Morocco Allocates $1.1 Million to Support National Theaters

Rabat – Morocco’s government granted MAD 11.5 million ($1.1 million) to five national theaters to fund renovation work.

As part of Morocco’s strategy to boost the country’s international profile as a destination for culture, the national Cinematography Center (CCM) announced on Thursday allocating funds for five Moroccan theaters across the country.

Aiming to enhance national theaters’ prospects for attracting viewers, CCM is also funding the creation of two new movie theaters.

Morocco’s El Jadida, a coastal located 96 kilometers south of Casablanca is set to host the two new theaters dubbed “Cinerji.” The theater is to be constructed with a budget of MAD 3.9 million ($379,200).

The second theater named “Vox” is set to debut in Beni Mellal, located in North-Central Morocco. The second theater requires an investment of MAD 3.1 million ($301,448).

Regarding the financial support CCM is issuing for renovation purposes, the commission specifies that it has decided to allocate MAD 2.5 million ($243,104) in financial support for Casablanca’s Dawliz theater.

CCM would also fund the modernization of the Rif theater in Casablanca with a budget of MAD 1 million ($97,241).

The Spanish theater in Tetouan in Northern Morocco is also set to benefit from MAD 1 million ($97,241) in financial support, CCM said in the statement.

The commission announced the details of the plan during a commission board meeting chaired by CCM President Mohamed El Glaoui.

Through the CCM and other state organizations, Morocco increased its investment in mega projects relating to the country’s cultural infrastructure.

In March of 2022, the government said that 150 new cinemas, theaters, and youth centers are set to open in Morocco.

The country currently holds around 25 cultural spaces. However, cultural facilities remain largely clustered in Morocco’s capital Rabat, and the country’s business hub, Casablanca.