Latest news with #Vozpópuli
Morocco World
19-05-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Real Madrid President's Company Eyes Casablanca's Hassan II Stadium Bid
Doha – Florentino Pérez's construction giant ACS is considering bidding on Morocco's ambitious World Cup stadium project. The Spanish firm is evaluating the multimillion-euro contract despite potential conflicts with Madrid's own 2030 World Cup final aspirations. Spanish outlet Vozpópuli reports that ACS has been working 'behind the scenes for several months' on a potential bid. No final decision has been made as the company continues to assess various risks associated with the project. The Casablanca stadium aims to accommodate 115,000 spectators. This would make it the largest stadium in the world. The massive venue is a central element in Morocco's campaign to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final. The Moroccan government officially opened the bidding process last month. Proposals from interested construction companies are due by June 10. The contract for construction is valued at over €300 million (MAD 3.2 billion/$320 million), while the total project exceeds €470 million (MAD 4.7 billion/$470 million). The construction schedule is rigorous. It demands completion within just 30 months, targeting a late 2027 finish. This timeline is strategic as FIFA is expected to announce the final match venue in 2028, two years before the tournament. The stadium's vast capacity is seen as crucial in Morocco's strategy to outbid European competitors. After renovations, Barcelona's Camp Nou is projected to seat around 105,000 fans. Madrid's renovated Santiago Bernabeu aims for approximately 85,000 spectators. Several major Spanish construction firms are reportedly consulting with law firms experienced in Moroccan public procurement. These companies are seeking both legal guidance and cost-benefit analysis of the massive infrastructure project. The Hassan II Stadium project represents one of several large-scale infrastructure developments linked to the 2030 World Cup. This prestigious sporting event is driving transformation in Morocco's engineering, transportation, and territorial management priorities. Despite the competition between Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu and Casablanca's Hassan II Stadium to host the World Cup final, Pérez's company appears interested in the lucrative construction opportunity. The project's scale and international significance make it particularly attractive in the infrastructure sector. Read also: Morocco's Hassan II Stadium Design Reimagines Traditional Architecture Tags: Casablanca's Grand StadiumFlorentino PerezHassan II Stadium
Ya Biladi
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Madrid's Africa strategy faces criticism over Western Sahara exclusion
Spain's cooperation strategy with Africa, titled «Spain-Africa 2025-2028: Working Together Through a Strategic Partnership», makes no mention of Western Sahara or the «Sahrawi people». This omission has sparked criticism from certain political circles in Spain and media outlets affiliated with the Polisario Front. The 96-page document references Morocco nine times in contexts related to trade, culture, and migration, compared to just four mentions of Algeria. It describes Morocco as «Spain's main trading partner in Africa, followed by Algeria, Nigeria, Libya, and South Africa», while also highlighting the historical ties between the two countries. Additionally, the report notes that «Spain has a long tradition of educational and cultural cooperation with Africa, thanks to the efforts of various actors in the field, with a clear geographical focus on Morocco and Guinea». The exclusion of Western Sahara has drawn criticism from Spanish media outlets known for their opposition to Morocco. The newspaper El Independiente reiterated the Polisario Front's position, claiming that the territory was «completely ignored in the document, despite Spain still being, legally speaking, the administrative power of this territory». Similarly, Vozpópuli reported that the Spanish government had «completely overlooked Western Sahara in the Spain-Africa Strategy 2025-2028, failing to mention the Sahrawi people or the Sahrawi issue in a document intended to guide Spanish cooperation with Africa in the coming years». Polisario-affiliated media also condemned the omission. The Spanish-language site Saharawi noted that while the previous strategy focused on sub-Saharan Africa while excluding the Maghreb, the new plan encompasses all African countries, including Morocco, but deliberately ignores Western Sahara. The outlet suggested that this exclusion was a calculated move, with many analysts believing that Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares omitted Western Sahara to appease Morocco. It further argued that this decision aligns with Spain's broader shift on the Sahrawi conflict, which culminated in Madrid's 2022 recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over the territory. Since then, Spanish-Moroccan relations have been shaped by a new approach—one that, according to critics, now includes sidestepping the Western Sahara issue in official policy documents.
