A week of unrest over price hikes in Morocco

After the arrest on Sunday of some thirty people involved in a demonstration in Sefrou ( near Fez), the British Consulate issued an advice that stated: "This may cause an increased police presence in all major urban areas including Fez. Our advice is to avoid large gatherings and to remain alert at all times."

However Fez has remained quiet although there is widespread discontent over the rise in prices over the last few weeks and highlighted by the Moroccan Association of Human Rights calling for a public reaction. Security services had to intervene to stop angry demonstrators who damaged several educational, administrative and commercial institutions and set fire to private property.

On Tuesday Rabat was the centre of the protests with more than two hundred people staging a sit in to protest against the latest price hikes and the deterioration in public services. The demonstration called for the immediate cancellation of this price increase in basic products as well as in water, electricity and health bills.

Government Reaction

According to Maghreb Arabe Presse the Interior Minister, Chakib Benmoussa, held a meeting with several Moroccan ministers and officials to consider ways to deal with the price hikes that are causing so much unrest. The first response was the lowering of import duties on milk and wheat, suspending taxes and duties on the wholesale market, which it is believed could reduce the price of vegetables by 7%. The price of wheat will be subsidised, a measure that will cost the state some USD37.4Mn per month.


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Inflation & tourist numbers both up

Around 4,3 million tourists visited Morocco during the first seven months of 2007, that is a 10% rise compared with the same period of last year, according to figures released by the Department of Tourism.

The French topped the list with about 1.7 million tourists, followed by the Spanish (795,000), the Belgians (285,000), the British (261,000), the Dutch (211,000), the German (182.000), and the Italians (164,000).

According to the same source, tourist nights in classified hotels posted a 7% increase, reaching some 10 million nights.

The Department noted that Marrakech remains atop the list of highly visited tourist destinations with +11%, followed by Casablanca (+10%), Tangier with 9%, Fez with +7%, Rabat (6%), and Agadir (+3%).

The French and English markets and residents contributed with 65% of the additional nights registered since the turn of the year.

Morocco has developed an ambitious strategy, dubbed "Vision 2010", aimed at attracting 10 million tourists by 2010. This strategy provides for creating 160,000 beds, thus bringing the national capacity to 230,000 beds. It also aims to create some 600,000 new jobs.

The good news on the tourist front was offset by the fact that Moroccan consumer prices rose 2.1 percent in the first eight months of 2007 as housing and food got more expensive, official data showed on Thursday.

Housing prices grew 3.7 percent from the same period a year earlier, while food costs rose 3.0 percent, the High Planning Commission said in a statement. Transport and communication was the only category to decline, falling 1.7 percent.

The headline inflation figure was unchanged from a month earlier. The government envisages an inflation rate of around 2.0 percent this year.

Inflation for 2006 was 3.3 percent, above a government forecast of 2.0 percent because of higher oil prices and a severe drought that cut domestic crops and made food more costly.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Ramadan in Morocco

Ramadan Mobarak Said and 3washar Mbarka mass3ouda


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Hidden Gems in the Medina

Lumen has been pounding the streets, searching for hidden gems in the Fez medina that only the locals know about.


One such secret place is Ba Bouchta's Cafe in Sagha Square. The Square itself is definitely worth a visit. Coming down Tala'a Kebira towards the Attarine, take a left before the souqs and head north. This will take you through the Jouteya fresh produce market that rivals the other markets at Boujloud and R'cif. Keep going and you'll happen upon Sagha Square which has one of the most magnificent fonduks in the medina ... fabulous mashrabiya panels around the balconies and even a large set of scales (man-size - Japanese tourists were being weighed when we were there) for weighing fleeces. There's also a fountain with a qobba roof.

Directly opposite the fonduk is a nicely renovated facade and a flight of stone stairs. Follow these up into a poky L-shaped cafe where you'll find Ba Bouchta himself. Remarkably, water is heated in a copper samovar over a wood fire that he encourages with a pair of bellows; sugar comes in cone-form and is hacked off with a sugar hammer; tea is cheap at only Dh2.5. Under the counter are baskets of charcoal and lots of mint. Very dusty umbrellas hang from a cupboard and the zellij-covered columns are pretty grimy.

It's not going to pass any health and safety tests, but is definitely worth a visit for a little local colour. You can sit on low stools at the open windows and check out the happenings in the square below. Around the corner of the 'L' are a lot of really relaxed men sitting on carpets. A TV blinks from the wall, but the men are far too happy to pay much attention to it.




Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Practical information for tourists in Fez

Is this a hammam?

Recently we have met two distinct types of tourists. Those who did a lot of homework before coming to Fez - others who had done none. Now while there may be great joy in plunging into the unknown, some cities are better enjoyed with some basic information already stored in your head! Fez is such a city.

If you are going to visit Fez in the future it pays as our first group of tourists did, to study up. The quality of their time in Fez was enhanced by already having basic tourist information about currency, drinking water, the geography, climate and history. The couple we interviewed already knew the names of the main streets in the Medina and where the most famous buildings were located. Their time in Fez was maximised by having done the homework.

There are a lot of internet sites with practical tourist information such as maps of the Fez Medina and suggestions for sightseeing and so on and our links will also take you to some of the better ones. For restaurants you can see a guide here : Fez Restaurants or our listings with photographs Fez Food Guide




For those who are new to The View from Fez, this is a reminder that you can search the site using the search box at the top of the home page. We have hundreds of stories rangiing from renovation to culture, antiques to music and, of course, all the gossip and news.

If you are interested in buying property in Morocco or a riad in Fez, then it would be worthwhile browsing our Moroccan Property pages.

Lifestyle issues ( restaurants, bar guides and accomodation) can be found on The View from Morocco.

The free classified advertising pages are at ArtiZany

Other quick links:

Eating out in Casa

Eating out in Fez

Marrakech guide

Meknes bar guide

Tangier Bars

Rent a Fez Riad

Some basic contacts:

Police-Emergencies phone number is 19
For the Fire Brigade phone 15
If you have a car breakdown or want to report an accident to the police - 177
It is wise to post valuable articles from the Central Post Office · Grande Poste, on the corner of Avenue Mohammed V and Hassan II.
There is an all-night pharmacy Av. Abdelkrim El Khattabi - Tel: 62.33.80
Omar Drissi Hospital is in Place de l'Istiqlal (phone) 63.45.51
For Ghassani Hospital phone 62.27.76 / 77
Tourism Office · Place de la Résistance, Tel: 62.34.60 / 62.62.97
Railway Station · Rue Imarate Arabia - Tel: 62.50.01
Fès - Saïss Airport · Route d'Imouzzer - Tel: 62.47.12 / 62.43.00
Royal Air Maroc · 52, avenue Hassan II - Tel: 62.04.56 / 57
Renting a Riad in the Medina contact: http://www.fez-riads.com

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Faces in the Medina

Observant people-watchers in the Medina will have been quick to spot the latest addition to the Medina. No, not a tourist, but a visitor who has taken up residence in a local private riad and will be here for at least the next seven months.

Karina Duebner is working on a fabrics project in the Medina. Back in London she designs one-off pieces from fabric sourced in various central Asian republics - something she does herself. Hence, she is obviously a very accomplished traveller and a welcome addition to Fez.

I am sure all the locals will give her a very warm welcome.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news