Rabat – King Mohammed VI revisited on Friday a message he first delivered before Parliament in 2014: “As a Moroccan, nothing else is more valuable to me than the sense of belonging to this nation.”
The King recalled the words during his address at the opening of the first session of the first legislative year of Morocco’s 12th legislature and said the sentiment had only become stronger over the past 12 years.
“That sentiment remains with me today. It is becoming stronger and more deeply rooted with the passing years,” he said.
The original statement dates back to October 10, 2014, when the King addressed Parliament at the opening of the fourth legislative year of the ninth legislature.
In that speech, the monarch described pride in belonging to Morocco as a feeling all Moroccans should share and said it should be reflected every day in their work, dealings, conversations, and responsibilities. He later addressed politicians directly and called on them to strengthen citizens’ confidence in public and elected institutions.
Friday’s speech returned to the same idea but developed it around Morocco’s identity, history, and recent trajectory.
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The King described Morocco as one of the world’s oldest nations and pointed to the continuity of its monarchy. He also cited the country’s religious identity under the Commandership of the Faithful and the diversity of Moroccan culture.
“I take pride in the political and diplomatic accomplishments we have made, as well as in our developmental, economic, and social achievements, which have transformed Morocco,” he said.
The King then drew a distinction between national pride and complacency.
“Pride in one’s homeland, in this case, is not about boasting or self-satisfaction; rather, it is the driving force that turns the sense of belonging into responsibility, and confidence into a national duty.”
That emphasis on responsibility mirrors part of the message he delivered in 2014. At the time, the monarch told parliamentarians that pride in belonging to Morocco should appear through actions and through the way public responsibilities are exercised.
The theme also connects directly to the wider priorities outlined in Friday’s address.
King Mohammed VI called for the new legislative and governmental term to become “a real turning point” in Morocco’s ambition to become a rising and dependable economic power, while maintaining a balance between economic growth and greater social and territorial equity.
The King placed youth issues at the forefront of public policy and called for a comprehensive approach to education, skills development, and economic integration.
The monarch also identified water, energy and food security, industrial development, the digital economy and artificial intelligence among the areas where Morocco should launch a new generation of major strategies.
Regional development featured prominently as well. The King said the next phase must focus on identifying the specific problems facing each region and finding realistic solutions, while accelerating decentralization and administrative deconcentration.
The reference to 2014 therefore gave Friday’s speech a thread that stretched across two parliamentary eras.
Twelve years ago, the King presented national pride as something that should be expressed through conduct and responsibility. In 2026, he returned to that idea and defined it more explicitly as a force that should turn belonging into national duty.
