Rabat – The 2017 Made in Morocco fair, dedicated to promoting Moroccan-made products across Africa, will be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, from September 21 to 24.
The international event is expected to garner more than 40,000 visitors and 100 Moroccan and Ivorian exhibitors from sectors including agri-food, tourism, crafts and real estate. Consequently, the event aims to boost the continent’s economic development as well as the integration and promotion of regional trade within it.
According to Mohammed Rahal Essoulami, president of Rahal Group who are organizing the event, choosing the largest Ivorian city of Abidjan to host the meeting is not arbitrary. “Abidjan is a city full of history, which is why it has been chosen to host the third edition of Made In Morocco.”
Regarding the economic consequences of the fair, Essoulami said that its ” aim is to promote exchanges between Morocco and the continent, and to promote inter-African exchanges for the emergence of Made in Africa”.
The fair will offer African economic players the opportunity to learn about business opportunities in Morocco, establish new professional contacts with their Moroccan counterparts and conquer new markets.
With a “Made in Africa” market, and panel discussions, the “Made in Morocco” will bring together ambassadors of its brand for three days, to highlight the “values of economic and intercultural exchanges and regional integration,” said the organizers.
The organizers added that the event’s main focus is creating a permanent link for inter-African exchanges.
Nadia Chellaoui, a Moroccan artist who will lead a cultural program during the fair, said the event will celebrate art and culture. “We have thought of holding an exhibition by four artists from Morocco and the Ivory Coast to establish a platform for a meeting of cultures and dialogue of civilizations through the arts and culture.”
The two previous editions were organized in 2014 and 2016, both in the Belgian capital of Brussels. Each fair attracted nearly 40,000 visitors and more than 100 exhibitors.
