Barlaman Today

Following the recent rainfall, dams' filling rate in #Morocco rose to an average of 28%, totaling 4.5 billion cubic meters as of September 18. Water resources remain below expectations, raising concerns about meeting agricultural, industrial, and urban #water needs. This situation has placed Morocco in a state of “structural water stress,” as highlighted in a concerning report from The World Bank on the Moroccan #economy. To address #waterscarcity, Morocco has started building 20 seawater #desalination plants that are intended to be operational by 2030 to meet its drinking water requirements, according to the Ministry of Equipment and Water. #waterscarcity #Morocco

London-based Energean has completed drilling the #Anchois-3 appraisal well in the Lixus license, without reaching its exploration targets. In April 2024, Energean expanded into Morocco by partnering with Chariot Limited to take over as operator at two Moroccan offshore licenses, including Lixus, where the Anchois gas development project is located. Stena Drilling’s Stena Forth drillship was hired on a one-well contract with an additional option. Drilling began in August 2024, and preliminary results showed gas-bearing reservoirs in the B sands, one of the appraisal objectives. 

Morocco ranks 11th on Monkey Insider’s list of top olive-producing countries, recognized for its high-quality olives and #oliveoil. The country’s olive production thrives in #Fes, #Meknes, and Souss-Massa, with small-scale farmers and cooperatives leading the industry, according to Insider Monkey. Morocco’s olive oil exports were valued at USD 40 million in 2021, reflecting its strong presence in the global olive market. Olives are integral to Moroccan cuisine, used in dressings and dishes, either in whole form or as olive oil. #Morocco #oliveoil

Morocco is showcasing its #culinary heritage and growing #export potential as the guest of honor at the Americas Food and Beverage 2024, the leading #US trade event dedicated to #agrifood products, according to the Moroccan Ambassador to #Washington, Youssef Amrani. “#Morocco is proud to once again participate in this world-renowned exhibition, where we will exhibit the excellence of our agri-food and fisheries products to an American market increasingly eager for our exceptional national product”, Amrani stated during the show which runs until Wednesday. He stated that the kingdom is actively pursuing a range of international partnerships, including those with the United States. They present significant growth potential and offer unique opportunities to increase the share of Moroccan agricultural exports reaching the US market over time. #agriculture #export #trade

Morocco’s University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) has officially expanded its presence to North America with the launch of its new branch, UM6P Canada, in #Montreal, according to a statement.  The opening ceremony, held on Friday, featured notable attendees including Souriya Consul Otmani, Morocco’s Ambassador to Canada, and Quebec’s Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Dery. In a statement, the university says that UM6P Canada will focus on four key areas including research and development, executive education, entrepreneurship, and capacity building. The goal is to create a dynamic research environment that encourages knowledge transfer, technology exchange, and the development of expertise on both sides of the Atlantic, the statement explains. #highereducation #scientificresearch #education

Morocco’s #economy is expected to grow by 4.6% in 2025, according to the Finance Ministry's triennial macroeconomic #report. This growth is mainly attributed to a substantial rebound in #agricultural value-added, assuming an average agricultural season for 2025. #Non-agricultural sectors are expected to maintain a similar growth pace as in 2024, contributing to the overall economic expansion. The secondary and tertiary sectors are projected to grow by 2.9% and 4.1%, respectively, helping consolidate national economic performance.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC - International Finance Corporation) announced on Friday a EUR 100 million loan (approximately USD 108 million) to Morocco’s phosphate giant OCP Group. The loan will fund the construction of a 219-kilometer water pipeline in #Morocco, aimed at securing sustainable water supplies for fertilizer production, agriculture, and local communities. Currently under construction, the pipeline will transport #desalinatedwater from OCP’s facilities in Jorf Lasfar on the Atlantic coast to its operations in Khouribga, located in central Morocco. #water #ocp #africa

Moroccan Author Zineb Mekouar was selected in the initial round of the 2024 Jean Giono Prize with her story “Souviens-toi Des Abeilles” (Remember the Bees), under the renowned French publishing house Editions Gallimard. The Jean Giono Prize, sponsored by the Jan Michalski Foundation, recognizes the best works of fiction in French which exhibit a high degree of imaginative #writing. “Souviens-toi Des Abeilles” combines an ecological theme with an ode to rural life and tolerance. The narrative subtly relates the story of a 10-year-old boy, Anir, who discovers the natural world and the life of bees through his grandfather in the world’s oldest collective apiary, the Rucher du Saint, situated on a mountain slope in the High Atlas. best works of fiction in French which exhibit a high degree of imaginative writing. #authors

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed an urgent need for reliable and resilient supply chains for pharmaceuticals, particularly #vaccines. The new decree law seeks to strengthen #Morocco’s vaccine sovereignty through the establishment of a national #industry equipped to meet both domestic and continental demands. #pharmaceuticalindustry #Morocco #industry

The Moroccan Association for Research and Design “R&D Maroc” and public financial institution “TAMWILCOM” have launched an incubation program as part of the new edition of the “Fonds Innov Invest (F2I),” offering up to MAD 400,000 to promising Moroccan startups. The program, called “R&D Maroc 60 #Startups,” aims to provide selected startups with mentorship and potential financial support through the “Tech Start” grant. The initiative plans to select 12 innovative startups, offering grants of MAD 200,000 per project, with the possibility of increasing the amount to MAD 400,000 for patented projects in incubation funds, according to the program’s announcement released on Tuesday. #startups #Morocco