Rabat – Morocco and Saudi Arabia are willing to work together to develop economic, political, and diplomatic cooperation, affirmed Morocco’s Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani and the President of the Saudi Consultative Assembly (Shura Council) Abdullah Ibn Muhammad Al-Sheikh.
The statement came on Monday, February 24, after a meeting in Rabat.
Al-Sheikh is leading a Saudi delegation on an official visit to Morocco to discuss the means to develop the Moroccan-Saudi relations.
During the meeting, El Othmani welcomed the strong and historical ties uniting Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
The Head of Government also commended the Saudi position on Western Sahara. Saudi Arabia supports Morocco’s Autonomy Plan and has never recognized the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
Meanwhile, the Saudi official remarked on Morocco’s major development projects, citing the Tangier-Med port and the Noor solar power plant.
Al-Sheikh stressed the need to develop diplomatic and parliamentary cooperation on all issues that require coordination between Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Ambassador to Rabat Abdulrahman Gdaia attended the meeting along with several MPs and officials accompanying Al-Sheikh.
Legislative cooperation
Before meeting with the Head of Government, the Saudi official met with the President of Morocco’s House of Representatives, Habib El Malki.
During the meeting, El Malki stressed that parliamentary diplomacy plays an important role in strengthening relations between Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
According to El Malki, parliamentary diplomacy would provide a real impetus for relations between Arab countries to face the challenges of the 21st century.
El Malki commended the good relations between the Moroccan and Saudi legislative institutions and the regular visits of MPs from both countries.
The Moroccan official also thanked Saudi Arabia for its constant support to Morocco’s territorial integrity.
“We thank you for the frank and permanent support both at the regional and international levels for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom and for your support for the autonomy initiative as a final solution to the artificial conflict over the Moroccan Sahara,” said El Malki.
The head of the Moroccan parliament’s lower house called for the strengthening of economic and commercial exchange between Morocco and Saudi Arabia, given the numerous opportunities of cooperation, notably in the fields of air and maritime transport.
Meanwhile, the Saudi official commented that “relations between the two Kingdoms are rooted at all levels and we are working to further develop them.”
Al-Sheikh cited “family tourism” as one of the sectors with the most potential, explaining that Morocco can attract a significant number of Saudi tourists.
Saudi Arabia will contribute financially to several development projects in Morocco, he added.
At the end of the meeting, the Moroccan and Saudi parliaments agreed to officialize their bilateral relations through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.
Warm relations?
The Saudi delegation also met with Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita. The meeting concluded with the planning of an upcoming meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
The visit reinforces the speculation in Moroccan news outlets that King Mohammed VI will soon make an official trip to Saudi Arabia.
While there is no official confirmation of the rumors, the meetings between the Saudi delegation and senior Moroccan officials do confirm that relations between Morocco and Saudi Arabia are healthy.
In February 2019, Morocco recalled its ambassador to Saudi Arabia after Saudi state television network Al Arabiya aired a documentary challenging Morocco’s territorial integrity.
The documentary was broadcast shortly after Morocco withdrew its military forces from the war in Yemen. The Moroccan army was part of the Saudi-led anti-Houthi coalition.
Despite the return of the Moroccan ambassador to Riyadh in April 2019, with a message of “fraternity” from King Mohammed VI to King Salman of Saudi Arabia, rumors about a cool-off in relations between the two Kingdoms continued to spread.
