Street Art in Oujda

An exhibition of giant mural frescoes called "kharbachat"was inaugurated in Oujda last Friday. The works is the initiative of an association for culture and development, the Collective Tzouri. "Tzouri" is an expression in the Amazigh language which means "beauty"

Carried out in the heart of the old medina, these works include a portrait of an elderly man and paintings depicting large bird wings, the aim being to preserve the intangible heritage and bring people closer to contemporary art. and modern.

"By working in consultation with the locals, we took the initiative to beautify alleys of the old medina through canvases inspired by local traditions and culture," Mohamed Momo, president of Collectif Tzouri. 

Street art allows young people to unleash their creativity and give life and color to the walls, Mohamed Momo said, noting that the association has already undertaken similar initiatives on the painting of pedestrian crossings in the city centre of Oujda, which have become a true work of art, with the aim of raising the awareness of pedestrians and motorists alike about road safety.

The result of a collaboration with the Moulay Slimane Foundation of Oujda, this exhibition shows a multitude of paintings in shimmering colours allowing people to enjoy the beauty and the expressive dimension of the murals. Created in 2016 the Collectif Tzouri is interested in music, audio-visual and visual arts.

SHARE THIS!

Upcoming Moroccan Festivals

Another big event this year in Marrakech. The Oasis Festival is back for a third edition, from the 14th to 17th of September, bringing together the best of the national and international electronic music scene

For its third edition, the biggest festival of electronic music of Morocco provides a rich and varied programme. This year, the organisers have appealed to an array of world-renowned artists, such as the great Richie Hawtin, known for his taste for technological innovation, and the American-Chilean musician, Nicolas Jaar, who, since its inception, has traced line of sophisticated electronic music.

In a very short time, the Oasis festival allowed Morocco to become a long-term player on the map of the festival destinations, and, faithful to its vocation, the festival continues to participate in the emergence of the Moroccan electronic scene, with the participation of founding father Unes, rising star, Jaza, and the new ambassador of Moroccan electronic music, Amine K and many others.

For the organisers, the 2017 edition is the most impressive in terms of programming since the creation of the festival in 2015. For this year they decided to add an extra day with the official opening party taking place on Thursday September 14th, when the popular Solomun will make his first Moroccan appearance.

The Tanjazz Festival will rock Tangier from the 14th to 17th of September. After paying tribute to the women of jazz during its previous edition, it is the turn of young talent to shine in the spotlight

To celebrate its 18th anniversary, there will be five musical stages with more than 120 singers and musicians during the 55 concerts.

"We wanted to introduce the public to the new voices of jazz, which will perhaps be the headliners of tomorrow," says Philippe Lorin, director of the Tanjazz festival. These are, nevertheless, confirmed artists that Lorin, also artistic director of the event, went to look for in different festivals in the world. "I could listen to these artists by traveling, receiving applications, but also by browsing the web, like everyone else," he says.

Spectators will be able to dance to the rhythm of New Orleans thanks to a rich program and artists from here and elsewhere, such as the 18-year-old Spanish trumpeter and singer Rita Payès, who will open the ball on stage at the BMCI Palais, the Croatian pianist and singer Daniel Čačija, and the quartet by Janis Peruzzi, whose composition combines the rhythms of jazz with oriental sounds.

Other artists are expected, among others, to be headliners, the composer and interpreter of Moroccan-Syrian origin, Samia Tawil, with influences both RnB and funk, the Austrian duo Michaela Rabitsch and Robert Pawlik, Nicolle Rochelle  and Hot Antic Jazz Band and many others.

While the Jazz is appreciated by the Moroccan public and is at the core of two other major festivals in Morocco, the Jazzablanca festival in the economic capital and the Jazz at the Chellah in Rabat, it remains, nevertheless, very little played by the local musicians. Tanjazz's artist list includes only two artists of Moroccan origin (Samia Tawil and Teema) this year.

Oujda hosts the 4th Blouza Festival

The Blouza is a costume or dress originally, from the town of Tlemcen. The blouza (strangely) resembles the low-cut dresses and cuffs of Joséphine, the wife of Napoleon I. Some claim its design was a way of paying tribute to the Emperor, who for a time thought of emancipating the natives from the French colonies, La blouza is traditionally worn by married and middle-aged women. It is long and sewn in one piece or two. It is curved at the waist, is worn with short sleeves, the décolleté and the back are worked in pearls and traditional refined embroideries sewn on to form the part covering the whole chest. Today it is widespread and very popular in the cities of the Orientale region of Morocco, specifically in Oujda

The 4th edition of the Blouza Festival will take place from the 7th to 10th of September in Oujda on the initiative of the Eastern Association for Development (AOD), under the theme "Blouza, a cultural tributary of the western Mediterranean"

Initiated in partnership with the Oriental Development Agency, the 4th edition of this cultural event, which aims to perpetuate the heritage of the region, and  to encourage stylists to innovate and to produce quality works.

To highlight the Mediterranean anchorage of culture and heritage of the Kingdom, this edition will be marked by the presence of Moroccan and foreign specialists in the field, giving them the opportunity to discover, according to the AOD, "the intrinsic ties of our common heritage and thus bring an international dimension to our Festival ".

"This Festival will also be an opportunity to promote the work of craftswomen in order to create income-generating activities through the creation of cooperatives and thus highlight the specificities of the Oriental in the framework of advanced regionalisation advocated by the Kingdom" - AOD

The program of the Festival includes discussions on the festival theme, stands to exhibit and market artisan products, and a fashion show that will highlight the work of stylists and craftsmen and women.

"A few decades ago, the Oujdie woman and the Oriental in general were proud to conceive their Blouza themselves and to shape it under different cuts and models. This is the main reason why the Blouza has become a heritage, "says the President of the AOD

He added that the Blouza Oujdia, which had almost been put away in the antique shops and disappeared, is regaining its titles of nobility, thanks to the efforts made in particular in the framework of this event, which made it possible to reinforce the concept Blouza and promote this traditional dress of the city of Oujda and the Region.

SHARE THIS!

Huge Jump in Major Movie Production in Morocco

Last year foreign film projects in Morocco injected more than $120 million USD (1,075 million Dirhams) into the economy. There were more than thirty foreign films as well as major TV productions. The list of films included A Hologram for the King, Mission Impossible 5, The Red Tent and Queen of the Desert.  With a 420% increase on the previous year, it was a great result for Morocco and the upswing appears set to continue

Now comes the news that the next film in the James Bond franchise will have scenes filmed in Morocco. The film, Spectre, to be directed by Sam Mendes, will be based at the UK's Pinewood Studios, with location shoots in London, Mexico City, Rome and Tangier and Erfoud, here in Morocco. Spectre, as Bond fans will know, stands for "Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion".

Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes

According to film industry insiders in Morocco Sam Mendes and Bond star Daniel Craig recently visited Oujda in search of a location for shooting a train sequence. According to Zakaria Alaoui from Zak Productions the requirement was for a non-electrified train.

Daniel Craig filmed in Oujda

It appears they were happy with what they found as a crew will return in June for a ten day shoot which will include scenes in the desert and Tangier. Alaoui says the filming is on a such a scale that it will require at least four months preparation. He and Zak Productions last worked on Mission Impossible 5 which, according to Alaoui, boosted the local economy to the tune of $30 million.

Alaoui received a career tribute at this years Marrakech Film Festival.

International Correspondent Elsa Keslassy, writing for Variety, agrees that 2014 was a good year for Moroco after three or four years downturn in the wake of the so-called Arab Spring. Along with Mission Impossible 5, Keslassy sites two other major U.S. productions that filmed in Morocco in 2014 - Tom Tykwer’s  A Hologram for the King, an adaptation of Dave Eggers’ novel starring Tom Hanks as a struggling American businessman who travels to Dubai to get a fresh start, and Werner Herzog’s Queen of the Desert with Nicole Kidman as British explorer and diplomat Gertrude Bell.

Karim Debbagh at Kasbah Films, a production company with offices in Germany and Morocco, co-produced Hologram. The movie was supposed to be filmed in Saudi Arabia, but after the production failed to get a shooting permit, Debbagh arranged for the filming to take place in Morocco.

A Hologram for the King filmed for 40 days in Morocco with a crew of 250 technicians and invested $5 million in Morocco (out of a $25 million budget), said Debbagh, who described the film as character-driven and praised Hanks for his down-to-earth behaviour and friendliness during the shoot.

Queen of the Desert, meanwhile, shot for two months in the country with Kidman, along with James Franco, Damian Lewis and Robert Pattinson.

“A driving force behind the foreign productions surge is the big comeback of bible-themed shows and movies,” explained Abderrazzak Zitouny, head of the Ouarzazate film commission.

Morena Baccarin and Rebecca Ferguson in “The Red Tent.”

Ouarzazate, a picturesque city located in southern Morocco, and its Atlas Film Studios remain attractive backdrops for such film and series projects. Lifetime’s miniseries The Red Tent shot there this year on an epic scope. Starring Morena Baccarin and Rebecca Ferguson,  The Red Tent is an adaptation of Anita Diamant’s bestseller retelling a short chapter of the New Testament centring on the fate of Dinah, the strong-willed daughter of Jacob. Debbagh, who line-produced the two-part miniseries for Sony Pictures Television, said it required over 2,000 extras.

A flurry of upcoming biblical or related projects have also chosen Morocco. Among them: King Tut, the six-part series about the youngest Pharaoh to rule Ancient Egypt, produced by Canada’s Muse for Spike TV (with local company K Films); The Book of Dead, the Weinstein Company’s Egyptian detective series (with Kasbah Films); and Chris Menaul’s Killing Jesus, starring Dominic West (with Dune Films).

On top of the diversity of landscapes and professionalism of crews, the country’s offers the full support and hospitality provided by authorities, including King Mohammed VI ( a movie buff), Morocco’s Film Institute (CCM), the Ouarzazate film commission and locals.

As The View from Fez reported at the time, for the shoot of Mission Impossible 5, Moroccan authorities allowed the production to block the main freeway between Marrakech and Agadir for three weeks. Locals didn’t protest even though it caused a deviation of 40 kilometres. “Anywhere else, blocking a major freeway for that long and for the needs of a movie would have caused uproar, but in Morocco we know how beneficial these foreign film productions are to our economy,” pointed out Zitouny.

Many U.S. productions pair European and Moroccan shooting locations. “American producers opt to film abroad because it’s cheaper than shooting in the U.S. and also, in many cases, because it increases production values and international appeal,” argued Zitouny,  citing Mission Impossible 5, which shot in London, Vienna and Morocco.

In addition to fuelling the local economy, American productions have also benefited the local film industry by giving crews and actors high-standard training.

Today, Morocco boasts Africa’s biggest pool of qualified technicians and well-established film schools: Marrakech’s Superior School of Visual Arts, ISMAC in Rabat and Ouarzazate film institute.

Morocco is, however, increasingly challenged by South Africa, which offers attractive locations as well as a tax rebate and cheaper crews.

Local industry players are therefore lobbying lawmakers to establish a competitive tax incentive.

Looking ahead, industry insiders across the board agree on the need to produce even more high-skilled technicians and actors who speak English, as well as build additional high-profile hotels to host more than three major productions at a time.


SHARE THIS!

Drug and Smuggling Crackdown in Morocco

The first two months of 2013 have been a busy and successful time for police in Morocco. During that time a large number of arrests have been made particularly for incidents of smuggling and drug trafficking

In the latest incident in Casablanca police at Mohamed V airport arrested a Brazilian man attempting to fly to Europe with 90 capsules of cocaine in his stomach, a total more than one kilo. Security guards became suspicious when the 35 year old man became increasingly nervous going through security. An ultrasound was performed to confirm the presence of the ingested packages. According to initial statements by the arrested man, the capsules were ingested in São Paulo and he intended to take them to Europe. In October, a Nigerian died at the Casablanca airport after the collapse of 76 capsules which he concealed in his stomach.

The police prefecture of Oujda this week seized more than three tons of gasoline during a smuggling control operation. They also impounded three light vehicles, trucks and buses. During the operation 290 people were also arrested. An international network of drug trafficking, which operated using zodiac inflatable boats, was also dismantled during the same period and several people wanted by the judicial police were arrested in Nador. The police reported the seizure of large sums of money.

It has been a productive time for the police prefecture of Oujda who announced they had arrested 4,560 people during the first two months of 2013. Those detained are suspected of being involved in various crimes and misdemeanors. Among those arrested in 1210 were sought at the national level.

These operations have resulted in the seizure of more than 235 kg of marijuana, 24 kg of hashish, 77 grams of cocaine, 56 grams of heroin, 4,160 packets of contraband cigarettes and 1150 and psychotropic pills.

The 2012 report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) confirmed the major role of Morocco in the export of cannabis, especially to Europe, its biggest market.

SHARE THIS!

Train Derailment Near Fez ~ 46 Injured

Forty-six people were injured in the derailment of a train just northeast of  Fez on Thursday night.  Fortunately nobody was killed and the injured were evacuated to hospitals in Fez to receive the necessary treatment. The injuries were described as relatively minor.

LATEST UPDATE REPORTS ONE DEATH

The train involved in the accident was making the journey from Oujda to Marrakech. The accident happened at 6.45 pm, just prior to the time when passengers were preparing to break their Ramadan fast. The train was due to arrive in Fez at 7pm.

According to news reports the accident  took place on a straight section of the line and involved three carriages. First reports say it was caused by the poor condition of the railway lines and lack of maintenance. Passengers on the train expressed their anger at the state of the Moroccan railways.

An investigation has been initiated by the Moroccan National Railways (ONCF).



MOROCCO WORLD NEWS has a further report...

MWN has been so close to the incident of the train composed of nine wagons which deviated from its railway of Oujda-Fez line. Four wagons in the middle were capsized, while the second and the eighth stayed full but outside the railway.

The incident that occurred a few minutes before Sunset prayers shocked the inhabitants of the region. The first snippet of news pointed that the incident was caused when the train deviated from its way whilst going in a dangerous zig in Dhar Mehraz forest nearby the American restaurant of fast food (MacDonalds). The victims were immediately transferred to Hassan II hospital in Fez.

People had different views vis-à-vis the dreadful incident. Some of them ascribed it to the bad situation of the railway in this area known for eroded soil due to floods. Others believed that the driver was going at a high speed in the dangerous narrow zig.

As it has heard of the derailment, the local authorities hastened to the site of the incident and prevented the families of the victims from approaching due to safety and security reasons.

The Office National des Chemins de Fer (National Office of Railways) attributed the incident to unknown people who might have damaged the railway.

According to the office, these unknown people might have stolen some bars from the railway, a fact which brought about the deviation of the train. The office condemned such irresponsible act and promised to chase the evil doers.

The same source interviewed added that the security staff working for the ONCF, supported by the local authorities rushed to the site to rescue give the victims.

Investigations are still ongoing to unravel the mystery of the incident.


SHARE THIS!

Raï Festival in Oujda

The international festival of Raï is in full swing in Oujda and continues until the 14th of July. The top events of  Eastern Morocco's most anticipated summer festival will see major concerts next weekend,  with regional, national and international stars of Raï.

Raï is a music style that originated in Algeria in the 1930s. It appealed to young people who sought to modernize the traditional Islamic values and attitudes. Regional, secular, and religious drum patterns, melodies, and instruments were blended with Western electric instrumentation.

The sixth international festival of Raï  organised by the Association Oujda Arts began on July 5th and runs until the 14th. It will culminate at the end of this week with major concerts on July 12, 13 and 14 with the organisers expecting to attract over 700,000 spectators.

Cheb (and Chebba) Khaled, Bilal, Mami, Faudel, Zahouania, Cheb Abbes, Simo El Aissaoui Mouss Maher, the greater will be there, along with local stars came from Nador, Guercif Ahfir, not to mention Oujdis.

While the theme is rai, Moroccan popular and modern music is not forgotten, with Statia and Fnaire billed to appear. Belgian group "107 Quater" will present pieces of rock & roll mixed at Rai in their show "Rock Raï".

Street performances are dedicated this year to Africa with the participation of 10 African troops in Djibouti, Comoros, Niger, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Equatorial Guinea, Burundi, Chad, Congo without forget Morocco.

The festive atmosphere facing the East along this event will be enhanced by an evening of laughter hosted by Hamdi Duo, Lawia, Lefhama and comedian Abdelkader Sector.

Arts and crafts will be celebrated by the female "Dar Maalma Expo 2012" from July 10 to 15, and will highlight the expertise held by women of the East and other regions of Morocco, but also Algeria, Mauritania and Tunisia.

The visual arts are not forgotten with the meeting "histoireS2rives", which will celebrate the French-Moroccan artist Delilah Alaoui, Wednesday, July 11th at 18:30 at the gallery Moulay El Hassan.





Visit the Festival site here

SHARE THIS!

Ryanair v Morocco - So Far a Scoreless Draw

There is no doubt that there is a tough game of bluff being played between Morocco and Ryanair. However, as The View from Fez suggested (see story here) , the ambit claims are simply opening moves in a longer tussle. Ryanair's cuts, of 34 weekly services from October, represent about 15% of its seats – less dramatic than it would like the public and ONDA (the Moroccan Office National Des Aéroports) to believe – and still leaving it #2 after Royal Air Maroc. Ryanair disputes the imposition of a new monopoly handling company claiming it will mean “a massive increase in charges.” The airline has had a combative relationship with many European airport authorities in recent years and has not hesitated to reduce services when faced with higher costs.

There is no doubt that, for a number of reasons, airline growth in Morocco has stalled and that now is probably the wrong time for ONDA to be trying to stare-down Ryanair. 

After a phenomenal period of growth that saw passenger numbers Morroccan airports double from 7.7 million in 2004 to 15.4 million in 2010, last year saw passenger traffic grew just 2%. The rapid growth can be almost completely explained by Morocco’s decision to sign an ‘open-skies’ agreement with the EU in December 2005, opening the way for Europe’s route hungry low-cost carriers to explore a new, tourist-friendly region only just a little bit further away than the south Spain resorts.

Closer analysis of the figures for 2012 provided by ONDA shows that the French market is down only 4%, but that demand from the rest of Europe has dropped 12%. Curiously the domestic Moroccan market itself is down just under 10%.

Passenger numbers at the country’s three biggest airports (Casablanca, Marrakech and Agadir) remained almost unchanged in 2011 with growth coming from Nador (+29%), Tangier (+11%) and Oujda (+10%). As a result Nador has leapfrogged Oujda to be the country’s sixth busiest airport. Casablanca handled 7.3 million passengers in 2011.

Ryanair Still #2 in Morocco

Morocco’s national carrier Royal Air Maroc still accounts for almost half of all scheduled seat capacity at the country’s airports, although its share has fallen slightly compared with last summer. Second-ranked Ryanair recently announced that it plans to axe 34 weekly services from 1 October, representing around 15% of its Moroccan summer seat capacity, including all flights at Oujda. However, this will still leave it as the second biggest carrier in the Moroccan market.

A significant development has been the decision by local TUI subsidiary, jet4you, to become part of Belgian TUI subsidiary Jetairfly. This explains the big jump in Jetairfly’s market share since last summer.

The Moroccan low-cost airline Jet4you, was started in 2005, but "since its inception, the Moroccan airline ran at an annual loss," says Hans Vanhaelemeesch, a spokesman for Jetairfly.

Due to its small size Jet4you was hit hard by the economic crisis. This strategic merger will involve staff, flights, and planes as well as costing 39 Moroccan jobs with another 259 at risk. Jetairfly carried 2.2 million travellers in 2011. In 2012, its fleet will comprise 20 aircraft, mostly new generation Boeing 737s. The close collaboration between the two companies will enhance their position as well as create an opportunity to strive for further growth.

Air France has almost doubled its market share thanks to the launch of services to Casablanca and Marrakech from its new regional bases in Marseille and Toulouse. Another carrier to significantly increase its market share in Morocco since last year is British Airways, which has taken over bmi’s Agadir, Casablanca and Marrakech services, although the Marrakech service does not operate in winter.

Emirates is now ranked inside the top 12 and has gained market share by replacing its daily A340-500 service with the larger 777-300ER. Qatar Airways and Etihad also serve Casablanca from their hubs in the Middle East.

New routes this summer from five Moroccan airports

Compared with last summer there have been rather fewer new airline services starting this summer but Air France, germanwings (which has not previously served Morocco), and Ryanair, have each launched three new services.

Airport	Destination (Airline, start date, weekly frequency)
Casablanca	Cologne/Bonn (germanwings, 6 June, 1) Malaga (Hellitt Lineas Aereas, 4 May, 4) Toulouse (Air France, 2 April, 3)
Marrakech	Marseille (Air France, 25 March, 3) Toulouse (Air France, 1 April, 2)
Nador	Cologne/Bonn (germanwings, 30 March, 1-2) Frankfurt Hahn (Ryanair, 27 March, 2) Girona (Ryanair, 25 March, 2)
Oujda	Madrid (Air Europa, 24 July, 1) Marseille (Ryanair, 27 March, 2)
Tangier	Cologne/Bonn (germanwings, 7 June, 1)

SHARE THIS!

Oujda's fire-ravaged souk - 10 Million to rebuild

 "The whole is a mass of ingredients marinated in soot and arranged in the geometry of ugliness and horror."

Souk Melilla in Oujda is in ashes after a fire ravaged it in the early morning of August 26. The day before it had been crowded - a teeming bazaar filled with women clutching their offspring, circulating between lanes made too narrow due to the piled items, It was a festive sight, richly arranged, beautifully dressed models and items such as banners hanging above the heads of shoppers who came out in droves to buy or stroll. One day later it was was gone, destroyed by a fire that is believed to have started from a faulty electricity generator used to light some of the shops.




According to witnesses the fire lasted for almost 23 hours and destroyed 1068 shops and over 300 other stalls. The following day the souk had been reduced to  "...just a mixture of black water,of charred wood, ash, hot, acrid smoke, corroded plastic, the remains of items consumed or half consumed, curtains ripped, broken glass and ceramic materials of all kinds in a disorder of the Apocalypse. The whole is a mass of ingredients marinated in soot and arranged in the geometry of ugliness and horror."

The timing of the fire, coming as it did, shortly before Eid Al Fitr and the new school term, could not have been worse. Merchants who had invested their savings in order to satisfy customers' Eid purchases, lost everything. In some cases the situation is desperate, as many traders bought on credit intending to use their profits to repay the loans.

According to oujdacity.net,  even as the fire raged through the first of the shops, the looters were already at work, "as if they had made an appointment". Armed with clubs, knives and swords, they turned on merchants who were trying to save what they could of their goods. And shops whose owners had closed earlier, were opened and ransacked. There were more looters than traders. The latest reports suggest that police have arrested some 70 people accused of looting and theft during the fire.

The  governor of the prefecture of Oujda, M. El Abdelfettah Humam, met with traders on Monday and signed a partnership agreement for the reconstruction of souk. It defines the conditions for reconstruction of the souk and the nature of the contribution of the various signatories to this project in strict compliance with safety standards and hygiene,  in order to allow traders to resume their activities as soon as possible. The cost of the rebuilding is estimated to be around 10 million dirhams

The merchants undertook to respect the topographical map of the souk, to connect their shops to electricity and sanitation, and to complete the reconstruction work within a maximum three months from the date of signature of the Convention.

For its part, the urban municipality commits to conduct the necessary studies for the preparation of plans, and various other works and equipment (boundary wall, gates of the souk, walkways, paving, sanitary dependencies, mosque.) In addition to contributing to the development of sewerage and drinking water and exemption from rental fees for the merchants shops, until July 2012.

Air Arabia links France and Morocco

Beginning at the end of March this year, Air Arabia will fly between Montpellier in southern France and the cities of Nador, Tangier, Oujda, Fez and Casablanca.

There will be a total of eight flights per week. Montpellier is Air Arabia Maroc’s third destination in the country after Paris and Lyon. Flights between Montpellier and Casablanca originally started on March 28, 2010.

Air Arabia Maroc flights will operate four times per week between Montpellier and Air Arabia Maroc’s hub in Mohamed V International Airport, Casablanca. The LCC (low-cost carrier) will also operate one weekly flight between Montpellier and the cities of Nador, Oujda, Fez and Tangier. Flights details will soon be available on www.airarabia.com.

The Middle East's first low-cost carrier, Air Arabia was established in 2003 by the Ruler of Sharjah and the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates, and is now a publically-listed company based in Sharjah with secondary hubs in Casablanca and Cairo. With its fleet of A320s, Air Arabia’s network includes services within the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent and Europe. Air Arabia has established subsidiary airlines in Morocco and Egypt with local investors in each country. This is part of the airline's strategy to create the first pan-Arab airline.

Air Arabia - new Moroccan flight schedule.

Air Arabia today announced its flights details between new Moroccan airports and European cities for the winter season.

In addition to its primary base at Mohamed V International Airport in Casablanca, starting end of October, 2010, the airline will also operate from Nador, Fez, Tangier and Oujda airports with a frequency of sixteen flights per week between the five Moroccan cities towards Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, Paris and Montpellier
The new schedule:

Wednesday

Casablanca - Fez - Brussels

Casablanca - Oujda - Paris- Casablanca - Fez - Cologne

Casablanca - Tangier - Amsterdam

Sunday

Casablanca - Tangier - Paris

Monday and Thursday

Casablanca - Nador - Amsterdam - Casablanca - Nador - Cologne

Casablanca - Fez - Paris- Casablanca - Oujda - Brussels

Casablanca - Fez - Montpellier - Casablanca - Fez - Paris

Tuesday and Friday

Casablanca - Nador - Paris - Casablanca - Tangier - Paris

Casablanca - Fez - Brussels

Saturday

Casablanca - Fez - Cologne - Casablanca - Oujda - Paris

The airline it will also start direct services to the Egyptian city of Alexandria, from the carrier’s main hub in Mohamed V Airport, Casablanca. Egypt represents the 12th destination on the Air Arabia’s growing network from Morocco. The airline will start its flights to Alexandria on October 4th, 2010.

Moroccan News Briefs

Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity - latest projects

In the eastern city of Oujda on Tuesday HM King Mohammed VI inaugurated an extension of the girls' home (Dar El Fatat) and laid the foundation stone of a disabled centre.

The sovereign was also briefed about the project of a centre for drug addicts. The three projects are financed by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity for an amount of 18.7 million dirhams (2.4 million dollars).

Dar El Fatat is a socio-educational centre that accommodates 160 middle-school girls from poor families. The extension includes a refectory, a kitchen, a library and multi-purpose rooms. The facility also provides extra courses and cultural and sports activities for the residents.

The disabled centre will span over 5000 square meters and offer social and medical care to the mentally disabled. The centre will also have orthopedics workshops and units for rehabilitation, physiotherapy, vocational training, sports activities and socio-professional integration.

The addicts' centre will provide clinical care and psychiatric counseling to drug addicts. The centre worth 5 million dirhams will be built over 3500 square meters at the Oujda University Hospital Center. The facility will include wards for hospitalization, diagnosis, training and research. It will also conduct awareness-raising campaigns and training to combat teenage drug addiction.

Illegal Fast Breaking

An odd story has been brought to light by a security source, who reports that a group of six young Moroccans will be brought to justice for "attempt of incitement to break the fast in public" during Ramadan.


The story, first published by Ennahar Online, said the decision to crack down was taken after the people, including a journalist, tried to organize a Sunday afternoon rally in Mohammedia (80 km south of Rabat) to "break publicly" fasting to protest against a "law punishing non-observance of fasting during Ramadan in Morocco.

The Maghreb Arabe Presse said on Monday that local authorities "had managed to defeat an attempted rally that was to be followed by a public rupture of fasting for the repeal of a penal code".

Moroccan newspapers have confirmed in their Tuesday editions this failed attempt to rally the "non-fasters" in Mohammedia.

This is the first time in Morocco that a group of "non-fasters" appears in public to claim the right not to practice Ramadan, observers note.

The Mohammedia protesters want the abolishment of a Moroccan law that punishes every Muslim openly breaking the fast of Ramadan, before the iftar meal which marks the end of the day.

This attempt to break fast in public has been initiated by the "Movement for alternative defense of individual liberties ", an association hitherto unknown to authorities.

The Council of Ulema (theologians) of Mohammedia denounced the action describing its authors as "agitators". It is an "abhorrent act that defies the teachings of God and of His prophet with everything it implies as serious sanction," said a statement from the theologians.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslim believers are called to abstain from drinking, eating, smoking and sexual intercourse from sunrise to sunset.

Over 2.2 mln expats visited Morocco in the summer of 2009

The number of Moroccan expatiates visiting Morocco in the summer of 2009 reached 2.28 million visitors, that is an increase of 7% compared to a year earlier, the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity said on Tuesday.

The operation of greeting Moroccans living abroad dubbed "Marhaba 2009" took place in "very satisfying" conditions, the Foundation's Communication Director told the TV channel "2M".

For his part, Regional Director of the Ports' National Agency in Tangier, Ahmed Athmani, said 750,000 expatriates passed through the Mediterranean city's port, that is a 2% increase compared to 2008.

Heavy rains cause deadly accident near Rabat

On Tuesday the heavy rainfall which has been falling in different regions in Morocco, caused a deadly accident in the town of Salé, Rabat's twin city.

Four people died and a fifth was injured when a truck collided with a car whose driver failed to control his vehicle because of the combined effect of heavy rains and speeding.

Unusually thick rains poured in a short time in the morning, blocking roads and causing train stops and road accidents in different parts of Salé and the capital Rabat.

One killed and six injured in Casablanca fire.

A violent conflagration that occurred in a welding shop in Casablanca on Saturday left one dead and six injured, three seriously.

According to the Wilaya of Casablanca the preliminary results of the investigation indicate that that incident happened while a sheet-metal worker was carrying out welding on a boiler.

The shop was seriously damaged, the Wilaya said in a statement, adding that the injured were taken to a local hospital to receive treatment, and that an investigation into the incident was launched.

Focus on Oujda - Morocco's frontier city

From time to time The View from Fez turns the spotlight on our favourite Moroccan towns and cities. Today we focus on Oujda - an ideal destination for the perfect weekend escape or longer vacation.

.

(click on image to enlarge)

The capital of eastern Morocco, Oujda stands on the border with Algeria. Its privileged geographic position makes it a center for Maghreb tourism and a meeting point of routes between Morocco and other North African countries.

Oujda was founded in the tenth century by Ziri Ben Attia, chief of the Meghraoua tribe, and remained the capital of his kingdom for 80 years. It successively housed the Almoravide and Almohade dynasties, both of whom fortified the city. King Merinide Abou Youssef rebuilt the city in 1297, constructing new walls and a Kasbah, mosque and palace. Moulay Ismail was one of the sovereigns who did most to develop the city.

Oujda is the only place in the country where you can move from a mountainous landscape to the sea and the desert in a single day. Oujda was built on the plain of Angad, which is surrounded by one of the most beautiful mountainous regions in Morocco: the Beni-Snassen Mountains. The mountains reach 450 metres and include the Zegzel valley with its gorges, waterfalls and caves. Many streams run from the northern slopes to irrigate the well-kept gardens and orchards. Crossing these imposing mountains affords a magnificent panoramic view of Oujda.

The old medina walls

The old medina in Oujda is separated from the new city by walls which are evidence of the city's past, and in which there are four monumental gateways: Bab Ouled Amran, Bab Sidi Aissa, Bab Sidi Abdelwahab and Bab Ahl Jam Al. The Grand Mosque (Al Kabir) built in the thirteenth century is one of the city's finest monuments and has three magnificent fountains. The Merinid medersa dates back to 1335.

Bab Sidi Abdelwahab

A walk through the medina is an agreeable experience and leads to the "Kissaria", where shops vie with one another with their local handicraft displays. Through a gateway at the end of this square a courtyard flanked by arches houses the weavers working away enthusiastically on their traditional looms to sounds reminiscent of African rythms.

The Place du Souk El Ma (The Water Market), where market gardeners used to come to draw water to irrigate their land, is worth a visit. A stone's throw from here is Souk El Knadsa, selling a wide range of traditional items. Oujda market is also nearby. Along the city walls surrounding the Kasbah stretches the Lalla Meriem Park, perfect for a rest amid the beauty and freshness of exotic vegetation. The Museum of Traditional Arms of the Oujda region is located in the park. Take time to check out Dar Sebti, a fabulous palace built in 1938 by a local businessman. It is now a centre for cultural activities.

Lalla Ai'cha Park, close to the medina, covers more than 20 ha. It was created in 1935 and contains swimming pools as well as tennis and horse-riding clubs.

To experience a local market visit the oasis of Sidi Yahya on a Friday. The village is just 6k from Oujda and is a meeting place for a range of religious and ethnic groups. Other nearby towns worth a visit include Tafoghalt (60k) at the heart of the mountains, Sidi Maafa, from where you can climb Jbel Alhamra, Tgafai't, 25k east of the mining town of Jerada, has beautiful gardens and gorges.

Saidia

Further afield (60 km) is the beautiful seaside resort of Saidia. Nicknamed the "Blue Pearl", Saidia is located on the delightfully named Kiss wadi, a natural border between Morocco and Algeria. The 14km long beach is not only the longest in Morocco, but its fine golden sand make it one of the finest in the country

The entire region is becoming much easier to visit thanks to the new motorway between Oujda and Fez as well as the expansion of the Oujda airport.

The locals.

The people of Oujda have a reputation for being rather reserved, but their hospitality is indisputable. Take time to get to know them and their directness translates into a real sincerity. The local dialect is also different - with the absence of the verbal prefix "ka" in the progressive present tense.

Musicians in Oujda

The Music.

The music is as varied and rich as the region itself, with rai, chaabi, Berber, Rifian and Andalusian influences. The Chiouks are guardians of the local traditions and perform both religious and secular music. Laalaoui or Regada dancing is popular and involves dances standing shoulder to shoulder in lines. There are also several Goums (fantasia) groups on horseback and Bardia who were once foot soldiers.

Info snapshot

Climate:

The semi-desert climate means that from mid-May it gets hot! Up to 45 degrees Celsius in summer.

Festivals:

Film Festival in March

Rai Festival in July

Transport:

Railway links include Algeria to the east and Fez, Rabat and Casablanca to the west, and Bouarfa in the south.

By Air, Oujda is serviced by a certified international airport, Oujda Angads, 13 km to the north of the city. A new terminal is to be added which will bring the capacity to 2 million passengers a year.

Taxi services are the same as in all Moroccan cities, with red "petits taxis" and the white "grands taxis".

Tags blogsherpa, Morocco