US Under Secretary Christopher Landau's visit to Rabat elevates Morocco-US cooperation
via Le Matin9 min read
US Under Secretary of State Christopher Landau visited Rabat from April 27 to May 1, marking his first Maghreb tour. The visit focused on advancing technological and spatial coordination and strengthening a long-standing security cooperation between Morocco and the United States. This visit occurred just before the UN Secretary-General's strategic review of MINURSO, as mandated by Resolution 2797 of October 2025. Calvin Dark, president of RC Communications and geopolitical analyst, highlighted that the visit underscores shared strategic priorities between Rabat and Washington, including security, technology, and space, and suggests that a resolution to the Sahara conflict would open new avenues for cooperation. The Moroccan leg of Landau's visit centered on three key areas: extending industrial defense cooperation with advanced discussions on technology transfers, potentially associating Morocco with the Artemis Accords for space resource exploitation, and establishing a bilateral framework for cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. This technological focus positions Morocco as an integration partner for Washington. Dark noted that this deepening partnership results from bipartisan leadership in Washington, the strategic vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and sustained Moroccan diplomatic efforts. In the US Congress, the "Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act" has been introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, aiming to classify the Polisari
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On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Moroccan Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch chaired a meeting in Rabat of the Ministerial Committee tasked with monitoring the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East on the national economy. The meeting confirmed sufficient energy stock availability and normal supply conditions for agricultural and basic products in the national market. Various departments presented reports on the international situation's impact on different activities, noting that the Kingdom's foreign exchange reserves cover approximately six months. During the meeting, it was decided to continue direct and exceptional support for professionals in the commercial goods and passenger transport sectors. This measure aims to ensure a normal and regular market supply and maintain public transport services at current rates without price increases for citizens. The government also decided to continue subsidizing butane gas and electricity for domestic consumption to keep current tariffs unchanged. Furthermore, it was decided to focus on controlling and monitoring agricultural product distribution channels in the national market to ensure these products reach citizens at reasonable prices.
Younes Sekkouri, the Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment, and Skills, announced that the total cost of social dialogue measures is projected to reach nearly 49.7 billion dirhams by the end of the year and early 2027. Speaking at a parliamentary session, the minister emphasized that social dialogue extends beyond financial commitments, focusing on building trust among the government, trade unions, social partners, and employer representatives, including those in the agricultural sector. Concrete measures implemented include an increase in the non-agricultural minimum wage SMIG from 14.81 dirhams per hour to 17.90 dirhams, raising the net monthly salary from approximately 2,800 to 3,400 dirhams. The agricultural minimum wage SMAG also increased from under 1,900 dirhams to 2,400 dirhams, effective since April. A general salary increase of 1,000 dirhams was also implemented. In the education sector, around 325,000 civil servants received increases ranging from 1,500 dirhams at the start of their careers to 5,000 dirhams later on. Private sector employees benefited from an average gain of about 400 dirhams per month due to income tax revisions. Structural reforms in pensions reduced the required contribution days from 3,240 to 1,320, with options for those not meeting the criteria to recover contributions. Additionally, new provisions are planned for private security guards, with a modification to Article 193 of the Labor Code to be submitted to the Governme
Morocco is enhancing travel conditions for its pilgrims by extending Saudi Arabia's "Mecca Route" initiative to Rabat-Salé Airport. This service, already operational at Mohammed V Airport, will be inaugurated on May 4, 2026, coinciding with the first pilgrim flight from Rabat-Salé. The ceremony will be attended by the Moroccan Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, along with Moroccan and Saudi dignitaries, including the Saudi Ambassador to Morocco, Sami bin Abdullah Al-Saleh. Approximately 17,000 Moroccan pilgrims, nearly half of the 34,000 national contingent for Hajj 2026, will benefit from this service through Rabat-Salé and Mohammed V airports. The first flight from Casablanca is scheduled for May 7, 2026. Part of Saudi Vision 2030, the "Mecca Route" streamlines the pilgrim journey by completing administrative and logistical procedures at departure airports. Pilgrims receive their electronic Hajj visa on-site after health checks, and travel formalities, baggage control, and direct transfer to accommodations in Saudi Arabia are managed. Upon arrival in Mecca or Medina, pilgrims proceed directly to their residences without further procedures, similar to a domestic flight. Since its 2018 launch, the program has served over 1.255 million pilgrims from various Muslim countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Côte d'Ivoire, Maldives, and Morocco. In 2026, Senegal and Brunei will also join the initiative.
Must ReadThe 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, is set to be the most profitable in football history, featuring 48 nations. FIFA has announced a record prize fund of 727 million dollars. The tournament is projected to generate over 11 billion dollars in commercial revenue during the current cycle. Each federation qualifying for the group stage will receive 9 million dollars, in addition to a 1.5 million dollar advance for preparation and logistics, totaling a guaranteed 10.5 million dollars per team. This redistribution aims to support emerging nations amidst rising costs in modern football. With an expanded schedule of 104 matches, up from 64, advertising and ticketing revenues are expected to surge, allowing FIFA to inject record liquidity into its 211 member associations. The World Cup is becoming a significant economic driver, stabilizing smaller federations while strengthening larger ones. The four semi-finalist nations will receive substantial prizes. The future world champion will earn a record 50 million dollars, an 8 million dollar increase from the 2022 World Cup. The finalist will receive 33 million dollars, while the third-place team gets 29 million dollars, and the fourth-place team 27 million dollars. These significant amounts reflect the commercial importance of the final stages and FIFA's commitment to its elite. For federations, these earnings enable massive investments in infrastructure and training. With performance bonuses alon