Marrakech – Kazakhstan inaugurated its honorary consulate in Marrakech on Wednesday, at a ceremony chaired by Saulekul Sailaukyzy, the country’s ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Morocco. Local and regional authorities attended, along with figures from business, academia, and the diplomatic corps.
Younes Essassi, chairman and founder of Anfa Realties Group, was formally appointed honorary consul with jurisdiction over Marrakech. His mandate covers the protection of the rights and interests of Kazakh nationals living in or traveling through the region, along with building closer links among economic, institutional, cultural, and tourism actors in both countries.
Sailaukyzy described the opening as “a new stage” in strengthening Kazakhstan’s consular presence in Morocco. A representation closer to the ground, she noted, will help deepen ties between the two states and support the growth of bilateral cooperation.
The new office is meant to work as a facilitator. Sailaukyzy pointed to its role in connecting with the local business community, backing cooperation initiatives, and accompanying the emergence of investment opportunities and “new bridges” between Kazakhstan and Morocco.
She also traced the trajectory of a relationship established on May 26, 1992. Among the milestones she recalled were the opening of Kazakhstan’s embassy in Rabat in December 2020, the entry into force in March 2025 of reciprocal visa exemption for stays of up to 30 days, and the creation of a Kazakhstan-Morocco Business Council.
Marrakech’s strategic appeal
The choice of Marrakech carries what the ambassador called a “strategic” character, given the city’s position as a crossroads of tourist, cultural, and commercial flows and its international profile.
Essassi, for his part, voiced pride in taking on the post and committed to placing his entrepreneurial experience and knowledge of Morocco’s business landscape at the service of the two countries’ rapprochement.
The consulate will operate in close coordination with Kazakhstan’s embassy in Morocco. Essassi outlined its work as promoting economic exchanges, supporting bilateral cooperation initiatives, and accompanying new partnerships between Moroccan and Kazakh operators.
Its headquarters sits within Les Villas d’Anfa Marrakech, the first real estate project developed by Anfa Realties Group in the city. Organizers presented the ceremony as the birth of a space for dialogue and cooperation reflecting both governments’ intent to build durable ties.
The inauguration follows a separate step taken in Casablanca a day earlier. The General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) launched the Morocco-Kazakhstan Business Council on Tuesday, in a meeting chaired by CGEM President Mehdi Tazi and attended by Kazakh Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Alibek Kuantyrov.
Tazi told participants that trade between the two countries has grown by 68% since 2021 and now exceeds $460 million, while room to expand remains.
