Tag: morocco

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TanTan Festival fosters strong Emirati-Morocco cultural bonds

During the visit, Al Mazrouei briefed the UAE ambassador on the pavilion’s exhibits, industries, and crafts….reports Asian Lite News

The UAE Ambassador to Morocco Al Asri Saeed Ahmed Al-Dhaheri emphasised that the 2023 edition of the Moussem (Festival) of Tan-Tan contributes to enhancing the cultural bonds between the UAE and Morocco and the peoples of the two fraternal nations.

Major General Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Commander-in-Chief of the Abu Dhabi Police (ADP) and Chairman of the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee – Abu Dhabi, accompanied the UAE diplomat during his visit to the UAE’s pavilion at the festival.

During the visit, Al Mazrouei briefed the UAE ambassador on the pavilion’s exhibits, industries, and crafts.

Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the UAE Ambassador said that the UAE-Morocco ties are longstanding and growing and are supported by the two countries’ leadership and their keenness on constantly developing collaboration in all fields.

He also emphasised that the UAE’s ongoing interest in participating in the sessions of the Tan-Tan Cultural Festival in the Kingdom of Morocco stems from its pride in its national identity and the richness of the desert culture that reflects folklore in its various shapes.

Al-Dhaheri also indicated that the UAE’s participation reflects the deeply rooted and strong cultural bonds between the two fraternal peoples.

The UAE is represented at the event by a pavilion organised by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee-Abu Dhabi, in association with several UAE cultural preservation organisations.

The Moussem includes a range of cultural expressions such as musical performances, popular chanting, games, poetry contests and other such oral traditions.

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UAE, Morocco join hands to combat money laundering

The MoU is part of the UAE’s regional coordination approach and was signed on the sidelines of the 2023 MENAFATF Typologies workshop in Abu Dhabi…reports Asian Lite News

The Executive Office of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing (EO AML/CTF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Morocco’s National Financial Intelligence Authority (ANRF) to enhance cooperation in combatting money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing.

The MoU is part of the UAE’s regional coordination approach and was signed on the sidelines of the 2023 MENAFATF Typologies workshop in Abu Dhabi, where delegations from 21 MENA countries convened for the organisation’s annual event to share knowledge and best practices.

Hamid Al Zaabi, Director-General of the EO AML/CTF, stated that the MoU marks a significant step forward in both nations’ efforts to lead the fight against financial crime in the region.

He explained, “The UAE and Morocco are not only important economic partners, but also global business hubs connecting the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia. By enhancing our cooperation in combatting illicit financial flows, we are creating greater economic security and a more favourable environment for trade and investment that benefits the global economy.

“The MoU builds on longstanding and strong coordination between our countries, and through it, we will enhance our abilities to identify mutual threats and risks through various areas of cooperation, facilitate communication channels between relevant authorities in both jurisdictions, and increase our ability to combat criminal activities.”

Dr. Jawhar Nfissi, President of ANRF, said that the MoU aims to increase the effectiveness of the long-standing partnership between the Authority and the Executive Office. Its completion crowns and strengthens the journey of cooperation and gives an institutional basis to the partnership by fostering further organisation, agility, and sustainability, thereby cementing the missions of both parties.”

“Through this MoU, our organisations aim to enhance our strategic partnership and advance cooperation, exchange information, competencies, and best practises in the field of AML/CFT, related predicate offences, and counter-proliferation financing,” she added.

The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation between the UAE and the Kingdom of Morocco in capacity-building, awareness-raising, and knowledge-sharing. The agreement aims to improve regional and local understanding of money laundering risks and related crimes and enhance methods of exchanging knowledge and expertise.

The knowledge exchange will include best practices on legislative and regulatory provisions, typologies, and the latest trends and sector developments.

A committee comprising representatives from EO AML/CTF and ANRF will be formed to monitor and implement the provisions of this MoU, coordinate and supervise various activities, and facilitate consultation between the two parties. Both parties will hold regular meetings to discuss issues of mutual interest to achieve the MoU’s objectives.

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Moroccan minister hails Indian economy

It is being held as part of the ASEAN-India Year of Friendship to commemorate the more than three-decade-long engagement between India and the 10-member bloc in Kuala Lumpur…reports Asian Lite News

Indian economy is doing very well and most of the countries want to benefit from the best practices, Morocco’s Delegate Minister of Investment Mohcine Jazouli said on Monday.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Mohcine Jazouli said, “Indian economy is doing very well, thanks to the Indian Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) who is a visionary. Most of the countries want to benefit from the best practices of Indian companies and the Indian government. We consider India as a success story.” Jazouli said that India is one of the largest fastest-growing economies of the world and has a lot of success stories. “We want to benefit from India’s experience, mainly from financial technologies, and automobile,” the minister said, adding, “We can share the experience in renewable energy as Morocco has 40 per cent of production of energy coming from renewable sources.”

Jazouli spoke to ANI just after having a bilateral meeting with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on the sidelines of the 12th edition of FICCI ‘MASSMERIZE’ conference held here.

The Moroccan Minister said, “We met and discussed about the cooperation with India. We can use Morocco as a manufacturing and industrial platform for India. On behalf of Morocco, we invited Indian companies to come and invest in Morocco. So, they can reach a market of almost USD 2.5 billion consumers. Morocco has free trade agreements with countries like the US and European countries as well.”

Digital transformation

Digital technologies are key drivers of economic development in the ASEAN region and Indian IT companies have played an integral part in the digital transformation journey in the region, said the Union minister of state for electronics and information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

“Digital technologies have been key drivers of economic development in the ASEAN region, especially in sectors such as e-commerce, online media and financial services. Indian IT companies have played an integral part in the digital transformation journey of Malaysia and other ASEAN countries,” the minister said Monday. He made the remarks while virtually addressing the ASEAN-India Business Summit 2023 themed “Strengthening and Moving Forward ASEAN-India Economic Relations for a Strategic Business Partnership”.

It is being held as part of the ASEAN-India Year of Friendship to commemorate the more than three-decade-long engagement between India and the 10-member bloc in Kuala Lumpur.

Reflecting on the scope for further cooperation between India and the regional bloc, the minister said, “After the recent announcement of the real-time payments linkage system between India and Singapore, India is working with Malaysia and other ASEAN countries to operationalize it for more countries in the region.”

In what is a first-of-its-kind collaboration with another country, India and Singapore last monh linked their respective online payment systems — Unified Payments Interface (UPI) of India and PayNow of Singapore — for seamless cross-border transactions between the two countries.

The virtual launch function was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.

The linkage of these two payment systems of both countries would enable residents of both countries to the faster and more cost-efficient transfer of cross-border remittances. People in both countries will be able to send money in real-time via QR-code based or simply by entering mobile numbers linked to the bank account.

Speaking about the catalyzing impact of UPI in developing India’s Fintech ecosystem, Chandrasekhar said, “India’s Unified Payments Interface with over 350 banks and 260 million users has transformed the way payments are made in India and over 8 million transactions are made every month through this platform.”

In addition to UPI, the Minister spoke about other digital public infrastructures created by India such as Aadhaar, Cowin, and GeM which collectively streamlined and reformed government and governance and promoted economic inclusion. (ANI)

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Arab News Economy UAE News

Morocco signs the statute of the OIC Labor Centre

The signing ceremony was also witnessed by Ambassador Hassan Ali, Director of the Department of Legal Affairs at the OIC General Secretariat…reports Asian Lite News

Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Mr Hissein Brahim Taha, received at his office, today 22 January 2023, HE Ambassador Mustafa Al-Mansouri, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Permanent Representative to the OIC. The meeting discussed issues of common interest and cooperation with the Kingdom of Morocco on various subjects of interest to the OIC.

After the meeting, Ambassador Al-Mansouri signed the Statute of the OIC Labor Centre in the presence of the Secretary-General and Ambassador Shaheen Abdulayev, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Riyadh and Permanent Representative to the OIC, in his capacity as representative of the host country of the Labor Centre. The signing ceremony was also witnessed by Ambassador Hassan Ali, Director of the Department of Legal Affairs at the OIC General Secretariat.

The Centre aims to promote and enhance the social development efforts of the OIC Member States and coordinate among similar organizations in the Member States and other institutes affiliated to the OIC, which conduct activities in areas related to labor, employment, social protection and human capital development.

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UAE, Morocco agree to boost investment ties

The two sides also discussed ways of boosting their cooperation and investment opportunities in a number of vital sectors….reports Asian Lite News

During an official visit to Morocco, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, met with Aziz Akhannouch, Prime Minister of Morocco, and several ministers from the Moroccan government.

The meeting was attended by Al Asri Saeed Ahmed Al Dhaheri, UAE Ambassador to Morocco.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Al Jaber conveyed the greetings and best wishes of the UAE’s leadership, government and people to Morocco and its people, and went on to highlight the deep-rooted historical ties between the two countries.

The two sides also discussed ways of boosting their cooperation and investment opportunities in a number of vital sectors.

The visit aligns with the mutual keenness of the UAE and Morocco leaderships to enhance and expand their relations in new strategic fields, and boost their cooperation across industry, economy, investments, culture, and tourism.

During the visit, Dr. Al Jaber met with Nasser Bourita, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, to discuss their bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them, in addition to several regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Al Jaber also held separate meetings with Riyad Mazour, Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade, and Leila Benali, Moroccan Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, to discuss boosting their cooperation in the areas of energy, renewable energy, industry and technology, and the importance of continuing relevant coordination and consultations between the two countries.

The discussions also covered the UAE’s hosting of COP28 and uniting efforts to ensure energy security and support climate action towards achieving sustainable economic development goals.

The total UAE-Morocco non-oil trade exchange reached AED2.8 billion in the first nine months of 2022, a growth of 24 percent compared to the same period in 2021.

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Sport Sports

Croatia clinches third place after win against Morocco

FIFA World Cup: Croatia stun Brazil in penalty shootout to reach semis. (Credit : FIFA.com)

Some of the Morocco players surround the referee at the end, but if anything it’s Croatia that should have had a penalty awarded in that second half…reports Asian Lite News

Croatia clinched their third top-three finish at the FIFA World Cup with a 2-1 play-off victory over tournament sensation and history-makers Morocco on Saturday night at Khalifa International Stadium.

Zlatko Dalic’s side once again showed their class in Qatar having finished runners-up to France four years ago and confirmed their status as one of the elite footballing nations with another third-place finish to go alongside that secured in their competition debut in 1998.

Morocco finished fourth, the best result for an African nation in World Cup history.

A much more exciting 90 minutes of football was what fans saw than many had anticipated, as both sides have left the shackles firmly off.

Josko Gvardiol dived to head in his first goal of the World Cup and break the deadlock for Croatia in the seventh minute, but celebrations didn’t last long as Achraf Dari also used his head to equalize just a minute later.

But the Croatians had the final say still in the first half when Mislav Orsic pulled out a stunning curler from distance to put them ahead before the break.

Croatia’s opening goal was by one who is not even 21 years old and gives a glimpse of the future of Croatian international football. Gvardiol is the youngest Croatian to score in a FIFA World Cup match. Gvardiol put his team ahead with a header after a well-worked free-kick routine, 1-0.

With Luka Modric looking likely to be retiring from international football, Croatia is understandably looking to see where their next generation of stars is to come from.

Dari levels it up with a header of his own. Modric flicks on a free kick from the right from Morocco, and the defender finishes from close range, 1-1.

Orsic puts his side back in front with a peach of a shot. Morocco fail to clear their lines and the Croat punishes them with the sweetest of curling efforts. Orsic scored a beauty to put his team back in front, but Morocco have had their chances as well, as they continue to show how good they are at attacking, as well as defending. Orsic, curling, looping try sailed over the keeper, but with power, clipping the inside of the post and ending in the nets.

After that frantic first 10 minutes inside the Khalifa International Stadium, this game has settled more into the expected pattern. Croatia are starting to dominate possession, with Morocco happy to sit deep and contain.

There wasn’t much to see on the pitch during the second half as both teams looked exhausted after a hard-fought first part and coming from intense semi-final games.

We may have not seen any more goals in the second half, but it was still an intriguing watch with both teams getting feisty as the game progressed. Croatia showed their class at this level, and had the better chances to score even as Morocco chased a leveller.

There was a spark of action in the 74th when Gvardiol was set to complete his brace but went down inside the box. Croatia players and bench screamed for a penalty but nothing was given.

In response, Morocco found Youssef En-Nesyri unmarked inside the box but his effort from close-range was denied by a massive save from Dominik Livakovic in the 77th.

This was the second time the teams met in Qatar after they played out a goalless draw in their Group F opener on November 23. While Croatia failed to reach the final following a 3-0 defeat to Argentina, Morocco lost 2-0 to champions France in the semi-finals.

Some of the Morocco players surround the referee at the end, but if anything it’s Croatia that should have had a penalty awarded in that second half.

Not a great look from the Atlas Lions, but they’ve been a great team throughout this World Cup.

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Morocco Shock Portugal 1-0 to Reach WC Semi-Finals

Morocco's Youssef En-Nesyri celebrates after scoring a goal during the match against Portugal in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 at Al Thumama Stadium, in Doha on Saturday. Morocco won the match 1-0. (ANI Photo)

Morocco becomes the first African nation to qualify for the last four after leading Portugal 1-0 in the quarterfinal of the World Cup at the Al Thumama stadium on Saturday.

A resilient Morocco found the back of the net through Youssef El-Nesyri in the 42nd minute. The forward went airborne and headed the cross from Attiyat Allah to give his side the advantage. Morocco took the lead thanks to a stunning Nesyri header, and are only 45 minutes away from making history. Portugal had a couple of chances and Bruno Fernandes almost equalized in the dying minutes of the half but his kick hit the crossbar.

Portugal’s penalty claim was disallowed shortly after Morocco found the lead. The game sprang to life in the closing five minutes of the first half, and everything is on the line in the second half.

Morocco’s Youssef En-Nesyri celebrates after scoring a goal during the match against Portugal in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 at Al Thumama Stadium, in Doha on Saturday. Morocco won the match 1-0. (ANI Photo)

The sides met only for the third time with Morocco edging Portugal in the 1986 World Cup while the European side took the honours in the second meeting through Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal in the 2018 edition.

Portugal started the game by keeping the ball in the Moroccan half and asserting dominance right from the beginning but Morocco showed resilience in defence and looked to make the most of their attacking chances.

The European side were relentless in their attack but the African nation was up to the task as they forged a solid defensive line to stop the Portuguese wave of attack.

Hakim Ziyech, Morocco’s most impressive player in the tournament, was once again a live wire in the field as he created chances for his team.

Portugal started without their talismanic striker Ronaldo and it will be interesting to see if he is brought onto the field as he was the difference between the two sides in their previous meeting. The forward will be itching to prove his mettle after having been left out of the starting eleven.

The stadium was engulfed with a sea of red and green as both the colours feature on the jerseys of Portugal and Morocco. (ANI)

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Morocco inspire Arab pride: Sheikh Mohammed

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council also hailed Morocco for its historic victory over the Spanish….reports Asian Lite News

“The impossible is not Moroccan… The impossible is not Arab…The Atlas Lions’ victory is a source of joy and pride for all Arabs,” so expressed Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, his and all Arabs’ euphoria over the historic win notched by Morocco over Spain in Qatar 2022.

It’s safe to say that Morocco now pose a threat to any European or American World Cup hopes after excellent group stage and last 16 performances. The Atlas Lions’ balanced tactics saw them progress from the group stage to the last 16 to the quarter-finals after defeating Belgium, Canada and Spain, scoring four goals in the process and becoming the first Arab national team to top their Group in the World Cup before reaching the best 8.

Having dumped Spain out on penalties to reach historic World Cup quarters, the Moroccan proved how they excellently rely on the well-rounded approach of head coach Walid Regragui, whose clever strategies have been essential to the team’s success in playing to its advantages.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council also hailed Morocco for its historic victory over the Spanish. “The Atlas Lions deserve congratulations. Best wishes to Morocco. You’ve brought joy to all the Arabs with your valiant effort and well-earned victory,” Sheikh Hamdan wrote in a tweet.

The now-running Portugal-Switzerland clash, where the Portuguese are exhibiting an overwhelming performance, pits the Atlas Lions against one of Europe’s most ambitious teams at a much-awaited Euro-Arab quarter-final clash. However, all hopes are pinned on the Lions to create a new history that will live on in every Arab’s memories.

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Sports

Morocco celebrates historic win over Spain

Spain, the 2010 champions became another major European casualty after Belgium and Germany crashed out, with the former succumbing to Morocco in a Group stage match…reports Asian Lite News

A resilient Morocco shocked a bungling Spain 3-0 in a FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match decided via a penalty shootout here on Tuesday.

With the surprising victory, Morocco became the only African and Arab nation to reach the quarterfinals in Qatar.

Spanish team members and fans were devastated at the end of the shootout at the Education City Stadium in the Qatari capital when their team failed to convert even one shot from the spot — Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved efforts by Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets while Pablo Sarabia struck the post.

In contrast, Abdelhamid Sabiri and Hakim Ziyech scored theirs and though Badr Benoun was thwarted by Unai Simon, Achraf Hakimi sealed a maiden entry in the World Cup quarterfinals for Morocco when he sent Spain’s keeper the wrong way.

Spain, the 2010 champions became another major European casualty after Belgium and Germany crashed out, with the former succumbing to Morocco in a Group stage match.

Both teams took several shots at the goal during regulation time but were unable to make a dent in the scoreboard.

The Spaniards raised the pressure to a peak on the Moroccan defence around the 80th minute when two attempts closely missed the net.

Both halves of extra time show Spain dominating Morocco but they were unable to breach the latter’s red defence wall.

Morocco coach Walid Regragui’s men have been on a nine-game unbeaten run including this match and have received accolades for their team spirit.

Morocco will take on the winner of the Portugal-Switzerland game being played tonight. It will be the last Round of 16 match at the tournament.

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Political instability delays British-Moroccan energy project

“Time is important for the UK to meet its net zero ambitions, to secure energy supplies and to reduce bills. We have lost a year.”…reports Asian Lite News

Political turmoil in London has delayed an ambitious joint UK-Morocco plan to provide Britain with energy via a cable through the Sahara desert by “at least a year,” The Observer reported on Sunday.

The £18 billion ($22 billion) Xlinks venture, expected to be operational in 2027, would supply the UK with 8 percent of its energy needs from huge wind and solar farms in the desert through a 3,800 km cable, powering as many as 7 million homes by 2030.

Morocco is an established market leader in the wind, solar and hydroelectric power industry, and is second only to Egypt for solar intensity, a measure of generation power.

But the link-up has been delayed until at least late 2023, The Observer reported. Sir Dave Lewis, executive chair of the project, said recent political turmoil in Britain — which has seen three prime ministers come to power in less than six months — has slowed down its progress.

“We spent a long time with the then-business secretary (Kwasi Kwarteng) who said: ‘We like it a lot but it needs to go through Treasury.’ There was a review with Treasury, Cabinet Office and the business department, which was very positive,” Lewis told The Observer.

“Then we came back to them to start the detail and the political world exploded and, as a result, everything stopped. And everybody has changed, so it’s sort of like you’re starting again,” he added.

“Time is important for the UK to meet its net zero ambitions, to secure energy supplies and to reduce bills. We have lost a year.”

The cable transporting the power would run along the Moroccan coastline, then along Portugal, northern Spain and western France before looping around the Scilly Isles Scilly and finishing in the English county of Devon, where Xlinks has already approved 1.8 gigawatt connections.

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