
The Gnaoua Festival in Essaouira concluded three days of musical celebration and cultural exchange, featuring Gnaoua sounds, artistic fusions, and performances by musicians from Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Arab world. The closing night on the Moulay El Hassan stage included a performance by Maâlem Hamid El Kasri, an iconic figure in Gnaoua art, who blended tradition and modernity. Another highlight was a collective creation uniting Maâlem Hassan Boussou with international musicians such as Alexandre Herichon, Mohamed Derouich, Jacques Schwarz-Bart, Cheikh Ndoye, Karim Ziad, and Meryem Assid, creating a bold musical fusion. The festival also presented a collaboration between Hamid El Kasri and Brazilian artist Carlinhos Brown, mixing Gnaoua rhythms with Afro-Brazilian percussion. Beyond concerts, the 27th edition hosted the Human Rights Forum, organized for the thirteenth consecutive year in partnership with the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad CCME, discussing "Youths of the world: freedom, identity, future." The festival continued its commitment to training through the Berklee at the Gnaoua and World Music Festival program, offering workshops and masterclasses for young musicians. The partnership with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University UM6P was strengthened around the Transitions Chair, focusing on research into Gnaoua heritage. This edition brought together 43 Gnaoua Maâlems from various regions of the Kingdom, alongside hundreds of international art
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Matin.
Must ReadThe Dakhla Atlantic Port project has reached 62% completion, with significant progress on the maritime bridge, protective structures, and land reclamation. Approximately half of the planned land platforms have been completed, with full completion targeted by year-end. Prefabrication and installation of fishing industry berths have begun, with the first quay expected this year, alongside the start of prefabrication for the heavy package quay. The port is designed to support the Royal Vision for Sahelian countries by providing Atlantic access and fostering shared logistics within a future industrial and logistical zone. Economic and market studies have identified high-potential sectors including agriculture, international road transport, agribusiness, various goods, renewable energies, and extractive industries. The Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation is leading task forces to discuss these subjects. The Dakhla Atlantic Port is a long-term economic and geostrategic development vision, aiming to capture future opportunities rather than solely responding to existing demand. Morocco is investing public funds with the expectation of medium to long-term economic and financial returns, creating a high-performance, intelligent deep-water port. Unlike Tanger Med, which is primarily a container and Ro-Ro port, Dakhla Atlantic will be a versatile port capable of handling over 40 million tons of goods, including containers, liquid and solid bulk, and ship maintenance and repair.

Abdelmounaïm Faouzi, founding president of Yool Education, discussed the integration of artificial intelligence AI into Moroccan schools during the "L'Info en Face" program on Matin TV. He emphasized that the focus should be on how to use AI to address the challenges facing the Moroccan educational system, rather than debating its entry into schools. Faouzi views AI as both a threat and an opportunity, depending on its application. He advocates for developing a Moroccan model for AI integration, rather than simply replicating foreign experiences, given the country's unique social realities and educational priorities such as school dropout rates, territorial disparities, unequal access to learning, and supporting students in difficulty. Faouzi believes that the approach should prioritize concrete solutions and functionalities, with a legal framework to follow. He also stressed the importance of cooperation between the state and private innovation actors. Yool Education, a Moroccan online tutoring platform, exemplifies this approach by combining distance learning, digital resources, and AI to personalize learning. The platform aims to complement traditional schooling by providing individualized support based on student data, evaluations, quizzes, and interactions. Faouzi highlighted that this personalized approach is crucial for addressing the large number of students who leave the Moroccan school system prematurely each year, estimated at 300,000. The platform also includes co

Best Western Hotels & Resorts has unveiled its development plan for Morocco, aiming for 25 hotels and 2,750 rooms by 2030. This expansion is driven by Morocco's strong tourism growth, with 19.8 million tourist arrivals recorded in 2025, a 14% increase from 2024. This performance is attributed to the 2023-2026 Tourism Roadmap, launched under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, which has enhanced air connectivity, accommodation capacity, service quality, and territorial investment. Best Western has established a subsidiary, BWH NWA, in Casablanca, dedicated to hotel development in North Africa and the Mediterranean. This move, coupled with an exclusive partnership with Wejhat Hospitality, underscores the group's focus on Morocco as a priority market. Pierre Siegel, president of Best Western France, highlighted Morocco's economic growth, tourism potential, and diverse infrastructure as key factors for this decision, noting the royal commitment to developing tourism and hotel infrastructure across the country. The "Road Map" targets various Moroccan cities and regions, emphasizing a structured approach that complements Best Western's 19 brands, ranging from 2-star plus to 5-star properties. Salah Oumoudden and Philippe Storti, co-founders of Wejhat Hospitality Management Africa, believe this partnership opens new opportunities for hoteliers and investors in the Kingdom. Olivier Cohn, CEO of Best Western, sees Morocco as a pillar of the chain's growth due to its exceptional touris