🇲🇦MoroccoNorth Africa
Sanabil Center advocates for a "second generation" of industrial reforms in Morocco
via Le Matin3 min read
The Sanabil Center, a Rabat-based think tank, has issued a policy note proposing a "second generation" of industrial policy reforms for Morocco. While acknowledging the country's industrial achievements over the past decade in sectors like automotive, aeronautics, and electronic subcontracting, the center suggests that the current model requires an upgrade. The proposed roadmap focuses on several key areas, beginning with legal and operational reforms. The Sanabil Center advocates for specific, integrated legislation to govern industrial acceleration ecosystems, accompanied by a single guide for both national and foreign investors. This aims to harmonize existing texts, simplify authorization procedures, and clarify access to tax, customs, and para-fiscal exemptions. The center also recommends expanding the prerogatives of Regional Investment Centers to make them more effective in industrial acceleration, from investor negotiation to project unblocking. A crucial, often underestimated, requirement highlighted is the prior regularization of land for industrial projects, as secure land titles are essential for construction permits, timely production, and the creation of sustainable jobs. The note also emphasizes the importance of related infrastructure, such as roads, sanitation, electricity connections, and very high-speed internet, without which acceleration zones remain unfulfilled promises. Strategically, the Sanabil Center stresses the need to integrate Moroccan businesses
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.
Moroccan referee Jalal Jiyed, assisted by compatriots Zakaria Brinsi and Mustapha Akerkad, has been appointed by FIFA to officiate the World Cup 2026 group stage match between Portugal and Uzbekistan. South African Tom Abongile will serve as the fourth official, assisted by Zakhele Siwela. This marks the second assignment for the Moroccan trio, who previously officiated the Germany vs. Curaçao match. Portugal drew their first match against the Democratic Republic of Congo 1-1, while Uzbekistan lost 3-1 to Colombia. The upcoming match is crucial for both Portugal and Uzbekistan's qualification hopes. Notably, an Uzbek referee, Ilgiz Tantashov, recently officiated a match involving Morocco's Atlas Lions against Scotland.
Following Morocco's 1-0 victory over Scotland, coach Mohamed Ouahbi assessed the team's performance in the 2026 World Cup, where they have accumulated four points from two matches against Brazil and Scotland. Ouahbi highlighted the team's collective control and improved offensive intentions compared to their draw against Brazil. He noted that while Scotland played more directly with long balls, Morocco effectively countered their strategy. Despite their strong position, Ouahbi emphasized that qualification is not yet secured and the team's objective is to defeat Haiti in the final group match to ensure qualification and potentially secure first place. He also stated that he would field the best possible team against Haiti, considering player freshness, opponent profile, and match context, rather than systematically rotating the squad. Ouahbi also publicly supported captain Achraf Hakimi, who is facing legal proceedings, stating that Hakimi was focused, motivated the team, and played an excellent match. Ouahbi praised the team's mental fortitude and expressed confidence in their ability to advance to the round of sixteen as group leaders.
Bank Al-Maghrib has issued a warning to all banks regarding a global surge in cybercrime campaigns exploiting public interest in the 2026 World Cup. The central bank notes that these threats include the distribution of malware via fake applications or match streaming platforms, as well as phishing campaigns designed to trick users into revealing sensitive information, such as login credentials and banking details. Bank Al-Maghrib urges banks to enhance customer awareness efforts and emphasize key vigilance rules. These include exercising caution before installing match-streaming applications, avoiding links received via email, SMS, or social media that offer broadcasts or promotional deals, verifying website authenticity before entering personal or banking data, and immediately reporting any suspicious activity or unauthorized transactions to the bank. The central bank also instructs banking institutions to relay these vigilance messages to their customers through appropriate communication channels.