Rabat – The first ship carrying around 220 Moroccans living abroad, or MREs arrived on Saturday at the Al Hoceima port as part of the Marhaba 2024 operation.
Marhaba operation is an annual initiative that Morocco launches annually in June to facilitate the transition of Moroccan diaspora members visiting their homeland during the summer season.
The first ship carried 64 vehicles with a capacity of 1,500 passengers and 300 vehicles.
The voyage connected Al Hoceima with the port of Motril, Spain. The vessel arrived in Morocco preparing to celebrate Eid Al Adha on Monday.
The director of the Al Hoceima port Adil El Bardi commented on the arrival of the ship, noting that the voyage took place in a positive atmosphere marked by the mobilization of all stakeholders. The operation was led by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity and was supported by the services of the Royal Gendarmerie, the National Security, Customs as well as port and local authorities.
He stressed that all necessary measures and arrangements have been made at the post of Al Hoceima to ensure the success of the 2024 crossing operation to guarantee passenger comfort.
El Bardi also said that a significant influx of Moroccan expatriates are expected in the coming days, coinciding with the start of the school holidays.
The operation has been running from June 5 and will run until September 15.
The Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity said that it activated a comprehensive reception system across Morocco, France, Spain, and Italy.
Within Morocco, 18 operational spaces are spread across key ports like Tangier Med, Tangier City, Al Hoceima, and Nador in addition to airports across the country.
Six Marhaba spaces are also established in European ports, including Genoa in Italy, Sete and Marseille in France, along with Motril, Almeria, and Algeciras in Spain.
