Medical Tourism in Morocco - A Growing Trend

While medical tourism is well established and very big business in Asia, few people would think of Morocco as a medical tourism destination. That is about to change.

In one particular field of medical tourism Morocco is gaining a positive reputation. In a growing trend, people from all over Europe and as far as the United States are flocking to Morocco for plastic surgery, preferring clinics in the affluent districts of Rabat to the ones they have back home. The prices are around one third of the average prices in Europe and the Moroccan surgeons have a growing reputation for fine work.

Professor Slaoui

The demand is increasing all the time. and according to Professor Salaheddine Slaoui, a plastic surgeon in Rabat, there are currently as many as 1200 cosmetic surgeries per month in Morocco with up to 15 per cent of the clients coming from abroad. Morocco has around 50 plastic surgeons and a dozen cosmetic surgery clinics in the country.

According to recent statistics the most popular procedures are breast enhancement and liposuction. However, unlike many other countries such as Tunisia and Lebanon, only a few of the Moroccan clinics offer packages that include travel, accommodation and the bonus that women can bring their children with them and have them cared for while they have surgery. But the proximity to Europe and the extremely low costs are a huge incentive. It also means that prospective clients can visit a surgery beforehand and make their own assessment of its suitability,

With the success of the plastic surgery sector, it is expected that Morocco may well follow the Asian lead and in the future offer other highly sort after procedures such as major dental treatments.

Science Museum Planned for Fez

The Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fez has announced that it will set up a science museum in the next three years, which is expected to enable the city to become a hub for large-scale socio-economic and tourism development.

In order to preserve Morocco's natural heritage, a science museum will be established soon by the University in conjunction with various national and international partners, the university said.

The Museum will be dedicated to collecting and presenting galleries of natural objects dating back to several hundred million years, along with exhibitions and explanatory and didactic materials, and brochures aimed at raising awareness of the country's natural heritage.

It will have several galleries. The first will be dedicated to the bones and traces of dinosaurs, marine and continental fossils, and vertebrates and invertebrates that lived in Morocco million years ago as well as extraterrestrial stones such as meteorites and a collection of fauna and flora.

Japanese Loans to Finance Moroccan Water and Road Programmes

A recent article on the USA Morocco Board highlights the impact of tourism on water resources in Morocco. As Rebecca Timson points out, water is a scarce resource in Morocco, and tourists use a lot of it when they stay in hotels and swim in pools and especially when they go golfing. A single 18-hole golf course requires 3500 m/day of water, which is 3.5 times as much as the average Moroccan consumes in a whole year.

For a long time there have also been issues of water scarcity particularly in Fez and Meknes. Now it appears that help is coming in the form of loans from the Japanese international Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The JICA just announced that it has granted Morocco two loans of 2.3 billion dirham (about 200 million euro) to finance a water supply and rural roads projects. This has been confirmed today by sources from the ministry of Economy and Finance.

The first loan of 1.7 billion dirham will finance a potable water project in Fès and Meknès in central Morocco, which have been facing water supply problems for a long time.

The second loan of 583 million dirham is meant to finance the rural road programme.

It aims at facilitating the movement of rural populations and reducing disparities between rural and urban zones.

The Moroccan Economy Sends Mixed Messages

While phosphates and viticulture show positive growth and returns, the tourism sector is still dormant and the real estate market is still languishing.

Phosphates exports spike

In the good news for Morocco, the country's exports of phosphates and spiked 44% in the year up to June, reaching 22.8 billion dirhams compared to 15.8 billion dirhams last year, said Morocco's exchange rate monitoring body, Office des changes.

Foreign sales of phosphates rose 47.3% hitting 5.72 billion dirhams up to the end of June, against 3.88 billion dirhams the same period last year.

Exports of natural and chemical fertilizers hiked 85% to stand at 9.4 billion dirhams, compared to 5.1billion dirhams last year, with a 32.4% rise in volume.

The Office des changes noted that the fertilizers' average export price reached 4,724 dirhams per tonne, against 3,381 dirhams in June 2010.

Following the same rising trend, Phosphoric acid posted a 12.2% increase yielding 7.6 billion dirhams compared to 6.8 billion dirhams last year, despite a decline of 15% in volume.


Viniculture generates almost 200 million dirhams

Viniculture in Morocco spans over an area of 49,000 hectares of vineyards yielding an annual production of 230,000 tonnes of grapes, including 172,000 tonnes of table grapes, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Aziz Akhennouch said.

The Minister, who was speaking recently during the annual festival of grapes in the commune of Charrat (south of Rabat), said that 71% of the area dedicated to the production of table grapes is in the regions of Doukala, Al Haouz, Benslimane, Rabat-Salé, Khemisset and Essaouira, while the wine grape vineyards are to be found in the regions of El Hajeb, Khemisset, Meknes, Gharb and Melouis.

Akhannouch highlighted the importance of the viticulture in the green Morocco plan to boost agricultural production, noting that vineyards generate no less than 196 million dirhams annually

Morocco's property bubble bursts

  Morocco's property bubble has burst. Starting in 2003, during the period of four years, prices have almost doubled or tripled depending on the city. in the region of Marrakesh, rates are down about 20 percent. Offers  now exceeds demand.

Fish Deaths and Pollution in a Moroccan River.

Since mid-June, thousands of dead fish have been rotting along the banks of the Moulouya River, in north-east Morocco. While tests are being carried out to establish the cause of death, environmental activists are blaming a local sugar refinery. The king has insisted that Morocco was going to enforce the international treaties it has signed including Ramsar, the International Convention on Wetlands which came into effect in 1975 and was signed by Morocco in 1981. As FRANCE 24 journalist Peggy Bruguière reports, environmentalists are waiting for the king to intervene under the auspices of the new constitution to save the Moulouya River.

After residents notified local environmental groups of the situation, these groups formed a collective called the “North Moroccan Green Platform” to shed light on the problem. The collective points out that the river’s estuary is classified as a protected site of biological and ecological interest, and that its fauna risks extinction. In Oriental, a north-eastern region of Morocco, dead fish litter the river’s shores for dozens of kilometres.

The environmentalists put the blame on the sugar refinery Sucrafor. The refinery is part of the Moroccan group Cosumar, which has a monopoly on Morocco’s national sugar production. This is not the first time that the company has been blamed for contaminating the Moulouya River. In the 1980s and 1990s, environmentalists said Sucrafor had released more waste water into the river than was legally allowed.

This new scandal comes just one month after the new Moroccan constitution was adopted. Article 35 of the constitution stipulates that the state guarantees all citizens the “right to water, a clean environment and sustainable development.”

The North Moroccan Green Platform’s allegations have not been proven and tests are still in progress to determine the cause of death.

Najib Bachiri, who is the president of the Man and Environment Organization in Berkane,says "Several members of our collective travelled down the river to where it meets the Mediterranean in order to pinpoint the source of the pollution. For dozens of kilometres we saw all sorts of dead fish. After 50km we arrived at the Oued Zebra tributary near to the town of Zaio. The water at this point was hot, black and smelled horrible. Not far from there is Sucrafor, a sugar refinery.

It’s no coincidence that the fish died after the sugar beet production period. Royal Guard officers are carrying out tests in their laboratory in Rabat. We are awaiting the results and if Sucafor is indeed the cause of the catastrophe, we will take the case to court. In the meantime, local residents are very worried, as they don't have any information. They have not irrigated their melons and watermelons with water from the contaminated river. But it is not only the fruit products which are under threat. Farmers have told me that their sheep died after drinking the water from the Moulouya."

Unleashing the Creative Spirit in Morocco

The Ancient Medina of Fez is justifiably famous for its history, culture, cuisine, music and its friendly welcoming spirit. However, for those people lucky enough to live their it is an exciting place to be as interesting people come and go constantly. There are also many opportunities to enrich yourself through immersion in cultural activities and now visitors can do the same, as our reporter, Rose Button explains.

A wonderful thing about living as an expat in Fez is that I meet some amazing people - expats and locals - with different backgrounds, stories and talents. From writers, journalists and photographers, to food experts, engineers, bankers, restaurateurs, entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, web designers, interior designers, yoga teachers, marketing experts, teachers and artisans, we all have one thing in common - that we have chosen Fez, Morocco as our home for this part of our lives. I am able to mix with people that I would not meet in my ‘normal’ life in England and New Zealand.

As well as being a great source of conversation and amazement, the variety of skills on offer also provides an opportunity to learn a new skill from an expert. This is why I decided to embark on a Creativity Workshop with Sefrou based artist, Jess Stephens (Morocco Bling).

Let me first paint the picture: I have worked as a process engineer for 12 years and I last did art two decades ago at high school. As a process engineer, my professional life is in the pharmaceuticals industry. This means I am problem solving, making things work, making systems safer and making more product for less money. It mainly involves thinking and more thinking, then ensuring sure it all functions. My motivation for meeting with Jess and doing her creativity workshop was that I wanted to open up my creative side in a way that I could learn to use this in my everyday life as an engineer, which I regard as very uncreative.

Rose and Jess

At my first meeting with Jess, she encouraged me to explore what I really wanted to get out of the course and we set out on what she referred to as a creative snowball - and snowball we did. My course was one-on-one tuition to learn techniques so that I would notice details when I look at life around me, then to sketch these with an open mind and not worry if what I was doing was right or wrong. What was important was I was being creative and present with life in that moment. Before this, I would be afraid to try something, in case I didn’t do it using the correct technique.

Jess guided me through the process, and also participated with me so that I saw how a ‘real artist’ would do things. She adapted to my style; quickly learning what I liked and enjoyed creating, then helping me to develop it in organic way. We started with a variety of papers and what artists describe as ‘mark makers’-anything that makes a mark on a piece of paper, including pens, pencils, pastels, crayons and highlighters. In our first session, I learned about different mark makers and drew what was around me on my Fez roof terrace - without looking at the piece of paper so that I wouldn't worry about the end result. Eek! This sent my structured brain into turmoil, but with Jess’s guidance I was able to relax into this and learn more techniques.

At the end of the first session, we ripped my drawings into the pieces to make a collage. During the next session I learnt more techniques, such as using chalk and how to use shade and colour to sketch an object. Again, the bits I liked were cut out and we added to my collage. From the collage I did more drawing; adding colours, using different mark makers and having fun. It didn’t matter if I made a mistake, I was allowing my mind to think freely in that moment. Jess encouraged me to use mark makers from my home – spices, tea bags, beetroot, anything I could find and with this I learned that I could be creative anywhere and with any media.

This was thinking outside the box and so it was a surprise that I ended up by creating a box! (See photo above) I saw that by going with the flow of the creative process, I ended up making something that came together well.

I also learnt which styles of art I like and this has has inspired me to want to do the next stage that Jess can offer; to learn further techniques to apply to my art, such as drawing and painting. She has given me an artist’s set of papers, pencils, pastels and pens, so that I can continue to be creative. Last night I found myself sitting in a cafe sketching what was around me.

One surprise for me was to see just how other parts of my life are creative. Even in my engineering job I recognise a problem and then have to be innovative to identify a solution.

As well as art techniques, Jess also offers workshops for working with local artisans in wood craft, embroidery, pottery. Whatever creative aspect you want to explore during a one-off session or longer course while you are visiting Fez is likely to be possible.

Contact Jess Stephens at culture.vulture1@rocketmail.com or +212 645 223 203.

Important New Book on Gender and Violence in the Middle East

Routledge has just published the volume Gender and Violence in the Middle East. This book is edited by the very talented duo, Moha Ennaji and Fatima Sadiqi. Fatima Sadiqi is a Senior Professor of Linguistics and Gender Studies (MA, PhD)and Co-Founder with Moha Ennaji of the International Institute for Languages and Cultures (INLAC) here in Fez, (www.inlac.net). Fatima is also Director of the Isis Center for Women and Development, a UN Gender Expert and President of the National Union of Women's Organizations www.nuwo.org

This book explores the relationship between Islamism, secularism and violence against women in the Middle East and North Africa. Drawing on case studies from across the region, the authors examine the historical, cultural, religious, social, legal and political factors affecting this key issue.


Chapters by established scholars from within and outside the region highlight:

the interconnections of violence and various sources of power in the Middle East: the state, society, and the family
conceptions of violence as family and social practice and dominant discourse
the role of violence as pattern for social structuring in the nation state.

By centring the chapters around these key areas, the volume provides an innovative theoretical and systematic research model for gender and violence in the Middle East and North Africa. Dealing with issues that are not easily accessible in the West, this book underlines the importance of understanding realities and problems relevant to Muslim and Arab societies and discusses possible ways of promoting reforms in the MENA region. As such it will be of great interest to students and scholars of gender studies, sociology, political science and criminal justice.

Fez Medina “roadworks” for fresh drinking water

As The View from Fez team are travelling in Europe, our correspondents on the ground in Morocco have been hard at work keeping us up to date with all the developments. Today, Anita Breland, from the blog Anita's Feast, reports on the massive amount of work being done by the regional water authority, RADEEF.

The thunk, thunk, chink, scruffle of stones being overturned is insistent, following the gently sloping incline of the street to my house. A light breeze catches a whiff of fresh earth and loops it into the house, along with a new layer of dust. A metre-deep hole materializes at the doorstep, just outside the front door. RADEEF is on the march.

Since last Wednesday, a crew of workmen in luminescent vests has been chipping and shoveling its way through the neighborhood, spiraling outward from the small square nearby. The men from CAPEP (Construction Assainissement Plomberie Eau Potable) are carrying out RADEEF’s project to upgrade the lines piping drinking water into the Fez Medina. They’ve been at it since the beginning of July, and have five months to go before conversion from the old water delivery system to the new can begin. That process is envisioned to take approximately three months.

In all, 76 workers are employed on the project, shepherded by Fassi site manager Khalid Naji and managed in coordination with an engineering supervisor in Casablanca. By the time they’re done, 24 kilometres of new canalization will be in place under the Medina’s pedestrian streets. Once all the piping is in place, CAPEP crews will return, and moving from house to house, dig down to the new pipes, disconnect water meters from the old system, and connect them to the new one.

Working in ten-metre increments over two days, the crew removes paving stones, digs a channel for new pipes, fits them in and buries them. On the second day, paving stones are re-laid, and the crew moves on. Depending on how many homes will connect to the delivery system at any given location, the pipes used range from eight to twenty centimeters in width. When it’s time to cut the pipes to length, a generator powering the electric grinder ramps up, and adds its whir, along with the fragrance of gasoline, to the mix.

The process is tedious for the crew, working in streets at times less than one meter wide. Mr. Naji says they’re doing their best to allow continued pedestrian traffic through the narrow passageways, but inconvenience is inevitable. Some of the narrower streets have to be barricaded, stopping through traffic altogether. On our street, the trench was on one side, and the mound of excavated dirt on the other. Workers have been attentive to passersby, helping them navigate the worksite, lending a hand and passing shopping bags along to the other side.

Click images to enlarge

 This project is just one of the urban renewal initiatives in the works for the Medina under the auspices of RADEEF. Replacement of the Medina’s antiquated sewage system is also planned, as reported earlier.

Story: Anita Breland
Photographs: Tom Fakler

The View from Fez welcomes all guest contributions sent to: theviewfromfez@gmail.com

The Dagger Makers of Azlag

South Central Morocco has been a melting pot of cultures and ideas for many centuries and is home to many thriving artisan communities. This melding of cultures has produced arts and crafts which are distinct from other African Nations. A fine example of this is craft work of the Azlag Dagger Cooperative from the Berber Village of Azlag in the province of Tinghir. The name Azlag means - “come together.”

The art of dagger making goes back over 700 years in this region of Morocco The cooperative (La Cooperative Artisanale Des Poignards Azlag) was found in the early 1980s with the help of the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism. This group is the only one of its kind in the whole country and their craft is an integral part of Moroccan culture. This traditional handicraft provides a livelihood for over one hundred families (almost 1000 individuals) in the village.

Their handcrafted daggers are a blending of designs from Roman, Jewish, Berber, and Islamic influences. One design is the Southern Cross which represents the constellation the Jews used to guide them through the desert. Another symbol is the Hand of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed, which is said to have had healing powers in her hand. It also represents protection from the evil eye, along with representing the five pillars of Islam. In the local culture, daggers are given as gifts at weddings and at other local celebrations; daggers are common items in household décor.

A dagger made for a wedding present was decorated on one side for the groom and on one side for the bride. The bride’s side usually is made of gold with silver (white) on top to symbolize protection from the hand of Fatima. The groom’s side is usually made only of silver with the Hand of Fatima symbolism throughout the design.

The cooperative is located in the town of El Kelaa M’gouna which is just 90 km East of Ouarzazate and 78 km West of Tinghir on the M-10 – the main road that connects Marrakech to Errachidia. Their site has a large showroom which houses many different styles and sizes of daggers and knives. The location also has over 55 individual work spaces and many of the artisans showcase and sell local jewelry, carpets, hand-woven baskets, rose products and other trinkets from local artisans. Visitors can see the intricate steps of the dagger making process. The showroom is open every day of the week from 10am to 6pm, except during religious holidays where the hours are scaled back.

For more information and to view their photo gallery please visit their Facebook page: Azlag Dagger Cooperative