The response of the international community to the ignominy of Algeria and its relentlessness once morest the Al Quds Committee, because it is chaired by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, was immediate, straightforward and simultaneously both in Riyadh and in New York. . Indeed, the statement adopted Monday morning by the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), meeting urgently in Riyadh, had the effect of a bomb that threw Algeria off its feet and consecrated its international solitude. . The OCI, on which the Al Quds Committee depends, quite simply rejected Algeria’s madness and consecrated the centrality of the Committee under the leadership of its President HM King Mohammed VI. Moreover, the central role of His Majesty the King, in His capacity as Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, resonated on Monday also in the Security Council during its quarterly debate on the Palestinian question. The ambassadors of several African, Arab and Islamic countries highly highlighted the importance of the Al-Quds Committee and greatly praised the action of the Sovereign to defend the Palestinian cause and the holy city and its inhabitants. Their statements constituted a resounding denial of Algeria’s lies once morest the Committee and a scathing disavowal of its hateful anti-Moroccan drift and its taking hostage of the Palestinian cause for the sole purpose of undermining Morocco. Thus, the representative of Gabon, member of the Security Council, hailed the role of HM King Mohammed VI as Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee in preserving the special status of the holy city as a symbol of the common heritage of humanity. , of peaceful coexistence between the followers of the three monotheistic religions, and as a place of dialogue and mutual respect. “It is necessary to preserve the particularities of Al-Quds as a city of peaceful coexistence as underlined in the Appeal of Al-Quds that HM King Mohammed VI had signed with His Holiness Pope Francis during his visit to Rabat March 30, 2019,” he said. For his part, the representative of the United Arab Emirates, also a member of the Security Council, highlighted the efforts made by the Al Quds Committee, under the chairmanship of HM the King, in favor of the preservation of the holy city and in support for its people. Same story with the representative of Egypt who stressed the need to rely on all the Arab and Islamic authorities concerned by Al-Quds, in particular the Al-Quds Committee chaired by HM the King Mohammad VI. The representative of Saudi Arabia, for his part, highlighted the important role played by the Al Quds Committee and its President in favor of the preservation of the particularities of the holy city and the protection of its populations. The same position is shared by Bahrain, whose representative underlined the importance of the role of this Committee in defending the Palestinian cause and the holy city. For her part, the representative of Qatar insisted on the importance of supporting the holy city and the Maqdessis, highlighting in this regard the role of the Al Quds Committee chaired by the Sovereign. In the same vein, the representative of Indonesia noted the important role played by the Committee in the preservation of the Holy City, recalling the Call of Al Quds signed by HM the King and Pope Francis in March 2019 in Rabat in favor of preserving the specific character of the city as a symbol of tolerance and mutual respect between the three monotheistic religions. The permanent observer of the Arab League, he emphasized the need to support the role of the Al Quds Committee. Finally, and the height of flagrant diplomatic offence, Algeria, which for a week astonished once morest the Al-Quds Committee and its President in all the meetings of the regional groups, fell into a culpable silence during the examination on Monday of the Palestinian issue before the Security Council. Indeed, all the delegations noted with great surprise that following blocking the statements of the Arab groups, the OIC and the Non-Aligned Movement, under the false pretext of wanting to request a meeting of the Al-Quds Committee, the Ambassador of Algeria did not dare, nor had the political courage to make such a request in his national declaration, thus revealing his real anti-Moroccan aims that the Member States of the United Nations know only very well.
Tag:
morocco news
Airports: Over 2.22 million passengers in less than two months
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
The airports of the Kingdom welcomed 2,228,723 passengers through 21,330 air flights, during the period from February 7 (1st day of the resumption of international flights) to March 31, 2022.
During the month of March alone, Moroccan airports recorded a commercial traffic volume of 1,452,030 passengers and 13,543 flights, representing a recovery rate compared to the same period of 2019 of 70% for passengers and 80 % for airport movements, specifies the ONDA in a press release.
Mohammed V airport, the Kingdom’s first airport platform, welcomed 565,484 passengers during the month of March through 5,330 flights. This traffic represents 71% of passenger traffic and 75% of airport movements recorded in March 2019.
Airports in the North and East regions saw the strongest growth, with recovery rates exceeding 100%. Thus, Tanger-Ibn Batouta airport received 110,154 passengers (recovery rate of 113%), Oujda-Angad airport 61,992 passengers (137%), Nador El Aroui airport 61,843 passengers (116%) and Tetouan airport 16,600 travelers (1565%).
Of the 26 airports open to air traffic, barely 17 airports have been served since the reopening of the air sky.
In addition, ONDA reports that with 170,735 passengers welcomed during the month of March 2022, domestic air traffic recorded a recovery rate of around 67% compared to the same period of 2019. For its part, international air traffic recorded 1,281,295 passengers, a rate of 71%.
Apart from the markets of South America and the Maghreb countries, all the other markets recorded recovery rates above 65% compared to the same period of 2019. Europe, which represents more than 82% of air traffic international recorded a recovery rate of around 66% compared to 2019.
Air freight recorded, for its part, during the month of March 2022, a recovery rate of 83% compared to the same period of 2019. It stood at 6,796 tonnes once morest 8,221 tonnes for the same period in 2019 .
The consumer price index (CPI) experienced, during the month of March in Agadir, an increase of 1.2% compared to the previous month.
Thus, the CPI reached the level of 106.7 in March once morest 105.4 in February 2022, indicates the High Commission for Planning (HCP) in a note relating to the CPI.
Compared to the same month of the previous year, it increased by 5.3%, specifies the same source.
This variation is the result of the 9.1% rise in food prices and 2.8% in non-food prices.
Prices for non-food products stagnated for “health” and “communications”, as well as a 7.6% increase for “transport”.
The CPI measures the relative change in retail prices of everyday consumer goods of the urban population over time and space.
Product prices are collected from a sample of retail outlets through a permanent survey in 18 cities representing all regions of the Kingdom, namely Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Marrakech, Oujda, Fez, Agadir , Meknes, Beni Mellal, Kenitra, Tetouan, Errachidia, Safi, Laayoune, Guelmim, Settat, Dakhla and Al Hoceima.
New Morocco-Saudi Arabia direct shipping line: what future for bilateral trade?
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
A shipping line will soon be opened between Morocco and Saudi Arabia to strengthen trade between the two countries. What is the nature of these exchanges and how to develop bilateral economic cooperation? Update with Khalid Benjelloun, President of the Moroccan-Saudi Business Council.
The Federation of Saudi Chambers recently signed an agreement with a shipping company to set up, in the coming weeks, a direct line between Morocco and Saudi Arabia, announced Thursday March 19 Khalid Benjelloun, President of the Council Moroccan-Saudi businessman.
Contacted by Le360he explains that this new maritime line will play a key role in the development of trade between the two countries, thanks in particular to the reduction of the transport time of goods, which should go, according to the studies carried out, from two months to 11 days without transhipment to Tanger Med port.
“The transport time between Morocco and Saudi Arabia is too long. Goods sent in January this year took up to two and a half months to be delivered. As the majority of products exported by Morocco are agricultural, and therefore perishable, this constituted a real obstacle which should soon be lifted”, he underlines.
Saudi Arabia is Morocco’s largest trading partner in the Arab world. The total value of bilateral trade stood at 17.2 billion dirhams in 2021, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
“The large share of Saudi exports to Morocco consists of petroleum and parachemical products such as polyethylene, polypropylene and PET. On the other hand, Morocco exports to Saudi Arabia mainly agricultural products and textile products”, Benjelloun specifies.
But beyond agriculture, new opportunities are opening up for Morocco to develop its exports to the Saudi market with more added value. “There are other sectors on which Morocco can capitalize, particularly the information technology, building and construction sectors, as well as the chemical sectors, in particular painting. The Saudi market is also on the lookout for textile products and handicrafts,” explains the president of the Moroccan-Saudi Business Council.
New perspectives Africa-Middle East
Other possibilities are on the horizon for Moroccan actors under the “Vision 2030” plan. As a reminder, this development plan was put in place by the Saudi government in 2016 to diversify the country’s economy beyond the oil sector.
“There are huge opportunities for Moroccan companies to take part in various public works contracts in Saudi Arabia under its new development program. We managed to get the support of Saudi officials to prioritize all Moroccan products,” says Benjelloun.
Food security is also at the top of Saudi Arabia’s list of priorities for 2030. An advantage for Morocco, which might thus double its agricultural exports. “We have very fertile agricultural land in Morocco. We can, together, create mixed partnerships to develop this sector and adapt it to the needs of the Saudi market,” he says.
Morocco will also be able to position itself as a partner of choice to guarantee Saudi Arabia’s access to the African market while capitalizing on this partnership to in turn penetrate other Middle Eastern markets.
“Our Saudi friends know that Morocco has excellent relations with a large number of African countries. Today there is a desire to create joint ventures so that we can go to these markets together. This support will also allow us to access the various markets in the Middle East through the Saudi market,” insists Benjelloun.
To further improve economic relations between the two countries, the President of the Moroccan-Saudi Business Council nevertheless insists on the need to relax administrative restrictions on exports and imports, as well as the establishment of a Moroccan-Saudi investment fund to facilitate market access for small and medium-sized enterprises that are still struggling to explore new opportunities on other continents.
“95% of the Moroccan economic fabric is made up of VSMEs which need financial support to seek out, discover and develop new markets. We must therefore support and accompany them to develop their activities beyond borders,” concludes Benjelloun.