring prices down.Here is what Royal Air Maroc offers at the moment - the price? 203 British pounds.From: London HeathrowTo: CasablancaDeparture: 17:10Flight No.: AT0801Airline: Royal Air MarocFrom: CasablancaTo: FezArrival: 23:55Flight No.: AT0440Airline: Royal Air MarocFrom: FezTo: CasablancaDeparture: 06:00Flight No.: AT0441Airline: Royal Air MarocFrom: CasablancaTo: London HeathrowArrival: 15:50Flight No.: AT0800Airline: Royal Air MarocWhile this price is notoverly expensive it is worth noting that there are probably very few seats at this price - with others over 800 BP. Iberia offers much the same and British Airways also have a few seats down in the 200 plus range. Remember it pays to shop around.If you know of cheap flights from any destination, please let us know. Shukran bizef!Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | | Where to find news from Morocco | | 2007-10-31 18:47:00 | | We receive a lot of email requests for sources of news from Morocco. So here are the places we regularly visit in order to keep up to date.The Moroccan Ministry of Communication has information in Arabic, English and French. Moroccan Ministry of CommunicationAl Maghreb info is a reasonable source of information but although they claim to be in English, Arabic French and Dutch, it can be hard to find much that is not in Arabic or French. lmaghreb.infoMAP(Maghreb Arabe Presse) - The Moroccan national news agency is in Arabic, French and English Maghreb Arabe PresseMagharebia is an online journal for the entire Maghreb region and often has good stories on Morocco in English, French and Arabic. MagharebiaMedi1 - (Mediterranean International Radio) is in French and occaisionally Darija - and has great music http://www.medi1.co.maAl Alam is on of the oldest Moroccan Arabic newspapers Al Alam.ma Le Matin is the oldest of the French language newspapers in Morocco Le Matin | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Madeleine McCann in Morocco - the story that won't go away. | | 2007-10-29 04:06:00 | | Unbelievable as it may seem the stories about Madeleine McCann in Morocco keep coming thick and fast. Hopefully this story will find a happy ending but we doubt that it will be in Morocco. The latest update follows:PRIVATE detectives hired to find Madeleine McCann have received three new reports of sightings.They are now focusing their hunt on a wealthy woman in Morocco.Three callers to an international telephone hotline set up last week by the McCanns reported separate sightings of the missing youngster in the north African country.Each caller said that blonde, blue-eyed Madeleine was with the same 60-year-old woman, who they described as “middle class”. Last night, a team of private detectives were on the ground in north Africa searching for the mystery woman.The investigators are convinced Madeleine was snatched to order from Kate and Gerry McCanns’ holiday apartment at the Ocean Club complex in Praia da Luz on May 3 by a paedophile gang and smuggled out of Portugal.The privat | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | | | Morocco to get high speed trains. | | 2007-10-21 18:49:00 | | According to media reports, France and Morocco are to sign a deal on Monday for the construction of a high-speed rail link between the cities of Tangiers and Marrakech. The agreement is to be sealed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy during his visit to the north African kingdom.French magazine L'Express reported on its website that the trains, to be built by French engineering group Alstom, the maker of the French high-speed TGV train, will run for 500 kilometres (311 miles) between Tangiers in the north and Marrakech in the south.The line, to be operational between 2012 and 2015, is to pass by the capital Rabat and Casablanca."The two countries are to sign a deal on Monday in Marrakech for a high-speed line," a Moroccan source reported.L'Express said the first part of the contract would be worth 1.8 billion euros (2.6 billion dollars), with the project worth a total of 3.0 billion euros.The Alstom group has only exported its TGV technology out of Europe once before, to South Korea | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Tourism in Morocco - impressive increase | | 2007-10-19 20:59:00 | | First results for 2006 indicate that tourism revenues in Morocco totaled $6.24 billion, up by an impressive 17.4 per cent over 2005.UNWTO figures for visitor arrivals in Morocco for the first 11 months of 2006 show a 9.3 per cent increase over the same period in 2005.Since 2001, Morocco has been implementing its tourism development plan ‘Vision 2010’, launched by Moroccan King Mohammed VI to attract 10 million international visitors to the Kingdom by 2010. Tourism growth has been helped by the implementation of an open-skies policy with Europe, and especially by the development of services from a number of low-cost carriers.Morocco is opening up new regions to tourism, and is targeting six coastal areas for development. These include the Tan Tan region on the southwest coast where, by 2010, around new 5,000 hotel beds and 2,000 apartments will be available for visitors in a large integrated resort area. Tourism development will also be focused on areas where renovation of historic | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Morocco makes top tourist list yet again! | | 2007-10-17 21:27:00 | | The "Bluelist" - the global travel guide has once again put Fez in its top emerging destinations to visit.The Lonely Planet Bluelist 2008 has included Fez a decision which should boost tourist numbers. For example, last year the guide had hotly tipped the city of Belfast, which later saw record numbers of holidaymakers heading to the northern Irish capital.The "GoList" includes the eastern African country of Eritrea, Montenegro in eastern Europe, the Tiwi Islands in Australia, Portugal's Azores archipelago, the Syrian capital Damascus and the historic city of Fez, Morocco.The Bluelist 2008 also features chapters on travelling to Islamic countries, where to go to see endangered wildlife in their natural habitat, and a selection of traveller's tips and photographs.Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | | Morocco gets seven women MPs. | | 2007-10-16 05:26:00 | | Morocco got a new government on Monday after nearly a month of tough negotiations, with seven women among the 34 ministers - and none from the Islamic party that placed second in parliamentary elections last month.Longtime Foreign Minister Mohamed Benaissa was replaced by his deputy, 49-year-old Taieb Fassi Fihri, in the new government - part of a bid to open the door to a new generation.There were no major surprises among the most sensitive appointments, such as the foreign ministry, traditionally decided by King Mohamed VI. Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa retained his post.The appointment of seven women ministers - up from two in the previous government - underscored an effort toward modernity in this moderate Muslim kingdom. Morocco in 2004 reformed a repressive family law to increase women's rights.8 ministers come from IstiqlalAmong women ministers was Nawal el Moutawakil, who won gold in the 400-metre intermediate hurdles at the 1984 Olympics, as sports minister. Amina Benkha | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Travel Writing about Morocco #18 | | 2007-10-15 19:25:00 | | A much better than usual contribution comes from Jim Wilson writing for Sun MediaWe are rounding the bend, the satellite-tipped rooftops of Fes coming into view in the valley below, when Marrakchi Benjaafar forgets his role as an official with the Moroccan tourist office and briefly turns into ... Stevie Wonder?"Isn't She Lovely ...," he suddenly sings, a smile creasing his 60-year-old face as if he were a child.Marrakchi was born and raised in Fes and recently bought a fixer-upper in the old section, next to his cousin's. The impromptu outburst is from the heart. He is coming home and the happiness, he would say later, "stops time."That may be true but in fact time appears to be catching up to one of the more liberal cities in an increasingly liberal Arab nation. Fes is a convergence of cultures rather than a clash, where much of the city's million-plus people have discarded their jellabas for jeans, where bulldozers compete with donkey carts and restaurant-goers now have a choice | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Morocco's new prime minister | | 2007-10-13 21:13:00 | | Abbas el FassiSome have described Abbas el Fassi as the man who gets elected between transitional phases; he was elected as the ambassador to France during a time when the relationship between Paris and Rabat was undergoing transformation. Likewise, el Fassi was elected as secretary-general of Istiqlal party in 1998 following in the footsteps of Allal al Fassi and the influential Mohamed Boucetta. In the same vein, el Fassi’s appointment by King Mohammed VI as the sixth prime minister of Morocco after Driss Jettou (2002-2007) and before him the socialist Abderrahmane Youssoufi, heralds the advent of a new phase, one that al Fassi stresses must head in the direction towards democratization and development. - Mohammed Bukhazar writing for Asharq AlwasartMorocco has a new prime minister, Abbas el Fassi, Secretary-General of the Istiqlal (Independence) party. For those interested in keeping and eye on Moroccan politics you will find an interesting ( and well written) piece in the daily A | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Morocco celebrates Id Al Fitr | | 2007-10-13 03:38:00 | | Morocco celebrates Id Al Fitr, (marking the end of the Holy month of Ramadan)today.According to the Habous (Endowment) and Islamic Affairs ministry religious and government authorities spotted the rise of the lunar crescent on Friday night, which makes today the last day of the holy month of Ramadan and Saturday the first day of Shawwal. The Islamic months are calculated according to the cyclic rise of the moon that occurs on the 29th or the 30th night of the month. The nations inthe far East usually celebrate the Id a day earlier than the ones in the West due to the calculation system.Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Little known facts about Morocco #4623! | | 2007-10-11 23:11:00 | | When you think about Morocco, you probably think great music, tagines, yellow babouche, Islamic architecture, and wonderful streetscapes. What you probably don't think about are the products that Morocco exports. Let's just check the list: Argan oil (now being sold on French television as "the secret ingredient in the best shampoo"), roses for the French perfume industry, sardines, saffron and peppers! Wait, did I just say peppers (capsicum if you are English)?According to the website Peppers Today ( yes it really does exist) Morocco is up there competing with the big source of peppers - Spain. According to the Moroccan Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers and Exporters (APEFEL), a total of 35,200 tonnes was exported in the 2006 campaign, whereas in 2007 the total tonnage was 34,400 in the period from October to May.Moroccan companies face logistical problems: “Morocco has its own problems. The cost of transporting 14 tonnes of product from Agadir, in Morocco, to Perpignan, in southern France, is nearly EUR 4,000. Our production costs must be reduced in order to improve profitability.”Morocco is ready to provide properly certified peppers to the European market, while the retailers are intransigent on control levels. Over 70% of the pepper harvest from Moroccan companies has been grown under biological control in this campaign. In the case of the Fusetto and sweet blocky varieties, several companies have applied IPM techniques to 100% of the harvest.APEFEL added that the development of the crop benefits from Morocco’s climate, which is similar to that of Almería: “There are few countries apart from Israel that could consider growing in the winter period. The cost of the pepper shipments in the winter season has to come down, if a regular supply chain between Morocco, the Netherlands and the UK is to be established.”Check out our earlier stories about: Saffron, Sardines, Argan OilTags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Need a break from Morocco? Try Bordeaux! | | 2007-10-10 14:52:00 | | The Terrace apartment in BordeauxIf you are looking for the perfect place to holiday in France, then think no further than the newly restored ancient heart of Bordeaux! Heart of the wine tourism region and famous for its cuisine - Bordeaux will thrill you. It is also a lot less expensive than Paris! The ancient city is mainly a giant pedestrian precinct and a great place for a holiday.The view from the terraceLa Terrasse à Bordeaux ( The Terrace in Bordeaux) is a fully furnished apartment on the 4th floor (yes it does have a lift!) and is perfectly located and easy to find. The kitchen is superbly equipped and the large terrace is the perfect spot for drinks at sunsetBordeaux is at the heart of wine tourismMinimum stay is three days and lower rates apply for longer periods.All enquiries should be emailed to: bordeauxterrace@gmail.com Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Leonardo DiCaprio films in Morocco | | 2007-10-06 17:26:00 | | Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty ImagesBody of LiesDavid Ignatius, columnist at the Washington Post and established novelist, wrote the novel that's currently being filmed in Rabat as Body of Lies. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a former journalist, now CIA operative, in this political thriller, who is searching for a high-profile Al-Qaida terrorist in Jordan. Russell Crowe plays his boss. The film is directed by Ridley Scott, and will be released next year. Yassir Yaghfouri, on his blog yaghfouri.canalblog.com, reports that the good citizens of Rabat are not all that pleased to have the filming going on around them. Residents of the block where filming is taking place are annoyed by wires, bright lighting and large numbers of security forces in the neighbourhood. They’re also not that keen on the fact that Arabs are typecast as the ‘baddies’ once again. Yassir makes the valid point that it would be useful for the public to know what the regulations are regarding filming in Moroccan cities, and how much film companies have to pay for permits. Then at least we'd know how much the city is benefitting from any inconvenience filming might cause.Shooting apparently moves on to Ouazarzate soon.Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Morocco suffers in the search for Madeleine McCann | | 2007-10-01 19:39:00 | | On 30 September, an editorial in Aujourd'hui Le Maroc newspaper bemoaned the fact that Morocco has suffered from stereotypical views in the tragic case of Madeleine McCann's disappearance.While everyone sympathises with the horror that her parents must be going through, it was interesting to note that presumed sightings of the child in Morocco make this an international case, not just European. Morocco adds a twist of the exotic unknown, where presumably children can be abducted and never found in such a mysterious environment. Driss Ajbali of Aujourd'hui makes the point that the Rif mountains, where the latest supposed sighting of Madeleine took place, are seen as a hotbed of mafia-like networks and are known for rampant drug-trafficking. In the photographs taken by Spanish tourists, the mother of Bouchra, the look-alike child, is dressed in the traditional striped apron and pompom hat of the region, which adds to the strangeness and feeds the fear of the unknown. Ajbali also points to the hysteria caused by stereotypical thinking: as everyone knows that all Arabs have black frizzy hair, what's a little blond girl doing in Morocco - it must be Madeleine! How could it be anyone else?This kind of hysteria is not doing Morocco any good at all. And why should Madeleine be here in Morocco as opposed to anywhere else? Sadly, as she disappeared so many weeks ago, it can only be assumed that the child is no longer alive and won't be found here in Morocco or anywhere else.Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | A week of unrest over price hikes in Morocco | | 2007-09-27 08:34:00 | | After the arrest on Sunday of some thirty people involved in a demonstration in Sefrou ( near Fez), the British Consulate issued an advice that stated: "This may cause an increased police presence in all major urban areas including Fez. Our advice is to avoid large gatherings and to remain alert at all times."However Fez has remained quiet although there is widespread discontent over the rise in prices over the last few weeks and highlighted by the Moroccan Association of Human Rights calling for a public reaction. Security services had to intervene to stop angry demonstrators who damaged several educational, administrative and commercial institutions and set fire to private property.On Tuesday Rabat was the centre of the protests with more than two hundred people staging a sit in to protest against the latest price hikes and the deterioration in public services. The demonstration called for the immediate cancellation of this price increase in basic products as well as in water, electricity and health bills.Government ReactionAccording to Maghreb Arabe Presse the Interior Minister, Chakib Benmoussa, held a meeting with several Moroccan ministers and officials to consider ways to deal with the price hikes that are causing so much unrest. The first response was the lowering of import duties on milk and wheat, suspending taxes and duties on the wholesale market, which it is believed could reduce the price of vegetables by 7%. The price of wheat will be subsidised, a measure that will cost the state some USD37.4Mn per month.Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | | | What is your direction? Morocco 2003. | | 2007-09-12 14:39:00 | | Where're you headed? Whatever your direction, there's always a sign to help you out. Little things, like a song you've heard a long time ago or a smell that reminds you of something. Or a road sign in Morocco, between holy town of Mulay Idriss and ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis.So where do you want to go next? | | By: Notes From Different Spots - Travel Photography | | |
| | Sunset over Sahara. Morocco 2003. | | 2007-09-09 15:10:00 | | It's nothing but sand, some would say. And they'd be perfectly right. But sand can be interesting. Near the village of Merzouga in western Morocco, about 50 km from Algerian border, sand is fine and orange. My feet vanish in dune's slope as I am climbing the hill. From the top I see nothing but sand. That's great. | | By: Notes From Different Spots - Travel Photography | | |
| | Morocco hotels prepare for a tourist boom | | 2007-09-04 17:37:00 | | ourism, one of Morocco's main sources of revenue, is likely to increase as the government looks to boost visitor numbers to 10 million by 2010, up from 6.5 million last year. With easy access for millions of Middle East visitors who enjoy the beaches and local markets for which Morocco is famous, the country’s expected tourist arrivals are putting pressure on the hotel industry to build more and better accommodation.
| | By: Hotels News Blog | | |
| | | Streets of Chauen. Morocco 2007. | | 2007-08-31 18:51:00 | | It's not an artist's colony, nor is it dwarf's land. It's Chauen, located at the feet of two rocky mountains in Moroccan Rif. "Peaceful" and "magical" don't describe the ambiance of this place.It's the way sun shines in the narrow, blue streets. It's the way they find you and lead to the hotel to sell you this very Chauen specialty they grow higher in the mountains. It's the way you feel in a place that shouldn't exist. Cause it's a dream place. | | By: Notes From Different Spots - Travel Photography | | |
| | | | Morocco's marching season begins. | | 2007-08-25 18:42:00 | | Morocco's parliamentary race kicked off today with the start of the two-week-long official election campaign period, marked by a flurry of rallies big and small.In Fez ,we caught up with one small rally, but, as a local policeman commented "These are mainly young men paid to hand out pamphlets. They wouldn't have a political thought in their heads."A local businessman, who asked not to be named, claimed that poor young men were enlisted to participate and the going rate was one hundred dirhams per day. Marchers who we spoke to denied they were being paid. They also pointed out that they were not representing a political party but were, in fact, urging people to vote.This may be a difficult task as the scepticism amongst young Moroccans is very strong. Distrust of politicians is widespread and has little to do with political factions. As one disaffected woman said, "They are all liars and promises never become real."More than 30 parties are expected to take part in the elections, but i | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | | US grants Morocco US$697.5 million to boost growth | | 2007-08-13 11:05:00 | | The Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) approved an , the biggest amount ever granted by this US Development Fund, the official news agency, MAP, reported here.This assistance, spread over five years, is aimed at stimulating economic growth by increasing productivity and improving employment in high potential sectors.It will help increase Morocco's GNP by about US$118 million per annum aimed at benefiting directly 600,000 Moroccan families, MAP said.An amount of US$300.9 million will be allotted to arboriculture projects stretching over thousands of hectares in the north, centre and south of Morocco to improve the growing of fruit trees.An allocation of US$116.17 million will be devoted to the modernisation of all small-scale fishing activities, the creation of twenty or so landing an reception points along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, in addition to the construction or rehabilitation of fish halls and wholesale markets in several ports.The assist | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
| | Morocco has moved? | | 2007-08-10 01:15:00 | | From now on, adjust your maps... according to the British Satellite News site... Morocco is in the middle east... (yawn) When will they start teaching geography in British schools again?MIDDLE EAST MUSIC COMES TO THE UKCategory: CultureLondonThe beautiful sounds of music from Morocco is filling the courtyards outside the famous British Library; site of a major exhibition on the world’s great religions and religious scripts.SUGGESTED INTRO:The British Library in London has once again turned its piazza into a public open space for a week of lunchtime and evening concerts . There's a spiritual theme this year to coincide with a major exhibition on the world’s great sacred scripts and religions..SCRIPT:A stone's throw from the urban rush of London's Euston Road something spiritual was happening.In the Piazza of the British Library the statue showed Isaac Newton undisturbed from his contemplation of mathematical matters. And the audience was gathering from this part of the city to be tr | | By: THE VIEW FROM FEZ | | |
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