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Brahim El Mazned wins UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture 2026
via Le Matin2 min read
Brahim El Mazned, co-recipient with the Dhow Countries Music Academy of Tanzania, has been awarded the UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture 2026. The United Nations organization, based in Paris, recognized El Mazned as a major figure in the Arab and international cultural scene for his commitment to music as a vehicle for transmission, dialogue, and cultural influence. As the founder of Visa For Music and artistic director of the Timitar festival, he has worked for many years to promote the richness of Moroccan and Arab musical expressions beyond their borders. The jury specifically praised his transnational work, his role in strengthening intercultural dialogue, his contribution to structuring the artistic sector, and his constant engagement with youth. El Mazned stated that he receives this distinction with deep emotion and humility, considering it a recognition of the collective work dedicated to culture, music, and intercultural dialogue. He also sees it as encouragement to continue his commitment to promoting heritage, contemporary creation, and supporting new generations of cultural actors. Established in 1998, the UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture honors individuals, groups, or institutions from states that have significantly contributed to developing, raising awareness of, and disseminating Arab culture in artistic, intellectual, or promotional fields. The award ceremony will take place on June 24 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
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Must ReadChina aims to deepen its strategic partnership with Morocco, ten years after its establishment by Chinese President Xi Jinping and His Majesty King Mohammed VI in 2016. Chinese Ambassador to Morocco, Yu Jinsong, emphasized a new phase in relations, moving beyond diplomacy to encompass trade, investment, industry, and new technologies. The year 2026 also marks the 68th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. Bilateral trade has surpassed 10 billion dollars, with Chinese investment commitments in Morocco also exceeding 10 billion dollars. Morocco is seen as a strategic partner, capable of serving as a platform connecting China, Africa, Europe, and the Arab world, due to its geographical position, trade agreements, and industrial base. The Tanger Tech industrial city project is a key example of this cooperation, with over 40 companies signing contracts and an expected investment exceeding 4 billion dollars, creating more than 22,000 direct jobs. This project signifies a shift from primarily commercial cooperation to a more structured industrial relationship and is part of China's "Belt and Road" Initiative, which Morocco joined in 2017, becoming the first North African country to sign a specific cooperation document in 2022. The ambassador also advocated for the effective implementation of "zero customs duties" for Moroccan products entering the Chinese market, aiming to diversify Morocco's exports away from European markets. Future cooperation is expected t
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Morocco has introduced a new system to subject digital services provided by foreign companies to Moroccan customers to Value Added Tax VAT. This mechanism, which came into effect on June 11, 2026, with the launch of the "Taxation on digital services" teleservice by the General Directorate of Taxes DGI, aims to integrate the digital economy into the Moroccan tax system. It ensures that foreign providers adhere to similar rules as Moroccan-based companies. The decree, published in the Official Bulletin of December 2025, applies to non-resident companies offering remote electronic services to non-VAT-registered individuals in Morocco. This includes platforms like Netflix, Spotify, ChatGPT, Google, Meta Facebook and Instagram, certain services from Uber and Airbnb, cloud computing, online software, paid applications, and other digital subscriptions. To determine a customer's location in Morocco, factors such as a Moroccan bank card, billing address, IP address, or phone number may be used. Affected foreign providers must register with the DGI, obtain a Moroccan tax identifier, declare quarterly turnover in Morocco, and pay the corresponding VAT electronically. They are also required to maintain records of transactions with Moroccan customers for ten years. While the new system mandates foreign providers to pay VAT, it does not compel them to increase their prices. Each company can choose to absorb the tax or pass it on, fully or partially, to customers. If the 20% VAT is fully pa