🇲🇦MoroccoNorth Africa
GNV strengthens Morocco-Europe maritime connectivity with new LNG-powered vessels
via Le Matin7 min read
GNV inaugurated its newest vessel, the GNV Aurora, in Tanger Ville on June 1, 2026, marking a significant investment in strengthening maritime links between Morocco, Spain, and Italy. This event, attended by Moroccan Minister of Transport and Logistics Abdessamad Kayouh, Moroccan Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts Fatim-Zahra Ammor, and Italian Ambassador Pasquale Salzano, highlighted GNV's strategy to deploy two new LNG-powered ships, the GNV Aurora and GNV Virgo, exclusively on these routes. The GNV Aurora will operate on the Tanger Med-Barcelona-Genoa route from early June, followed by the GNV Virgo from July 1. Barcelona will serve as a transit hub, and Genoa will handle LNG bunkering. The investment for these two vessels totals 360 million euros, part of a 1.3 billion euro fleet renewal program by 2030, which includes eight ships. Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive President of MSC Group's Cruise Division and President of GNV, emphasized Morocco's strategic importance for the company's Mediterranean network. The GNV Aurora, built in China, is the second LNG-powered vessel in GNV's fleet, featuring a capacity for 1,700 passengers and 2,780 linear meters of cargo. It adheres to IMO Tier III environmental standards, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 50% compared to older ferries. Matteo Catani, GNV's General Manager, stated that this technological choice reflects the company's commitment to safety, environmental sustainability, operational efficiency, and travel experience qualit
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 ReadMorocco's average number of children per woman has dropped to 1.97 in 2024, according to a study by the French National Institute of Demographic Studies. This figure places the Kingdom below the generation replacement threshold, which is set at 2.1 children per woman.
Must ReadMorocco has achieved the top position in the African Development Bank's AfDB 2025 Africa Industrialization Index AII, surpassing South Africa for the first time. This ranking reflects the modernization of Moroccan industry, the diversification of its exports, and the implementation of its industrial policy. The AII evaluates industrial performance, direct determinants like private investment and foreign direct investment FDI, and indirect determinants such as market size. While Morocco does not have the largest internal market, population, or GDP among the continent's major industrial economies, its industrial apparatus is considered denser and better organized according to the AfDB's criteria. The report highlights that per capita indicators require economies with large populations to produce significantly more to demonstrate the same industrial intensity. South Africa maintains a deep industrial base but faces energy and logistical constraints, while Morocco's more advanced demographic transition makes its per capita progress more visible. The AfDB's findings do not imply that Morocco's industrial indicators universally dominate all African competitors, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization UNIDO competitive industrial performance index still recognizes South Africa as a major industrial player. However, Morocco's consistent progress since 2010, moving from second to first place, underscores a sustained industrial effort, infrastructure development, gro
The 4th session of the Morocco-United Kingdom Association Council, co-chaired by Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour and UK Minister of State for International Trade Chris Bryant, aimed to double trade volume and consolidate bilateral investments. Mezzour highlighted the session's review of past achievements and efforts to resolve trade challenges, particularly technical constraints related to standards and market access. He noted the increasing interest of British companies in Morocco's development and reiterated Morocco's commitment to supporting their integration into the national industrial, commercial, and economic fabric, with goals of creating high-value-added jobs for Moroccan youth and securing production chains. Bryant praised the excellent relations between the two Kingdoms, describing Morocco's economic dynamism as an "exceptional opportunity." He emphasized Morocco's role as a gateway between Europe and Africa, with the UK serving as a link to the rest of the world. Bryant explained that bilateral trade growth would extend beyond agricultural and manufactured goods to include services such as finance, architecture, and marketing, as well as creative industries. He also expressed a desire to see Morocco's aeronautical fleet strengthened with British equipment. Regarding the upcoming World Cup, the British minister reiterated London's readiness to offer its expertise to ensure the event's success in Morocco. On tourism, Bryant noted the popularity of Morocc
The Marrakech-Safi region solidified its position as a key entrepreneurial hub in Morocco in 2024, with 40,606 active corporate entities by year-end, representing 10.7% of the national active business landscape. The region experienced a 3.1% increase in businesses year-on-year. New business creation accelerated, with 8,485 new corporate entities registered, a 14.4% rise from 2023. Including both corporate and individual businesses, 10,744 new enterprises were established. Marrakech city alone accounted for 74% of these new businesses, underscoring its economic dominance, followed by Safi and Al Haouz provinces with 6% and 5.3% respectively. The regional business sector is largely composed of micro-enterprises, with nearly 90% being very small structures and 96% having a turnover under 10 million dirhams. Economic indicators also showed robust activity, with a cumulative turnover of 106.9 billion dirhams in 2024, a 10.3% increase, and value added rising by 20.4% to 23.8 billion dirhams. Exports generated 9.3 billion dirhams. Trade remains the primary economic driver, representing over 30% of active businesses and contributing most to turnover, exports, and value added. Construction and accommodation-catering sectors also feature prominently. Marrakech prefecture alone hosts 73.3% of the region's active businesses, generates 88.2% of regional turnover, and accounts for 68.6% of declared jobs. While Essaouira saw a 7% increase in active businesses, Al Haouz experienced a 4.9% de