Morocco becomes African Development Bank's top partner in 2025, surpassing South Africa and Nigeria
via Le Matin3 min read
In 2025, the African Development Bank Group maintained strong approval levels, totaling 8.11 billion Units of Account UC, equivalent to 9.45 billion euros, despite a challenging international environment. These commitments supported 259 operations across 50 African countries, with disbursements reaching 5.24 billion UC 6.11 billion euros, the highest in five years. Morocco emerged as the leading individual beneficiary, securing 1.079 billion UC 1.257 billion euros, which represents over 13% of the Bank Group's total approvals for the continent. Notable operations in Morocco included a $518 million partial credit guarantee for OCP to mobilize green financing and $173 million for the Communal Equipment Fund. South Africa ranked second with 860.1 million UC 1.002 billion euros, followed by Nigeria in third place with 769.9 million UC 897 million euros. Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Tanzania, Benin, Niger, Botswana, and Uganda completed the top 10 beneficiaries. Regionally, West Africa received the largest share of approvals, with 2.34 billion UC 2.73 billion euros, accounting for 29% of the continental total, driven by significant volumes in Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, and Benin. North Africa followed with 2.05 billion UC 2.39 billion euros, or 25% of the total, with Morocco being the primary recipient, ahead of Algeria, Egypt, and Tunisia. Southern Africa ranked third with 1.87 billion euros, representing 20% of the total, led by South Africa and Botswana. East Africa received 1.64 billi
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Morocco's national football team will approach the 2026 World Cup with one of the most internationalized squads. A study by German platform Finalarm and data analysis studio DataPulse reveals that 92.3% of Moroccan players are based in clubs outside the Kingdom. This figure is significantly higher than the global average of 72% for the 48 qualified teams, positioning the Atlas Lions among the most internationalized national teams in the tournament. This trend highlights a profound transformation in modern football, where top players increasingly pursue careers away from their home leagues, particularly in Europe, which offers attractive clubs, higher revenues, and more followed competitions. The extent of this shift is evident when comparing it to 1990, when only 26% of World Cup players were with foreign clubs. Today, nearly three out of four players are based abroad, indicating a global phenomenon rather than just a few talent-exporting nations. In Morocco's 2026 World Cup squad, only Munir Mohamedi, Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti, and Mehdi El Harrar on the reserve list play in the national league, with the majority playing in foreign, mainly European, championships. Other major national teams show similar trends, though levels vary based on the strength of domestic leagues. Argentina also has 92.3% of its players abroad, while Brazil has 73.1%. France, despite its strong Ligue 1, sees 69.2% of its players under contract outside national territory. Conversely, nations with powerful
The Mohammed VI Karate Cup is celebrating its 20th edition in Rabat on June 8, 2026. The event is being covered live by Le Matin.ma.
Must ReadOil prices rose significantly, with Brent crude for August delivery increasing by 4.90% to $97.65 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate for July delivery gaining 4.88% to $94.96. This surge is attributed to renewed tensions in the Middle East following exchanges between Israel and Iran. Global stock markets experienced declines, with Paris down 0.86% and Frankfurt down 1.13% in early trading. London showed more resilience, falling 0.25%, supported by oil companies like BP, which rose 1.74%, and Shell, up 1.47%. Asian markets saw sharper drops, with Tokyo losing 3.85%, Seoul 8.29%, and Taiwan 3.46%, particularly affected by a downturn in the semiconductor sector. An analyst from CMC Markets, Andreas Lipkow, noted that events in the Middle East underscore the region's fragile and unpredictable situation.