Doha – From its vast Saharan sands, Morocco has emerged as an unexpected powerhouse in the global meteorite trade.
In her book published last Thursday, titled “The Meteorites: Encounters with Outer Space and Deep Time,” author Helen Gordon chronicles how Moroccan dealers stand out with their distinctive approach at the prestigious Ensisheim meteorite show in France.
This approach involves displaying simple white sheets on reddish-brown rocks and basic weighing scales, contrasting sharply with the elaborate European and American displays.
The numbers tell a compelling story. With over a thousand officially documented meteorite discoveries since 1999 – a figure experts call “a gross underestimate” – Morocco dwarfs countries like the United Kingdom, which has recorded just 23 finds in its entire history.
Professor Hasnaa Chennaoui Aoudjehane from Hassan II University of Casablanca, who serves as a consultant to the Meteoritical Society’s Committee for Meteorite Nomenclature, describes the situation bluntly. “The situation with Moroccan meteorites is insane,” she told WIRED, as cited in Gordon’s book. “It’s unethical.”
The mid-1990s marked the beginning of what American dealer Michael Gilmer calls the “Saharan Gold Rush.” The southeastern town of Erfoud transformed into a bustling hub, where foreign dealers would purchase unclassified meteorites at low prices, have them analyzed in Western laboratories, and resell them for substantial profits.
“When I walked with my herd, I looked at the ground,” one nomad explained to Middle East Eye, describing how the stone business rescued many nomadic families from poverty.
Three key elements fueled Morocco’s rise: the desert climate making meteorites easily visible against the sand, an established network of fossil and mineral hunters, and the country’s political stability. “We are, thank God, a peaceful country,” Chennaoui noted. “It is something unique in the region.”
Today, Erfoud stands as “the gateway to the Sahara,” hosting numerous shops selling meteorites and fossils, with some featuring small museums. Local nomads have diversified their business, offering guided desert expeditions for tourists and collectors searching for meteorites.
Since 2004, Chennaoui’s university team has led the documentation efforts for nearly all Moroccan meteorite falls. Despite concerns about the trade’s impact, she maintains a practical view.
“We have gained scientific credibility in Morocco with laboratories around the world that leave the doors open for us to carry out our analyses and to welcome our students,” she said.
The landscape of the trade is shifting. According to Gilmer, the original Gold Rush has ended as local finders demand fairer compensation and high-quality specimens become increasingly rare.
“The world only has one region like northwest Africa, where a fortuitous combination of geographical, legal, and climatological forces converged,” he explained. “There are no new Moroccos waiting in the wings.”
Chennaoui has taken personal initiative to preserve Morocco’s meteorite heritage, establishing a traveling exhibition that attracted over 17,000 visitors by June 2023 in a Casablanca shopping mall.
“I want to educate people to be proud,” she expressed, “to understand that this is their heritage.”
This transformation extends beyond commerce. While some traders express concerns about potential regulation – with one dealer telling Financial Times “They can put up museums if they want, but not take away our only source of income” – others see it as an opportunity for Morocco to claim its place in the scientific community.
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