Latest news with #NizarBaraka
Morocco World
2 days ago
- Business
- Morocco World
Morocco's El Jadida to Host First International Port Ecosystem Salon in 2026
Doha – The first edition of the International Salon for Ports and their Ecosystem (SIPORTS) will take place from February 5-7, 2026, at the Mohammed VI Complex in El Jadida. Organized under the aegis of the Ministry of Equipment and Water by LINECO Events, this pioneering event aims to position Morocco as a strategic hub in global maritime trade. The salon will bring together more than 300 exhibitors from four continents and expects to welcome around 6,000 professional visitors. SIPORTS will be structured around five thematic pavilions: institutional, port industry, operations, scientific and academic, along with a museum dedicated to ports. Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water, views the event as perfectly aligned with Morocco's maritime strategy. 'This initiative is perfectly aligned with the great momentum the port and maritime sector is experiencing, driven by the orientations of King Mohammed VI, aimed at strengthening Morocco's position as an essential maritime hub on both Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts,' said Baraka. Read also: Dakhla Atlantic Port and N'Djamena Corridor: Pivotal Game Changers in Africa's Economic Landscape He added that creating an exchange platform that brings together all stakeholders to discuss challenges and opportunities, accompanied by spaces dedicated to innovation and new technologies, 'perfectly addresses the challenges of modernization and sustainable development of our port infrastructure.' Mohcine Berrada, president of LINECO Events and organizer of this first edition, described SIPORTS as 'an international crossroads of expertise and solutions for the future.' 'Our ambition is to respond to the crucial challenges of performance, connectivity, innovation, and sustainability that are reshaping the map of global maritime trade today,' said Berrada. The event will feature an ambitious program of conferences, expert panels, international keynotes, and technical workshops. These sessions will create a space for strategic reflection and concrete exchanges to address the profound changes in the sector. Topics will include structuring new maritime routes, smart ports, eco-responsible infrastructure, and strengthened regional cooperation. Consolidating Morocco's global maritime leadership By promoting B2C and B2B meetings and showcasing innovative solutions, SIPORTS seeks to consolidate Morocco's position as an essential maritime hub in Africa and beyond. The event shows Morocco's growing stature as a pivotal force in global maritime commerce. Tanger Med port, the country's flagship maritime infrastructure, recently secured 17th place worldwide in the latest Alphaliner report of top global container ports. In 2024, Tanger Med handled 10.24 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a significant increase from 8.61 million TEUs the year before. This growth has propelled the Moroccan port ahead of established global players like Hamburg (24th with 7.82 million TEUs) and Jakarta (27th with 6.75 million TEUs). Tanger Med is now the only port in the Mediterranean and Africa to rank among the top 30 ports worldwide. The port finished the 2024 fiscal year with a revenue of $1.212 billion, a marked increase of 12.3% compared to 2023. Santiago J. Castella Surribas, president of the Port of Tarragona in Spain, recently noted that Morocco has made remarkable developments in its port infrastructure over the past 25 years, modernizing to secure a key position in international trade. Spanish media have also expressed concerns that Morocco's port performance has been outpacing major Spanish hubs such as Algeciras, Valencia, and Barcelona since King Mohammed VI inaugurated Tanger Med in 2007. The North African country is also counting on the Atlantic Port of Dakhla to provide Sahel-Saharan countries secure access to the Atlantic Ocean. The project, expected to be operational by 2029, will process up to 35 million tons of cargo annually and serve as a key gateway connecting Africa to European and American markets.
Morocco World
3 days ago
- Business
- Morocco World
Morocco's Lemon Revenues Reach $2.7 Million in First Half of 2024-2025 Season
Rabat – Morocco generated a revenue of $2.7 million from lemon exports, according to new data from the agriculture-focused outlet East Fruit. The revenues were made between the first half of the 2024-2025 season, during which Morocco exported 6,100 metric tons of lemons, the report detailed. 'This marks the highest export volume for the October-March period' since the 2020-2021 season, when Morocco witnessed a four-year decline in exports due to weather challenges. East Fruit stressed the importance of lemon as part of the top citrus exported produce in Morocco, behind mandarins and oranges. The peak of exports occurred in the 2019-2020 season, when exports reached 17,000 tons, seven times less than orange exports and 23 times less than mandarin exports, the report added. Morocco's citrus industry witnessed a major milestone. Foodex in April celebrated the country's entrance into Japan's most demanding market with the first container of Moroccan citrus fruits. The entry reflects the 'competitiveness of Moroccan agricultural products and internationally recognized expertise,' the same source said. In the 2021-2022 agricultural season, Morocco's citrus exports reached a record volume of 766,500 tons — an overall increase of 40% compared to the year before. This performance covered all exported citrus products, including berries. For the 2024-025 campaign in the Moulouya irrigated area in Berkane province, Morocco's citrus sector gears up to produce at least 192,3000 tons. All this amid challenging weather conditions due principally to climate change, water shortages, and lack of rainfall. Recent rainfall in March revived Morocco's water reserves, prompting Minister of Equipment Nizar Baraka to say that the country now has a capacity of potable water that will serve Moroccans for a year and a half.
Morocco World
25-05-2025
- Climate
- Morocco World
Morocco Expects Heatwave in Several Provinces Next Week
Rabat — Next week, Morocco will witness a heatwave that could reach 42 degrees Celsius in several provinces, according to the country's weather office. The General Directorate of Meteorology reported today that temperatures ranging between 38 and 42 degrees will hit Chichaoua, Marrakech, Rehamna, Khemisset, Youssoufia, Beni Mellal, and Fquih Ben Saleh, among other regions. The same weather will also reach Aousserd, Oued Eddahab, Assa0Zag, Es-Semara, Tata, Taroudant, Sidi Kacem, and Sidi Slimane. El Kelaa Seraghna and Settat will also experience the rise in temperatures, the directorate concluded. Similar weather patterns are common towards the end of the month of May, the gateway to the summer season. However, the temperatures are not good news for Morocco's agriculture as well as its water security. The country's dams' filling rate has been reported at low levels with the ongoing drought that has been hitting the country for at least six seasons in a row. March witnessed important rainfall that helped to mitigate this problem slightly, reviving dams and helping the country's water sources and agriculture. Earlier this month, Minister of Water Nizar Baraka stressed that the average dam filling rate currently stands at 40.3%. He said that the rainfall increase allowed the mobilization of 6.7 billion cubic meters of water, equivalent to one and a half years of potable water consumption. Previous data in February suggested that water resources in Morocco did not exceed 4.6 billion cubic meters, with a filling rate of 28%. Tags: a cold weatherMorocco summer time
Ya Biladi
19-05-2025
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Istiqlal Party leader Nizar Baraka acknowledges government's failure to create one million jobs
Nizar Baraka, Secretary-General of the Istiqlal Party and Minister of Equipment and Water, acknowledged the government's failure to meet its promise of creating one million jobs during its term, which ends next year. Speaking at the Istiqlal Party's National Council session on Saturday, May 17, in Salé, Baraka said, «We must be honest with Moroccans; the goal of creating one million jobs is unattainable». He added that the government is entering a new phase in addressing employment challenges, highlighting that approximately 180,000 jobs were created in the first quarter of 2025, compared to a loss of nearly 80,000 jobs during the same period last year. Meanwhile, the High Commission for Planning reported that the national economy generated around 282,000 jobs between the first quarters of 2024 and 2025.
Morocco World
19-05-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
‘It's Over': Nizar Baraka Concedes Government Failure on Million-Job Commitment
Doha – Nizar Baraka, Secretary General of the Istiqlal Party and Minister of Equipment and Water, acknowledged the government's failure to meet its major commitment of creating one million jobs by 2026. 'It's over, we cannot create one million jobs by 2026. We tell the truth to Moroccans,' Baraka declared Saturday during his party's national council meeting in Salé. Despite this admission, Baraka pointed to positive employment trends in early 2025. The first quarter saw the creation of 180,000 net jobs, compared to a loss of 80,000 positions during the same period last year. Baraka attributed this improvement to increased public investment, which reached MAD 340 billion ($34 billion) this year, up from MAD 220 billion ($22 billion) in 2020. His ministry's investment budget alone jumped from MAD 40 billion ($4 billion) to MAD 70 billion ($7 billion). Addressing price increases, Baraka condemned what he called 'inflationary greed' among some traders and speculators. 'We face non-citizen behaviors from people who have exploited the inflationary context to raise commercial margins and make excessive profits at the expense of citizens… and this, we will not accept,' he asserted. The minister called for maintaining unity within the government coalition. He warned that premature competition for first place in upcoming elections could harm government performance and citizens' interests. The Akhannouch government's term has been marked more by job losses than gains. According to the High Commission for Planning (HCP), 432,000 jobs were lost during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, while 230,000 were created in 2021. The Moroccan economy lost 24,000 jobs in 2022 and destroyed 157,000 positions in 2023. In January, Baraka had painted a concerning picture of Morocco's employment situation. He cited youth unemployment at 39.5%, overall unemployment at 21.3%, and women's unemployment at 29.6%. 'Our country's youth have objective and legitimate reasons to feel anxious about the future and fears about uncertainty,' Baraka stated during a national event commemorating the 81st anniversary of Morocco's Independence Manifesto. Tags: Aziz AkhannouchNizar BarakaUnemployment in Morocco
