Rabat – Hakim Hajoui, Morocco’s Ambassador to the UK, attended a high-level business meeting on Wednesday at the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, where he spoke to British investors about the vast investment business opportunities Morocco offers as a gateway to Africa.
The meeting was held under the theme of “Morocco Gateway of Africa” and included representatives from Casablanca Finance City (CFC) who also presented to British investors the investment opportunities in Morocco.
Hakim Hajoui highlighted the various steps that Morocco is taking to make its economic sectors more attractive, such as notable investments in research and training for the country’s young workforce.
The meeting is part of a wider campaign that Morocco has been conducting to attract foreign investment to the country.
“Morocco Now,” the kingdom’s investment brand, is currently engaged in a visit to London, where senior Moroccan officials are meeting with investors and businessmen, and also advertising the kingdom’s economic potential.
Morocco Now is displaying advertisements on London’s iconic double-decker buses.
Before London, Morocco Now’s vibrant logo appeared on Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the iconic Times Square, as well as Japan’s Shibuya Crossing.
The brand is launching a Roadshow which will take place between the 21st and 23rd of March, where meetings will be held with businesspeople and investors, as was the case during the brand’s other roadshows in other countries like India and the UAE.
Read Also: Is ‘Morocco Now’ a New Moroccan Standard, or Just Marketing?
Of Morocco’s investment potential, Hajoui said that the country can be a gateway for the entire world, due to its various cooperation agreements with other countries, its leadership position in Africa, and the huge potential that the continent holds.
Africa is emerging as an engine for global growth, said the Moroccan ambassador, adding that Morocco has more than 1,000 cooperation agreements with other states that can help investors.
South-South cooperation is at the core of Morocco’s vision, he noted, stressing that the continent’s youth are its main asset.
Owing to his previous experience as a business analyst and consultant dealing with international finance, and his current position as an ambassador and diplomat, Hajoui would play a crucial role in deepening the improving economic links between Morocco and post-Brexit Britain.
In addition to Morocco’s international presence and recent investments, other factors such as the country’s excellence in the field of renewables and a rapidly growing digital sector and internet access can help investors in the country, Hajaoui argued.
With Morocco’s investments in solar and wind power, the kingdom is hoping to reach a goal of 52% renewables in its energy mix by 2030, he said.
During the meeting, Lamia Marzouki, Deputy Director General of the Casablanca Finance City Authority, stressed the importance of cooperation between the global north and south, as well as the role that CFC can play in furthering those economic relations.
The center’s placement positions it well to provide the African continent with connections to the rest of the world and to strengthen cooperation, Marzouki said.
The Casablanca Finance City is considered Africa’s leading finance hub, and it generates one fifth of Morocco’s GDP, making it an important spot for Moroccan and international investors.
The UK and Morocco have repeatedly voiced intentions to improve their bilateral economic ties, with British investors heavily interested in Morocco’s potential as a gateway to other markets, specifically in Africa.
Although Brexit threatened to affect this economic relationship, London and Rabat have since signed a series of agreements to maintain and further their post-Brexit economic relations.
