The fourth edition of “Darija Day,” the first Darija Eloquence Competition, will take place in the Paris suburb’s city of Gennevilliers on June 6. Launched in January 2025 through the first edition, the project aims to increase the visibility of Darija language, and the cultural role of the diaspora in promoting Morocco’s influence around the world.
Once marginalized, seen for a long time as a simple street dialect used only within homes and cafes, and excluded from formal and institutional spaces, Darija is now asserting itself in public scenes.
The people behind ‘Darija Day’
Smartly structured, the initiative does not emerge from nowhere. MRE Business Company, co-founder of the event, is known for its support to Moroccans Living Abroad (MRE). Founded by Sarah Tamimy, the company assists in the development of entrepreneurial projects and investments in Morocco by advisory services, while also organizing events, conferences and seminars about Moroccan culture and economic system, featuring experts from various fields.
Through the creation of “Darija Day,” MRE Business Company aims to highlight the talents of the Moroccan diaspora and promote the richness of Moroccan cultural identity. Sara El Attar, an entrepreneur, lecturer and communication consultant born in Morocco and raised in France, is also directly involved as co-founder and as one of the minds behind the concept of “Darija Day.”
The event was awarded in 2025 during the “Morocco with Purpose” a project towards MRE, attended by Morocco’s Minister of Culture and Youth (MJCC), and founded by Hiba El Aidi, a Moroccan-Canadian lawyer admitted to the Quebec Bar.
A phenomenon in expansion
Four editions have been organized in less than two years. The first edition took place on January 18, 2025, and it was won by Mariam Idhammou, an interpreter and Darija trainer. The second edition followed on June 14, 2025, with content creator Imane, known as @darijaacademy_fr in Instagram for her Darija lessons, taking the first prize. For the third edition, held on January 24 2026, Doha Hassouni, a coach-consultant, parenting and education trainer, finished first.
Many profiles have participated across these editions, from simple students to social media influencers, coaches, and teachers, all living in France with different statuses and activities, but all united by their attachment to the culture of their ancestors.
The fourth edition on June 6 confirms the rapid growth of the concept, from an experimental event to a recurring gathering taking place around every six months.
Darija’s rebirth
The appearance of the event represents a significant shift for Morocco’s popular language. Darija has historically been viewed as a secondary language, even as a mere dialect, due to its informal aspect, overpassing spelling rules, and written standardization.
Since Morocco’s independence in 1956, Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) has dominated public institutions, administration, and education. Already present in Morocco for centuries, Arabic is followed by the French language, still massively implanted across Morocco due to the legacy of the French Protectorate. While French is no longer an official language in Morocco since independence, it continues to dominate in elite circles and constitutes a social marker of prestige and poshness.
The competition aims to highlight and cultivate Darija’s potential to convey eloquence, persuasion, and conviction, while expressing complex ideas. By several participants performing on different topics, Darija asserts itself as a vector of creativity in debates, claiming an unique identity, and a powerful symbol of Moroccan heritage.
For descendants of Moroccan immigrants in France, regularly criticized here for leaving aside their cultural and linguistic heritage, in comparison with Moroccan diasporas in some other European countries, Darija Day is an opportunity to reconnect with their linguistic roots and assert that cultural transmission can thrive beyond the Mediterranean Sea.
From the Paris region to London
Following its success in France, Darija Day has begun expanding in Europe. The United Kingdom (UK) version launched in London last year on November 15. Pushing this expansion is Morocco UK Society, a platform that aims to connect Moroccan diaspora together across the UK.
Participants at the first UK edition were evaluated by notable figures such as British Moroccan-born actor Youssef Kerkour, and Khadijah Zegdi Maaref, a Moroccan author, speaker, and entrepreneur based in the UK.
With the exportation of the model, the Moroccan diaspora is gradually building a real structured cultural network across Europe. What started as a local initiative in Gennevilliers is now growing as a transnational celebration of Moroccan heritage. Darija is evolving as a powerful identity marker, bringing together Moroccans from different generations and backgrounds around a shared linguistic heritage.
